Georges Moustaki (1934-2013) was a singer-songwriter of Greek Jewish origin… Read Full Bio ↴Georges Moustaki (1934-2013) was a singer-songwriter of Greek Jewish origin.

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.

Elle Appelle "Au Secours"
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elle appelle au secours
Elle appelle à l'amour
Solitude de banlieue
Solitude même à deux
Et le temps qui passe
Et le temps qui court
Demain ce sera pareil
Demain comme tous les jours

Elle appelle au secours
Elle appelle à l'amour
Les enfants ont bien grandi
Les enfants sont tous partis
Et le coeur est vide
Et le coeur est lourd
Demain ce sera pareil
Demain comme tous les jours

Elle appelle au secours
Elle appelle à l'amour
Mais personne ne l'entend
Mais personne ne l'attend
Pour lui dire "je t'aime"
Pour lui dire "bonjour"
Demain ce sera pareil
Demain comme tous les jours

Elle appelle au secours
Elle appelle à l'amour
On en rit ou ont la plaint
On la laisse dans son coin
Dans un monde indifférent
Dans un monde aveugle et sourd
Demain ce sera pareil
Demain comme tous les jours

Elle appelle au secours
Elle appelle à l'amour

Dans un monde qui ne comprend rien
À l'amour

Overall Meaning

The song "Elle Appelle Au Secours" by Georges Moustaki tells the story of a woman who is desperately calling out for help and love. She is living a life of solitude even though she may have people around her, and time just keeps moving forward without any change. The lyrics suggest that she has raised her children to adulthood, and they have all left her to her own devices. The woman's heart is heavy with loneliness and emptiness, as she yearns for someone to tell her they love her or even just say hello. However, despite her cries for help, nobody seems to hear her or care about her struggles, leaving her to suffer in an indifferent and deaf world.

The song highlights the feelings of sadness, isolation, and longing that people can experience even when surrounded by others. It reminds us that we should be more attentive to those around us and show them love and kindness. The lyrics are reflective and poetic, capturing the essence of the human condition, and Georges Moustaki's gentle voice and sensitive guitar play emphasize the emotional weight of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Elle appelle au secours
She's calling for help

Elle appelle à l'amour
She's calling for love

Solitude de banlieue
Suburban loneliness

Solitude même à deux
Loneliness even when two people are together

Et le temps qui passe
And time goes by

Et le temps qui court
And time flies

Demain ce sera pareil
Tomorrow it will be the same

Demain comme tous les jours
Tomorrow, like every day

Les enfants ont bien grandi
The children have grown up

Les enfants sont tous partis
The children have all left

Et le coeur est vide
And the heart is empty