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.
Joseph
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que d'avoir pris
La plus jolie
Parmi les filles de Galilée
Celle qu'on appelait Marie
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Prendre Sarah
Et rien ne serait arrivé
Mais tu as préféré Marie
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Rester chez toi
Tailler ton bois
Plutôt que d'aller t'exiler
Et te cacher avec Marie
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Faire des petits
Avec Marie
Et leur apprendre ton métier
Comme ton père te l'avait appris
Pourquoi a-t-il fallu, Joseph
Que ton enfant
Cet innocent
Ait eu ces étranges idées
Qui ont tant fait pleurer Marie
Parfois je pense à toi, Joseph
Mon pauvre ami
Lorsque l'on rit
De toi qui n'avais demandé
Qu'à vivre heureux avec Marie
Georges Moustaki's song "Joseph" is a melancholic and reflective tribute to Joseph, the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus. The song starts with the singer expressing his empathy for Joseph, who chose to take the most beautiful girl from Galilee, Mary, while he could have chosen Sarah or Deborah. The song poetically highlights that Joseph did not have to take the risk of choosing Mary, but he did so anyway, and it changed his life entirely. Mary was not only beautiful but also chosen by God to bear his son.
The song then explores various scenarios that Joseph could have chosen, but he chose to exile with Mary, teach his trade to Jesus, and live peacefully. The song also refers to the sorrow that Jesus caused Mary with his strange ideas, questioning why Joseph had to go through it all. The final verse expresses a moment of sympathy towards Joseph because people often laugh at him for his simple wish to live happily with Mary.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on Joseph's love, sacrifice, and the trials he had to face in his life. It highlights how his life was irrevocably altered by his decision to choose Mary, and how the story of the Holy Family is one that is deeply rooted in human emotions and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Voilà c'que c'est, mon vieux Joseph
This is what happened, my old Joseph
Que d'avoir pris
By taking
La plus jolie
The prettiest one
Parmi les filles de Galilée
Among the girls from Galilee
Celle qu'on appelait Marie
The one they called Mary
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
You could have, my old Joseph
Prendre Sarah
Taken Sarah
Ou Deborah
Or Deborah
Et rien ne serait arrivé
And nothing would have happened
Mais tu as préféré Marie
But you chose Mary
Rester chez toi
Stay at home
Tailler ton bois
Carve your wood
Plutôt que d'aller t'exiler
Instead of going into exile
Et te cacher avec Marie
And hiding with Mary
Faire des petits
Have children
Avec Marie
With Mary
Et leur apprendre ton métier
And teach them your trade
Comme ton père te l'avait appris
Just like your father taught you
Pourquoi a-t-il fallu, Joseph
Why did it have to be, Joseph
Que ton enfant
That your child
Cet innocent
This innocent one
Ait eu ces étranges idées
Had these strange ideas
Qui ont tant fait pleurer Marie
That made Mary cry so much
Parfois je pense à toi, Joseph
Sometimes I think of you, Joseph
Mon pauvre ami
My poor friend
Lorsque l'on rit
When people laugh
De toi qui n'avais demandé
About you who only wanted
Qu'à vivre heureux avec Marie
To live happily with Mary
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: GEORGES MOUSTAKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Elvion
George Moustaki - Joseph (English lyrics)
That's what it is, old Joseph
To have taken the prettiest
Among the daughters of Galilee
The one they called Mary
You could have, old Joseph
Taken Sarah or Deborah
And nothing would have happened
But you preferred Mary
You could have, old Joseph
Stayed at home, chopping your wood
Instead of going into exile
And hide with Mary
You could have, old Joseph
Made little ones with Mary
And taught them your trade
As your father taught you
Why did it have to happen, Joseph
That your child, that innocent
Had to have these strange ideas
That made Mary cry so much?
