Je ne sais pas où tu commences
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

The lyrics of Georges Moustaki's song "Je ne sais pas où tu commences" describe a deep connection and intimacy between two people. The song is about the mysterious blending of two people's lives, where one cannot distinguish where one person's identity ends and the other's begins. The verses describe the physical and emotional intertwining of the two individuals. The first few lines illustrate a scenario where the man wears the woman's necklaces while she wears his shirts, and they share each other's vices, with the man smoking her cigarettes and the woman drinking his black coffee. The fourth line, "Tu as mal à mes reins, et j'ai froid à tes pieds" translates to "You have pain in my kidneys, and I have cold feet", symbolizes the physical exchange of sensations, where one person's pain becomes the other's.

The second stanza continues to use contrasting imagery to convey the blending of identities. The woman has scars where the man is injured, she gets lost in his beard while he has the wrists of a child. They share each other's desires and anxieties, and they feel each other's breaths. The last two lines of the song, "Je me tais quand tu m'aimes, tu dors quand je le dis" translates to "I am silent when you love me, you sleep when I say so" signify the couple's unspoken understanding of each other's needs and desires.

Overall, Georges Moustaki's "Je ne sais pas où tu commences" is a poetic and romantic representation of two persons' relationship beyond just physicality, whether romantic or a deep friendship.