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.
Dire qu'il faudra mourir un jour
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quitter sa vie et ses amours,
Dire qu'il faudra laisser tout ça
Pour Dieu sait quel au-delà.
{Refrain:}
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir un jour. {2x}
C'est dur à penser, il faut bien le dire.
Dir' qu'il faudra rester tout seul
Dans la tristesse d'un linceul
Sans une fille pour la nuit,
Sans une goutte de whisky.
{Refrain}
Dir' qu'il faudra, bon gré mal gré,
Finir dans d'éternels regrets,
Moi qui voudrais plus d'une vie
Pour passer toutes mes envies.
{Refrain}
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir d'ennui
En enfer ou en paradis,
Passer toute une éternité
Sans jamais pouvoir s'évader...
{Refrain}
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir encor,
Moi qui suis souvent déjà mort,
Oui mort d'amour et de plaisir.
De quoi pourrais-je mieux mourir ?
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir un jour,
C'est dur à penser, mon amour.
The song "Dire qu'il faudra mourir un jour" by Georges Moustaki talks about the inevitability of death and the difficulties associated with it. The lyrics highlight the fact that everyone has to face death at some point in time, leaving behind their loved ones and everything they hold dear.
The first verse talks about the concept of leaving everything behind and entering the unknown, which is death. It emphasizes the fact that we don't know what lies beyond death. The refrain of the song "Dir' qu'il faudra mourir un jour" means "to say that we will have to die someday," and it repeats throughout the song, underscoring the central theme.
In the second verse, the singer talks about the loneliness one may feel in death, and the things we take for granted, such as companionship and alcohol. He emphasizes that the thought of having to die alone is unbearable, and it's hard to accept that we will be completely cut off from the things we enjoy.
In the third verse, the singer talks about his desire for more than one life to fulfill all his desires. He mentions that the concept of dying with regrets is disheartening, and he wants to live his life to the fullest, fulfilling all his desires.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the concept of death and how it affects our psyche. It's a reminder that we should live life to the fullest and appreciate each moment we have.
Line by Line Meaning
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir un jour,
Expressing the truth that everyone has to die someday
Quitter sa vie et ses amours,
Leaving behind everything one has lived for and everyone they love
Dire qu'il faudra laisser tout ça
Saying that one has to leave their entire life behind
Pour Dieu sait quel au-delà.
Wondering what lies beyond death
Dir' qu'il faudra rester tout seul
Acknowledging the loneliness that comes with death
Dans la tristesse d'un linceul
Accepting the sadness that comes with being buried in a shroud
Sans une fille pour la nuit,
Realizing that there will be no more companionship
Sans une goutte de whisky.
Accepting that there will be no more indulgence in worldly pleasures
Dir' qu'il faudra, bon gré mal gré,
Conceding that death is inevitable whether or not one accepts it
Finir dans d'éternels regrets,
Accepting that there will always be things left undone or unsaid
Moi qui voudrais plus d'une vie
Admitting the desire for more time to live and experience life
Pour passer toutes mes envies.
Wanting more time to fulfill all of one's desires
Dir' qu'il faudra mourir d'ennui
Accepting that even the afterlife may be boring
En enfer ou en paradis,
Considering both the possibility of a good or bad afterlife
Passer toute une éternité
Reflecting on the endlessness of eternity
Sans jamais pouvoir s'évader...
Realizing that there may be no escape from the afterlife or death
Moi qui suis souvent déjà mort,
Acknowledging that one has faced many hardships or traumas in life
Oui mort d'amour et de plaisir.
Having experienced the pain of losing a loved one or not being able to indulge in personal pleasures
De quoi pourrais-je mieux mourir ?
Wondering what would be a better way to die
C'est dur à penser, mon amour.
Expressing the difficulty of facing the reality of death
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marc-Gil Ar Blouc'h
La sobriété et la plénitude de l'accompagnement à la guitare
Francis Taieb
Je te salue moi encore ici ,toi là-bas.Merci pour très tes chansons tracesvivantes de ton passage avec nous.
Caroline dumont
Génial et gai malgré tout !