Sometimes I think of you, Joseph
My poor friend, when we laugh
Of you who only asked
To live happily with Mary
Hongjoon Kim
"Mon vieux Joseph" (paroles en français + coréen) de Georges Moustaki 조르쥬 무스타키의 "여보게 요셉" (프랑스어 + 한국어 가사)
Voilà c'que c'est, mon vieux Joseph
Que d'avoir pris
La plus jolie
Parmi les filles de Galilée
Celle qu'on appelait Marie
여보게 요셉, 자네 정말 대단해.
갈릴리 처녀들 가운데 최고 미인을
아내로 맞아들였다고 하던데.
마리아라고 하는 처녀 말일세.
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Prendre Sarah
Ou Deborah
Et rien ne serait arrivé
Mais tu as préféré Marie
여보게 요셉,
자네가 사라나 데보라를 맞아들였다면
아무 일도 일어나지 않았을 텐데.
하지만 자넨 마리아를 택했네그려.
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Rester chez toi
Tailler ton bois
Plutôt que d'aller t'exiler
Et te cacher avec Marie
여보게 요셉,
국외 추방을 당해 마리아와 숨어 지내느니 집에 남아 목재나 자르며 지내는 것이 더 나았을 걸 그랬어.
Tu aurais pu, mon vieux Joseph
Faire des petits
Avec Marie
Et leur apprendre ton métier
Comme ton père te l'avait appris
여보게 요셉,
마리아와 함께 자식들을 낳아 기르며
아이들에게 자네 목수 일이나 가르쳐
주었으면 더 좋았을 거야.
자네 부친이 자네에게 그랬듯이.
Pourquoi a-t-il fallu, Joseph
Que ton enfant
Cet innocent
Ait eu ces étranges idées
Qui ont tant fait pleurer Marie
요셉, 자네 아들 말이야.
그 순진한 놈이 그런 해괴한 사상에 물들도록 할 필요가 있었는지
정말 그 이유를 모르겠어.
그 때문에 마리아가 얼마나 많은 눈물을 흘렸나.
Parfois je pense à toi, Joseph
Mon pauvre ami
Lorsque l'on rit
De toi qui n'avais demandé
Qu'à vivre heureux avec Marie.
불쌍한 친구 요셉,
사람들이 자네를 비웃을 때면
난 이따금씩 자네 생각을 한다네.
마리아와 행복하게 살게 해 달라고
당국에 간청하지 않았다고 해서
자네가 그들에게 조롱당할 때 말이야.
Dano Nina
DIEU soit loué, quelle merveille
J'ai des frissons 😢. Que le Seigneur vous accueille dans son paradis Monsieur Moustaki. Amen 🤲🏼🤲🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🕊🌱🦋🌾💐
HOFFMANN CATHERINE
Merveilleuse vidéo et très très belle chanson ! J'adore la voix tendre douce et chaude de Monsieur Moustastaki 💖.
Véritable Poète ! 💫
ROY
Quand je l'écoute les yeux fermés Vous GEORGES vous me transportez en GALILEE avec cette douceur qui vous caractérise si bien
Mezri Skandrani
Rendre jesus humain c est ca le miracle de moustaki
Reynald Pauchet
Alors vous êtes une belle personne.
Jacqueline Govelet
Je vous adore tellement Mr Georges Moustaki,et je suis plus que fière d avoir eu le grand privilège de vous voir à un de vos derniers concerts.ce merveilleux moment restera à jamais dans mon cœur.une pensée pour vous.❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹
Pot'Gamer
Reposez en paix M.Moustaki et merci pour vos mots !
ignace7N
Quel beau texte sur ce thème ,quelle superbe interprétation de ce grand Monsieur qu'est G. MOUSTAKI
irène merry
un GRAND MERCI GEORGES ! pour cette MAGNIFIQUE CHANSON ! tu vois nous sommes toujours là, fidèles à t'écouter ! tu continues à vivre à travers nous ... REPOSE en PAIX !
Christophe Poulain
Coucou Irène , c'est une très belle chanson, pleine d'émotions que nous aimons tous et qui nous fait rappeler la belle époque! Ça vous dirait de faire plus ample connaissance si cela ne vous pose aucun souci? Je suis de Honfleur en Normandie vous connaissez? En attente de vous lire. Christophe