Besides the highly successful "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son", she also notably sung "Les Sucettes" and "Baby Pop". In France, she was perhaps more known for the chanson songs she sang in the late-70s through the mid-80s, many of them written by her husband, Michel Berger, who died in 1992. In 1987, she had some additional international success with her Ella Fitzgerald tribute "Ella, elle l'a". She still recorded music into the new millennium.
France Gall died on 7 january 2018 at age 70 in a hospital in Paris.
Christiansen
France Gall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song "Christiansen" by France Gall tells the story of a man named Christiansen who leaves his snowy home in Norway and travels south to the Mediterranean with just his green eyes and guitar. He knows very little French and English, but the singer of the song understands him well, even when he doesn't speak. Christiansen plays his guitar for people in exchange for drinks and money, and sleeps on the beach between two rocks. He often speaks of his cousin Christine, who the singer dislikes because she loved Christiansen too much.
Despite having nothing except his guitar and the clothes on his back, Christiansen is happy in his new surroundings. Eventually, he returns to Norway, taking with him memories of the golden beaches he visited and the singer's promise to recognize his home and sled when she comes to visit.
The song appears to be a touching tribute to a carefree traveler with a free spirit who values adventure over material possessions. It also shows the cultural and linguistic barriers between people who are from different countries, and how sometimes even without speaking the same language, communication is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Il était venu de son pays de neige
He had come from his snowy country
Tout droit vers le Sud, sans presque s'arrêter
Straight to the south, almost without stopping
Mon Dieu que c'est loin, que c'est loin de la Norvège
My God, it's so far, so far from Norway
La Méditerranée
The Mediterranean
C'était ses yeux verts, et c'était sa guitare
It was his green eyes, and it was his guitar
Qui avaient payé ce voyage de fou
That had paid for this crazy trip
Quand il en jouait, en lui offrait à boire
When he played it, it offered him a drink
On lui donnait des sous
They gave him money
Christiansen
Christiansen
Il savait quelques mots de mauvais français
He knew a few words of bad French
Christiansen
Christiansen
Il savait quelques mots de mauvais anglais
He knew a few words of bad English
Et pourtant, je comprenais bien
And yet, I understood well
Même quand il ne disait rien
Even when he said nothing
Christiansen
Christiansen
Le jour où j'irai le rejoindre en Norvège
The day I will join him in Norway
Je reconnaîtrai cette maison d'Oslo
I will recognize this house in Oslo
Et ce vieux traîneau qu'il lançait sur la neige
And this old sled he launched on the snow
Comme on lance un bateau
Like throwing a boat
Je reconnaîtrai la fameuse Christine
I will recognize the famous Christine
Dont il me parlait pour me faire enrager
About whom he spoke to make me angry
Je ne l'aime pas cette jolie cousine
I do not like this pretty cousin
Elle l'a trop aimé
She loved him too much
Christiansen
Christiansen
Il dormait sur la plage entre deux rochers
He slept on the beach between two rocks
Christiansen
Christiansen
S'il mangeait quelques fois, c'est que j'y pensais
If he ate sometimes, it's because I thought of it
Et pourtant, il était heureux, oui vraiment il était heureux
And yet, he was happy, really happy
Christiansen
Christiansen
Il est reparti vers son pays de neige
He left back to his snowy country
Et la plage d'or où l'on s'est tant baignés
And the golden beach where we swam so much
A le sable gris, des plages de Norvège
With gray sand, like the beaches of Norway
Il a tout emporté
He took everything with him
Pour me le redonner
To give it back to me when I see him again
Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fs7623
Chanson adorée passée en boucle lors mon enfance 💞
@brigittemoniqueblancher6645
Elle est jolie, la chanson "Christiansen" de France Gall, et nostalgique à souhait… Elle a chanté quelques jolies chansons pendant la période "Avant Michel Berger", telle que "Deux Oiseaux", écrite par son père, ainsi que "Les Rubans Et La Fleur"
@damiendominguez4973
que je vais écouter tout de suite car je ne connais pas
@marianan1161
Jetudie la langue fr avec ces chansons (celui de la 1e album )
@babou9549
Toutes sont belles, bien écrites et bien composées. Grande artiste.
@PHILGYPSYBLUESCLARK
sans parler de sa période Gainsbourg....
@JamesCalbraith
A perfect holiday song if there was ever one.
@alexandrevezere2232
C'est la période Sixties de France Gall...Nous fredonnions ses chansons en écoutant Salut les copains !!!!
@philippejenvrin2741
Bien composé, belle chanson! Cette chanson me rappelle Berenike une jeune fille venant de Bavière avec ses yeux verts en vacances dans sud de la France !! Je ne les jamais revue !!
@danielritter171
Très belle chanson formidable