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.
Est Trop Tard
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les aiguilles ont tourné, il est trop tard
Mon enfance est si loin, il est déjà demain
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Pendant que je t'aimais, pendant que je t'avais
L'amour s'en est allé, il est trop tard
Tu étais si jolie, je suis seul dans mon lit
Pendant que je chantais ma chère liberté
D'autres l'ont enchaînée, il est trop tard
Certains se sont battus, moi je n'ai jamais su
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Pourtant je vis toujours, pourtant je fais l'amour
M'arrive même de chanter sur ma guitare
Pour l'enfant que j'étais, pour l'enfant que j'ai fait
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Pendant que je chantais, pendais que je t'aimais
Pendant que je rêvais il était encore temps
Georges Moustaki's song "Est Trop Tard" is a melancholic reflection on time passing by too quickly. Moustaki sings about the moments of his life that have slipped away while he was unaware, lamenting that it is now too late to reclaim them. The song's chorus, "Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps" (Time is passing, there isn't much left), is the central theme of the piece.
In the first verse, Moustaki describes how his childhood has become so distant that it feels like tomorrow is already here. He acknowledges the relentless onward march of time and that there is nothing left for him to reclaim. In the second verse, he ponders lost love and the realization that it is too late to revive it. He expresses the regret and loneliness he feels, mourning the loss of someone who was once so beautiful to him. The final verse explores the idea of political struggle and the disappointment that comes with it. Moustaki considers those who fought for freedom, noting that for him, the passage of time has dulled any courage he may have once had.
Line by Line Meaning
Pendant que je dormais, pendant que je rêvais
While I was asleep, while I was dreaming
Les aiguilles ont tourné, il est trop tard
The needles have moved, it's too late
Mon enfance est si loin, il est déjà demain
My childhood is so far away, tomorrow is already here
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Time goes by, there is not much left
Pendant que je t'aimais, pendant que je t'avais
While I loved you, while I had you
L'amour s'en est allé, il est trop tard
Love has gone away, it's too late
Tu étais si jolie, je suis seul dans mon lit
You were so pretty, I am alone in my bed
Pendant que je chantais ma chère liberté
While I sang about my dear freedom
D'autres l'ont enchaînée, il est trop tard
Others have chained it, it's too late
Certains se sont battus, moi je n'ai jamais su
Some fought, I never knew how
Pourtant je vis toujours, pourtant je fais l'amour
Yet I still live, yet I still make love
M'arrive même de chanter sur ma guitare
I even sing on my guitar sometimes
Pour l'enfant que j'étais, pour l'enfant que j'ai fait
For the child I was, for the child I made
Pendant que je chantais, pendais que je t'aimais
While I sang, while I loved you
Pendant que je rêvais il était encore temps
While I was dreaming there was still time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
odile Bams
Paroles :
Pendant que je dormais, pendant que je rêvais
Les aiguilles ont tourné, il est trop tard
Mon enfance est si loin, il est déjà demain
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Pendant que je t'aimais, pendant que je t'avais
L'amour s'en est allé, il est trop tard
Tu étais si jolie, je suis seul dans mon lit
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
Pendant que je chantais ma chère liberté
D'autres l'ont enchaînée, il est trop tard
Certains se sont battus, moi je n'ai jamais su
Passe passe le temps, il n'y en a plus pour très longtemps
David Elvion
IL EST TROP TARD (English lyrics)
I love the way you look tonight
With your hair hangin′ down on your shoulders
And I love the way ya dance your slow sweet tango
The way ya wanna do everything but talk
And how ya stare at me with those undress me eyes
Your breath on my body makes me warm inside
Let's make out, let′s do something amazing
Let's do something that's all the way
′Cuz I′ve never touched somebody like the way I touch your body
Now I never want to let your body go
Let's make a night to remember from January to December
Let′s make love to excite us, a memory to ignite us
Let's make honey baby, soft and tender
Let′s make sugar darlin', sweet surrender
Let′s make a night to remember all life long
I love the way you move tonight
Beads of sweat drippin' down your skin
Me lying here and you lyin' there
Our shadows on the wall and our hands everywhere
Let′s make out, let′s do something amazing
Let's do something that′s all the way
'Cuz I′ve never touched somebody like the way I touch your body
Now I never want to let your body go
Let's make a night to remember from January to December
Let′s make love to excite us, a memory to ignite us
Let's make honey baby, soft and tender
Let's make sugar darlin′, sweet surrender
Let′s make a night to remember all life long
Oh when I think about you all the time
Can't you see you drive me outta my mind?
