He came out with his first album Dumas en 2001, when he was 21. His second album, Le cours des jours made him more well-known. One song on the Le cours des jours album was sung by Marie-Annick Lépine, from the group Les Cowboys Fringants. In 2004, Carl Bastien and Dumas released the soundtrack to the film Les Aimants by Yves P. Pelletier.
La ville s'éveille
Dumas Lyrics
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Les métros reprenne du service, tout redémarre
Derrière les stores tirés des amant s'ébattent
Des milliers d'histoires sans écho
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Des gens fondent dans des couloirs
Cinquante étages
Combien de visages sans écho
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Ma ville s'endort
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Ma ville s'endort
Les néons s'éteignent sur les boulevards
Une radio chuchotte California
Et toi assoupie au creux de mes bras
Es-t la solution
Ou une histoire sans écho
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Ma ville s'endort
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Ma ville s'endort
La ville s'éveille
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
Les traits tirés
Ma ville s'endort
The lyrics of Dumas's song "La ville s'éveille" (The city awakens) talks about the hustle and bustle of city life. The neon lights on the boulevards are turned off as the metros start services again. The singer observes that behind the closed shutters, lovers engage in their amorous activities, whereas thousands of untold stories remain unheard. The city awakens, and the singer takes a taxi, exhausted from the daily grind. The city begins to sleep as the singer navigates through its streets. The singer draws attention to the number of people who slip away in corridors and elevators without anyone taking notice, and how everyone's face remains anonymous. In the chorus, the singer sings repeatedly that the city awakens, and they take a taxi, feeling drained as their city sleeps.
The third stanza brings in a new character. A radio murmurs the word 'California', and the singer has someone else with them, someone asleep and nestled in their arms. Together they form part of the many untold stories unfolding in the background of city life. And so the city awakens, and the singer takes a taxi again, tired to the bone as their city goes to sleep.
Overall, the lyrics talking about the life of the city are filled with observations on its people, their stories that remain untold or unknown, and the exhaustion that comes with living there. The song gives city life a unique perspective, which is not observed by everyone. Its emotional lyrics speak to the heart, and the music resonates with its listeners' experiences on life in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Les néons s'éteignent sur les boulevards
The bright lights on the boulevards are turning off
Les métros reprenne du service, tout redémarre
The metro trains are back in service, everything is restarting
Derrière les stores tirés des amant s'ébattent
Behind the drawn blinds, lovers are frolicking
Des milliers d'histoires sans écho
Thousands of stories with no echo
La ville s'éveille
The city is waking up
Et moi je monte à l'arrière des taxis
And I go up in the back of taxis
Les traits tirés
The features are drawn
Ma ville s'endort
My city falls asleep
Des gens fondent dans des couloirs
People melt in the corridors
Cinquante étages
Fifty floors
Combien de visages sans écho
How many faces without echo
Une radio chuchotte California
A radio whispers California
Et toi assoupie au creux de mes bras
And you, asleep in my arms
Es-t la solution
Are you the solution
Ou une histoire sans écho
Or a story without echo
Writer(s): dumas
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.