Emblematic French singer from the 80's, Daniel Balavoine (1952-1986) partic… Read Full Bio ↴Emblematic French singer from the 80's, Daniel Balavoine (1952-1986) participated in the first Starmania rock-show (later played in the USA as 'Tycoon') and wrote many popular songs that shook French youth during his time, such as Le Chanteur, L'Aziza, Sauver l'amour ...

Very engaged in the civil society, he sang and personified the lust for life, the hopes and the doubts of his generation, often clashing with politicians, elites, and older generations. He is especially famous for a tense debate about the struggles, hopes and doubts of French youth with the then first secretary of the French Socialist party, François Mitterrand, who was later twice elected president of France. Later he also had problems in a misunderstood verbal clash about French veterans.

Daniel Balavoine loved Africa and this transpires in many of his songs. He dedicated himself to humanitarian projects and took part in the Paris-Dakar rallye two times. The third time he took part only for humanitarian reasons. On the 14th january 1986, around 8pm, his helicopter crashed between Mali and Burkina-Faso, killing all five passengers, putting an end to his career, and leaving behind his pregnant wife Corine and his son Jeremy.

Ces Petits Riens
Daniel Balavoine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Et les jours se fanent
Comme les années
Le programme ne changera plus jamais
Et tes joues se fardent
Pour mieux étouffer
Le sillon des larmes que j'avais laissées

Je le sais je m'y prends bien

Pour gâcher ces petits riens
Qui font la vie
Qui font la vie
J'voulais pas v'nir
C'est pas malin
J'voulais pas v'nir
J'me sens pas bien
J'veux sortir
Pour vomir tout mon chagrin
J'peux pas partir
J'peux pas changer mon destin
J'ai trop peur de mourir avant la fin

Et puis l'amertume

M'a tendu la main
J'ai pris l'habitude
De marcher pour rien
Et quand mon vertige
S'équilibre enfin
Le vide se fige mais il me retient.

J'ai pas choisi le début
Je choisirai pas la fin
De ma vie
De ma vie
J'voulais pas v'nir
C'est pas malin
J'voulais pas v'nir
J'me sens pas bien
J'veux sortir pour vomir tout mon chagrin
J'peux pas partir
J'peux pas changer mon destin
J'ai trop peur de mourir avant la fin
J'voulais pas v'nir

J'peux pas partir
J'voulais pas v'nir...

Overall Meaning

In Daniel Balavoine's song Ces Petits Riens, the lyrics speak to the inevitability of time and the struggle to find meaning in life. The opening lines, "Et les jours se fanent comme les années" (And the days wither like the years), set the theme of the transience of life. The singer of the song feels trapped in a life that will never change, and as a result, they try to mask their pain with makeup ("Et tes joues se fardent pour mieux étouffer le sillon des larmes que j'avais laissées" - And your cheeks put on makeup to better stifle the tracks of tears that I had left).

The lyrics further express the singer's desire to escape their current situation and the pain that it causes them. They feel like they're wasting their life ("J'ai pris l'habitude de marcher pour rien" - I have taken the habit of walking for nothing) and that they are held back by their fear of death before accomplishing anything meaningful ("J'ai trop peur de mourir avant la fin" - I am too afraid of dying before the end). Despite this, they are unable to leave or change their fate ("J'peux pas partir, j'peux pas changer mon destin" - I can't leave, I can't change my fate).

Overall, the lyrics of Ces Petits Riens evoke a sense of disillusionment and existential angst, capturing the fleeting nature of life and the struggle to find purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

Et les jours se fanent
The days wither away

Comme les années
Just like the years

Le programme ne changera plus jamais
The routine will never change

Et tes joues se fardent
And your cheeks are painted

Pour mieux étouffer
To better smother

Le sillon des larmes que j'avais laissées
The path of tears that I had left behind

Je le sais je m'y prends bien
I know, I'm good at ruining

Pour gâcher ces petits riens
To spoil these little nothings

Qui font la vie
That make up life

J'voulais pas v'nir
I did not want to come

C'est pas malin
That was not smart