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.
Petit homme mort au combat
Daniel Balavoine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(D.Balavoine)
Etendu, noy� de poussi�re,
Un enfant fixe le n�ant,
Le front humide entour� d'un turban,
Il dit que Dieu est grand -and
On peut voir qu'il n'a pas eu le temps
De comprendre d'o' venait la douleur
Qui brise ses tympans
Petit homme mort au combat,
Qui a pu guider ses pas ?
Ivre de pri�res
Rythm�es par le glas
Petit homme mort au combat,
Quel Dieu a pu vouloir �a ?
Qui peut �tre fier
De tant de d�g�ts
Et en moi, l'�tau se ress�re,
Quand je vois d�filer ces enfants
Aveugl�s par des hommes aux voeux pervers,
Aux hymnes d�-lirants
Au del� de toute fronti�re,
Il faut dire � tout esprit naissant
Qu'aucune cause ne vaudra jamais
La mort d'un innocent -ent
Petit homme mort au combat,
Quel Dieu a pu vouloir �a ?
Qui peut �tre fier
De tant de d�g�ts
Devant ces feux -eux
De Haine,
De Terre,
De Sang -ang -ang,
J'esp�re un peu
Quand m�me,
Oh! que l'Homme comprenne
Que l'enfant ne sait pas � quoi il consent !
Petit homme mort au combat,
Qui a pu guider tes pas ?
Ivre de pri�res
Rythm�es par le glas
Oh,
Petit homme mort au combat,
Quel Dieu a pu vouloir �a ?
Qui peut �tre fier
De tant de d�g�ts !
The lyrics of Daniel Balavoine's song "Petit homme mort au combat" depict the heart-wrenching scene of a child dying in the midst of war, surrounded by destruction and chaos. The child, covered in dust and sweat, looks towards nothingness as he utters that "God is great", perhaps as a last plea for mercy or an attempt to reconcile religion with his tragic fate. The lyrics further paint the picture of the child's confusion and shock, unable to comprehend the source of the pain that engulfs him, and praying fervently as if to seek comfort in the face of death. Balavoine questions the senselessness of war and its costs, wondering who could possibly justify the loss of innocent lives and the destruction that follows.
The song goes beyond the individual tragedy of the child and resonates with the collective pain of victims of war and violence, as Balavoine calls for empathy and understanding across borders and beliefs. He argues that no cause is worth the death of an innocent, and that the responsibility lies with every person to ensure that future generations are not subject to the horrors of war. The song's final lines express a hope that humanity will one day learn from its mistakes and comprehend that a child does not know what he consents to, in reference to the manipulation and indoctrination of children that often takes place during times of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Etendu, noy� de poussi�re,
A child lies motionless in the dirt, covered in dust
Un enfant fixe le n�ant,
The child stares into oblivion
Le front humide entour� d'un turban,
His head is wrapped in a damp turban
Il dit que Dieu est grand -and
He proclaims that God is great
Dans son dos, mouill� de sueur,
His back is drenched in sweat
On peut voir qu'il n'a pas eu le temps
It's clear that he didn't have time
De comprendre d'o' venait la douleur
To understand where the pain came from
Qui brise ses tympans
That's breaking his eardrums
Petit homme mort au combat,
Little man dead in combat
Qui a pu guider ses pas ?
Who could have guided his steps?
Ivre de pri�res
Drunk on prayers
Rythm�es par le glas
Rhythmic by the death knell
Quel Dieu a pu vouloir �a ?
What God could have wanted this?
Qui peut �tre fier
Who can be proud
De tant de d�g�ts
Of so much damage
Et en moi, l'�tau se ress�re,
And in me, the vice tightens,
Quand je vois d�filer ces enfants
When I see these children parade
Aveugl�s par des hommes aux voeux pervers,
Blindfolded by men with perverted vows,
Aux hymnes d�-lirants
With delirious hymns
Au del� de toute fronti�re,
Beyond any border
Il faut dire � tout esprit naissant
We must tell every emerging mind
Qu'aucune cause ne vaudra jamais
That no cause will ever be worthy
La mort d'un innocent -ent
Of the death of an innocent
Devant ces feux -eux
In front of these fires
De Haine,
Of hate,
De Terre,
Of land,
De Sang -ang -ang,
Of blood,
J'esp�re un peu
I hope a little
Quand m�me,
Nevertheless,
Oh! que l'Homme comprenne
Oh! that Man understands
Que l'enfant ne sait pas � quoi il consent !
That the child doesn't know what he's consenting to!
Oh, Petit homme mort au combat,
Oh, little man dead in combat,
Qui a pu guider tes pas ?
Who could have guided your steps?
Quel Dieu a pu vouloir �a ?
What God could have wanted this?
Qui peut �tre fier
Who can be proud
De tant de d�g�ts !
Of so much damage!
Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.