Moustaki was born Yussef Mustacchi on the 3rd May 1934 in Alexandria, Egypt, of Sephardic Jewish parents who had moved there from Corfu, and who ran a bookshop in the city. The family spoke Italian at home, but Georges (then Yussef) spoke Arabic with his friends and attended a French school to which his Francophile parents sent him and his sisters. In 1951 he moved to Paris, where he was inspired by the young Georges Brassens, in honour of whom he changed his name to Georges Moustaki.
Moustaki wrote and sang in French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English, Yiddish, and Arabic. Early influences included Edith Piaf, with whom Moustaki carried on a year-long romance. His pan-national approach to music made him a star in Europe in the late sixties and early seventies.
He died on the 23rd May 2013 in Nice, France.
Danse
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Libre comme un poisson dans l'eau, comme un oiseau dans l'air,
Léger comme le vent qui danse dans les arbres
Ou le mât d'un bateau qui danse sous la vague.
Danse tant que tu peux danser sur les pavés, sur l'herbe,
Sur une table de bistrot, à l'ombre des tavernes.
Viens, laisse-toi porter par toutes les musiques
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Danse dans les bras de Margot ou Julie de Nanterre,
Danse pour retrouver l'amour et la folie,
Danse pour éblouir ton âme qui s'ennuie.
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Pour ne plus porter sur ton dos la mort et la misère
Et tu verras jaillir les sources souterraines,
Et les torrents de joie qui coulent dans tes veines.
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Danse pour qu'un printemps nouveau balaye les hivers.
Danse comme l'on vit, danse comme l'on aime,
Danse comme on écrit sur les murs un poème.
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Danse tant que tu peux danser. Viens, le bal est ouvert !
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Danse tant que tu peux danser. Viens, le bal est ouvert !
...
The lyrics of Georges Moustaki's song Danse encourage the listener to dance while they can, to dance freely and lightly like a fish in water or a bird in air. The song promotes the idea of dancing on all surfaces, whether it be pavement or grass, and letting oneself be carried away by all kinds of music. Dancing is portrayed as a way to rekindle love and passion, as well as to escape from the burdens of death and misery. The song suggests that by dancing, one can tap into the hidden springs of joy within their soul and welcome a new dawn of spring.
The verse "danse pour retrouver l'amour et la folie, danse pour éblouir ton âme qui s'ennuie" (dance to rediscover love and madness, dance to dazzle your bored soul) highlights the idea that dancing is a way to break out of monotony and embrace the vivacity of life. The song encourages the listener to write their own poem on the walls with their movement, to let their body be the canvas and the dance be the paint.
Overall, the song is an invitation to dance with abandon and embrace the beauty and magic of life that can be revealed through dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Dance as much as you can, dance around the earth,
Libre comme un poisson dans l'eau, comme un oiseau dans l'air,
Free as a fish in water, as a bird in air,
Léger comme le vent qui danse dans les arbres
Light as the wind dancing in the trees
Ou le mât d'un bateau qui danse sous la vague.
Or the mast of a boat dancing under the wave.
Danse tant que tu peux danser sur les pavés, sur l'herbe,
Dance as much as you can, dance on pavements, on grass,
Sur une table de bistrot, à l'ombre des tavernes.
On a bistro table, in the shadow of taverns.
Viens, laisse-toi porter par toutes les musiques
Come, let yourself be carried by all the music,
Qui sortent d'un piano ou d'un vieux tourne-disque.
That come out of a piano or an old record player.
Danse dans les bras de Margot ou Julie de Nanterre,
Dance in the arms of Margot or Julie from Nanterre,
Danse pour retrouver l'amour et la folie,
Dance to find love and madness,
Danse pour éblouir ton âme qui s'ennuie.
Dance to dazzle your bored soul.
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Dance as much as you can, dance around the earth,
Pour ne plus porter sur ton dos la mort et la misère
To no longer bear death and misery on your back
Et tu verras jaillir les sources souterraines,
And you will see underground springs gushing,
Et les torrents de joie qui coulent dans tes veines.
And the torrents of joy flowing in your veins.
Danse pour qu'un printemps nouveau balaye les hivers.
Dance so a new spring sweeps away the winters.
Danse comme l'on vit, danse comme l'on aime,
Dance as we live, dance as we love,
Danse comme on écrit sur les murs un poème.
Dance as we write a poem on walls.
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Dance as much as you can, dance around the earth,
Viens, le bal est ouvert !
Come, the ball is open!
Danse tant que tu peux danser, danse autour de la terre,
Dance as much as you can, dance around the earth,
Danse tant que tu peux danser. Viens, le bal est ouvert !
Dance as much as you can, dance around the earth. Come, the ball is open!
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@saidarab7215
les oiseaux, les papillons et les humains danseraient durant tte l'éternité en entendant ce joli refrin du grand Moustaki.certaine ment il reste inimitable...
@marielamby4133
Merci Georges Moustaki
@Expectadorable
Gracias.