But I′m never holdin' back again
Yeah I never want this night to end
′Cuz I've never touched somebody like the way I touch your body
Now I never want to let your body go
Let′s make a night to remember from January to December
Let's make love to excite us, a memory to ignite us
Yeah let's make honey baby, soft and tender
Let′s make sugar darlin′, sweet surrender
Let's make a night to remember all, all life long
Let′s make out, let's do something amazing
Let′s do something that's all the way every day
Let′s make honey, let's make sugar
Let's make a night to remember
Let′s make love, slow and tender
Let′s make a night to remember
Let's make love
Pique Dard
@IVETE BIRAL
I'm really sorry and my sincere condolences! This song is very touching, indeed, but difficult to translate accurately in French because it is a poem in verse that rhymes...
Nevertheless, here is what I could make of it. Plz, notice I don't pretend it's the right translation. That said, there are various ways of interpreting a poem!
The title:
It's too late
While I was sleeping
While I was dreaming
The needles (of time) have rotated
It's too late
My childhood is so far away
It's already to-morrow
Time passes by
There isn't much(time) left
While I was in love with you
While I had you
Love went away
It's too late
You were so pretty
I'm by myself in bed
Time passes by
There isn't much (time) left
While I was singing
My beloved freedom
That other people muzzled
It's too late
Some people fought (for it)
As for me, I was never able to
Time passes by
There isn't much (time) left
However I'm still in life
However I make love
It happens even that I sing
On my guitar
For the kid I was
For the child I had
Time passes by
There is not much (time) left
While I was singing
While I was in love with you
While I was dreaming
There was still time
Robert
Merveilleuse chanson tellement remplie de vérité....... a faire réfléchir tous ceux passent à côté des valeurs de la vie.
Mimi
Trop belle chanson : émotivité, douceur et paroles sensées, sans bien sûr oublier la voix.
PAIX A TON ÂME, CHER G. MOUSTAKI.
Luong Vu Thach
Oui, la chanson est géniale, tant au niveau de la mélodie, des harmonies de guitare et surtout des paroles. De façon inattendue, c'était vrai dans ma vie et probablement aussi dans celle de beaucoup d'autres personnes.
luigi madeddu
Pourquoi on ne fait plus d'aussi belles chansons ? Malgré la mélancolie qu'elle nous donne , on aime l'écouter et penser à des personnes ou des moments passés. Merci Giuseppe .
Valpas Szwarc
La relativité du temps, carpe diem...
genevieve breton
La plus belle chose sur terre est de donner de l'amour, aussi lorsque vous avez la chance d'en avoir, un peu, beaucoup, énormément, soyez toujours conscient de veiller constamment à l'entretenir pour le garder le plus longtemps qu'il sera donné. Merci Monsieur Moustaki, c'est tellement chanté enrobé de douceur, c'est inoubliable.
Arlette Philbois
Un chef d'oeuvre cette chanson, un grand poète Monsieur Moustaki...Ah si vous saviez ce que l'on vit en 2020...Merci pour ce beau moment.
Mimi
Et 2022, pénétrant l'ere 2023 ?
Nora Aceval
😢😢😢 plus le temps passe, plus ces paroles prennent un sens plus renforcé. 😢😢😢 que sommes-nous devenus😢
Jacqueline Govelet
Un petit bijou, comme toutes ses chansons qui nous font toujours autant de plaisir de les écouter.merci à vous Mr Moustaki ❤️❤️❤️