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.
J'ai vu des rois serviles
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
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J'ai respiré des roses au creux des mauvaises herbes
Et j'ai senti le vent sur mon visage imberbe
Fils d'un fleuve tranquille et d'une forêt vierge
Arbre déraciné je vais de berge en berge
Sans jamais m'arrêter à l'une ou l'autre auberge
De ma faim de ma soif de ma peur de ma honte
N'attendez pas ce soir que je vous les raconte
C'est pour toi mon amie ma douloureuse absente
Pour conjurer l'oubli c'est pour toi que je chante
Avant de retrouver ma route nonchalante
La la la la la la la la la la la
J'ai vu des rois serviles et des mendiants superbes
J'ai respiré des roses au creux des mauvaises herbes
Et j'ai senti le vent sur mon visage imberbe
Dam dam dam di dam dam dam
Georges Moustaki's song "J'ai vu des rois serviles" depicts the experiences of the singer who has witnessed the paradoxical nature of the world. The lyrics describe a series of contradictory incidents that the singer has gone through, such as seeing humble kings and proud beggars, smelling roses among weeds, and feeling the wind on his young and smooth face. These contradictions highlight the illusory nature of life and the singer's desire for something true and authentic.
The singer refers to himself as the son of a calm river and a virgin forest, indicating that he sees himself as a natural, pure being. However, he is also an uprooted tree that drifts from one place to another without stopping at any inn. The singer has been traveling the world without ever really understanding his own needs or fears, making it hard for him to share his experiences with others. However, he sings this song for his absent friend to remember and honor their memory, as it is something that will never fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai vu des rois serviles et des mendiants superbes
I have seen kings bow down and humble themselves, and beggars hold themselves in high esteem.
J'ai respiré des roses au creux des mauvaises herbes
I have smelled the sweet fragrance of roses growing amongst weeds.
Et j'ai senti le vent sur mon visage imberbe
And I have felt the wind on my youthful face.
Fils d'un fleuve tranquille et d'une forêt vierge
Born of a peaceful river and an untouched forest.
Arbre déraciné je vais de berge en berge
I am like a uprooted tree, going from one bank to another.
Sans jamais m'arrêter à l'une ou l'autre auberge
Without ever stopping at any one inn.
J'ai traversé la terre sans jamais rendre compte
I have traveled the earth without ever giving an account.
De ma faim de ma soif de ma peur de ma honte
Of my hunger, my thirst, my fear, and my shame.
N'attendez pas ce soir que je vous les raconte
Do not expect me to tell you about them tonight.
C'est pour toi mon amie ma douloureuse absente
This is for you, my dear, painful absence.
Pour conjurer l'oubli c'est pour toi que je chante
To dispel oblivion, it is for you that I sing.
Avant de retrouver ma route nonchalante
Before I resume my carefree journey.
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
Dam dam dam di dam dam dam
Dam dam dam di dam dam dam
Writer(s): Areski, Areski Belkacem, Georges Moustaki
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.