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 Est Elle
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elle est docile
Elle est rebelle
Elle est changeante
Et éternelle
Elle est blue-jean
Elle est dentelle
Elle est vestale
Elle est charnelle

Elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est {x4}

Elle est gamine
Elle est femelle
Elle est fugace
Elle est fidèle
Elle est Mozart
Elle est Ravel
Elle est passion
Elle est pastel

Elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est {x4}

Elle est jadis, elle est futur
Elle est le havre et l'aventure
Elle est le musc et la lavande
Elle est l'Espagne, elle est l'Irlande

Elle est consonne
Elle est voyelle
Elle est l'orage
Et l'arc-en-ciel
Elle est guitare
Et violoncelle
Elle est tigresse
Elle est gazelle

Elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est {x4}

Elle est jadis, elle est futur
Elle est le havre et l'aventure
Elle est le musc et la lavande
Elle est l'Espagne, elle est l'Irlande

Elle est piment
Elle est cannelle
Elle est la poudre
Et l'étincelle
Elle est docile
Elle est rebelle
Elle est changeante
Et éternelle

Elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est {x4}

Overall Meaning

Georges Moustaki’s "Elle Est Elle" is a song that personifies a woman. The song lists various characteristics of the unnamed woman in both French and English. She is described as being both submissive and rebellious, changing yet eternal. She is the symbol of love, and the song's chorus repeats, "Elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est, elle est" (she is, she is, she is, she is, she is) to emphasize her many facets.

The verses of the song are structured in AABB rhyming pairs, which adds to the song's lyrical grace. The woman in the song is depicted as both young and old, both feminine and masculine, both passionate and gentle. She is Muscular and lavender, Mozart and Ravel, trousers and lace. Throughout the song, the woman is compared to various items, from the colors of the rainbow to musical instruments. Uniquely, the woman is represented as both submissive and rebellious, changes both frequently and consistently, and is both young and old.

Line by Line Meaning

Elle est docile
She is submissive

Elle est rebelle
She is rebellious

Elle est changeante
She is changeable

Et éternelle
And eternal

Elle est blue-jean
She is denim

Elle est dentelle
She is lace

Elle est vestale
She is pure

Elle est charnelle
She is sensual

Elle est gamine
She is childish

Elle est femelle
She is feminine

Elle est fugace
She is fleeting