She met Abi Ofarim, a guitarist and dancer, in 1959 and subsequently married him. With her husband and without him she began to sing Hebrew and international folk songs.
In 1960 Esther got a small role in the film Exodus. In 1961 Esther won the Song Festival in Tel Aviv, where she sang "Saeni imcha bemachol" and "Neama". Two years later, Esther made the 2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest with "T'en vas pas", representing Switzerland.
From then on, her duo with her then husband Abi Ofarim began take off. In 1966 they had their first hit in Germany with "Noch einen Tanz". Their greatest success in Germany was "Morning of my Life" in 1967, which was written by the Bee Gees. In 1968 the Ofarims had their international breakthrough with "Cinderella Rockefella", which hit the top of the charts in a number of countries including the UK. They played many live concerts in New York and London, and in 1969 they toured around the world.
As result of problems in both business, and personal relations, they divorced in 1970 [1] (in German).
Esther started her solo career with several albums and concerts. In 1984 she played in Joshua Sobol's piece "Ghetto", produced by Peter Zadek in Berlin (Germany). There she sang some songs, including "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen". The play was extremely successful, which was attributed in part to Esther's strong presence.
Since 1998, Esther Ofarim has been performing several concerts each year, especially in Israel and Germany. This includes annual concerts in the Hamburger Kammerspiele.
Ofarim's songs were prominently featured in the 2004 Israeli film, Walk on Water.
Mon Vieux Quartier
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ou l'amour un jour m'a fait mal
Tu dormais sous un ciel sans étoiles
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
Un nuage te couvrait de laines
Une horloge agitait ses chaines
Pour les filles qui trainaient leurs peines
Un chaland a jetté son cri
Un train a troué la nuit
Le printemps s'est noyé de pluie
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
Pour mon chagrin, pour mes yeux qui pleurent
Pour le prix d'un amour qui meurt
Je voudrais voire saigner ton cœur
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
The song Mon Vieux Quartier by Esther Ofarim takes the listener on a nostalgic journey to a past love that was lost in a familiar place. The lyrics depict a couple who met near an old canal in the singer's neighborhood, which was once a place of joy and happiness for them. However, the singer's love has now ended, and they are left with painful memories of their time spent in their old neighborhood. The stars no longer shine above the lover’s head and the clouds now cover them in wool.
The singer describes their old quarter as a place where people come to forget their pain, their heartbreaks, and the girls who carry their sorrows with them. But this once lively place has now turned into a quiet, solemn place as they hear the steamboat's cry in the background and the sound of a train breaking the silence. The writer longs for the place to feel their own suffering and to share in their pain.
Overall, Mon Vieux Quartier's powerful and wistful lyrics serve as a poignant reminder of how memories of love and loss can stay with us, even in the most mundane and ordinary settings.
Line by Line Meaning
On s'est connu près du vieux canal
We met near the old canal
Ou l'amour un jour m'a fait mal
Where love once hurt me
Tu dormais sous un ciel sans étoiles
You were sleeping under a starless sky
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
My old neighborhood, my old neighborhood
Un nuage te couvrait de laines
A cloud covered you in wool
Une horloge agitait ses chaines
A clock was rattling its chains
Pour les filles qui trainaient leurs peines
For the girls who carried their sorrows
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
My old neighborhood, my old neighborhood
Un chaland a jetté son cri
A barge let out its cry
Un train a troué la nuit
A train pierced through the night
Le printemps s'est noyé de pluie
Spring drowned in rain
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
My old neighborhood, my old neighborhood
Pour mon chagrin, pour mes yeux qui pleurent
For my grief, for my weeping eyes
Pour le prix d'un amour qui meurt
For the cost of a dying love
Je voudrais voire saigner ton cœur
I wish to see your heart bleed
Mon vieux quartier, mon vieux quartier
My old neighborhood, my old neighborhood
Contributed by Caroline M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@slowfoodwawa
This is just so much unexpected, a pleasure to listen to. I found no other French version so far.
@jojoswing
This must be a very early song from her career. What a super voice.
@saturne46
Bravo Esther Ofarim !
@user-iu7kz9fk2c
יחידה ומיוחדת נולדה עם מקרופון ביד. עם קול קטיפתי ומרטיט לבבות, הולך שבי אחריה כבר 60 שנה🌷
@citizenjeff1961
Thank for this version... I send you another cover.
@Thecharityshop
Great clip. Cheers
@sephirus37
Je suis sur le cul o.O J'adore !
@johnburnsmorgan
It was recorded before many of the Pogues were born.
@fleurt1
So this wasn't a Pogues original then?
@p22adraig
Dirty Old Town in French, never knew!