Elle Est Partie
Georges Moustaki Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Le piano ne chante plus
et la guitarre s'est tue
elle est partie
elle a laissé quelques livres
et tous les bijoux de cuivre
elle est partie
elle ne se promène plus
à moitié nue
du lit à la salle de bains
chaque matin

le piano ne chante plus
et la guitarre s'est tue
elle est partie
près du lit encore défait
il y a sa tasse de café
elle est partie
ce n'est pas très original
d'avoir si mal
quand il vous arrive un jour
de perdre un amour

le piano ne chante plus
et la guitarre s'est tue
Elle Est Partie
j'ai encore son parfum
dans la paume de mes mains
elle est partie
j'oublie le mauvais moments
je sais seulement
qu'avec elle j'étais bien
pourquoi elle-est si loin?

où est-elle, mon amie,
ça fait dix ans aujourd'hui
qu'elle est partie
celle qui vivait près de moi
qui dormait entre mes bras
toutes les nuits
le piano est désaccordé
la chanson est démodée
si elle m'entend la fredonner
qu'elle sache que j'en ai
pris mon parti





le piano ne chante plus

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Georges Moustaki's song Elle Est Partie describe the aftermath of a lost love. The piano and guitar are silent because the woman he loved has left. The singer is left with her books and bracelets as constant reminders. He describes how she used to walk around half-naked before taking a shower in the morning, but that has stopped now that she's gone.


The singer also talks about the mess she left behind, including the still-unmade bed and the coffee cup she used. He admits that it's not unusual to feel so hurt after losing someone. He still remembers her perfume on his hands, which makes him forget the bad times and remember that he was happy with her. He wonders where she is now, ten years after she left. The song ends with the singer playing the despondent, outdated song, hoping that she hears it and knows that he has come to terms with her departure.


Line by Line Meaning

Le piano ne chante plus
The piano has stopped playing music, a reflection of the emptiness left behind by his lover's departure.


et la guitarre s'est tue
Similarly, the guitar has fallen silent, leaving the owner's heartbroken emotions to fill the space.


elle est partie
She has left, causing the singer to reflect on the memories of their time together.


elle a laissé quelques livres
Despite leaving, his lover has left behind some books and copper jewelry, tangible items that remind him of her presence.


et tous les bijoux de cuivre
In addition to the books, the singer is reminded of his lover through the copper jewelry she left behind.


elle ne se promène plus
The singer notes that his lover no longer walks half-naked from the bed to the bathroom each morning.


à moitié nue
His lover used to walk around with minimal clothing, but with her departure, that aspect of his morning routine is gone.


du lit à la salle de bains
The singer remembers his lover's morning routine of walking from the bed to the bathroom, which is now a reminder of her absence.


chaque matin
The ritual of her morning routine is a reminder of the loss that the singer experiences everyday without her.


près du lit encore défait
The singer notes that his lover's cup of coffee is still near the unmade bed, a reminder that she is no longer there to enjoy it with him.


il y a sa tasse de café
A poignant reminiscence of the times that he and his lover shared and their routines of drinking coffee each morning.


ce n'est pas très original
The singer acknowledges that it's not uncommon to feel lost and heartbroken upon losing a great love.


d'avoir si mal
The pain of losing his love is not unusual and is something that many people can relate to.


quand il vous arrive un jour
The pain of losing a love is something that can happen to anyone at any time, a universal experience.


de perdre un amour
The singer is grieving the loss of his love, which is something that can happen to anyone when a relationship ends.


j'ai encore son parfum
The singer still has a physical reminder of his lover in the form of her perfume, which he can still smell on his hands.


dans la paume de mes mains
The scent of his lover's perfume lingers on his hands, making it hard for him to forget her and move on.


j'oublie le mauvais moments
Despite the pain of losing his love, the singer tries to focus on the positive moments they shared together and forget the bad times.


je sais seulement
The singer is only sure about one thing: he was happy when he was with his lover.


qu'avec elle j'étais bien
The singer acknowledges that he was happiest when he was with his lover and that it's hard to find that kind of happiness elsewhere.


pourquoi elle-est si loin?
The singer is asking himself why his lover had to leave and why he can't have her back in his life.


où est-elle, mon amie,
The singer is searching for his friend and lover, trying to understand why she left and where she is now.


ça fait dix ans aujourd'hui
It has been ten years since his lover left, and the singer is still grappling with the loss and his heartbreak over her departure.


qu'elle est partie
Despite the passing of time, the singer is still haunted by his lover's departure and the hole that it left in his life.


celle qui vivait près de moi
The singer recalls his lover, who used to live near him, sleep in his arms each night, and share his life with him.


qui dormait entre mes bras
The singer remembers his lover sleeping in his arms each night, a reminder of the physical and emotional closeness they once shared.


toutes les nuits
Each night is a reminder of the loss that the singer feels without his lover by his side.


le piano est désaccordé
The singer notes that the piano is out of tune, a symbol of the discord and pain that he feels without his lover.


la chanson est démodée
The song that the singer plays on his guitar is out of fashion, a poignant reminder that time has passed and everything has changed since his lover left.


si elle m'entend la fredonner
The singer wonders if his lover can hear him playing the song and if it has any emotional impact on her.


qu'elle sache que j'en ai
The singer wants his lover to know that he has moved on and found a way to cope with the pain of her departure.


pris mon parti
The singer has accepted his lover's departure and found a way to accept her absence, even as he continues to grieve her loss.




Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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