Georges Moustaki (1934-2013) was a singer-songwriter of Greek Jewish origin… Read Full Bio ↴Georges Moustaki (1934-2013) was a singer-songwriter of Greek Jewish origin.

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.

L'Habitude
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On vit comme tant d’autres
Nos gestes sont les mêmes
Il nous arrive encore
De nous dire je t’aime
Que tu prennes ma main
Que j‘embrasse ton cou

Dans la brume légère

De nos habitudes
On garde la tendresse
Pour calmer l’inquiétude
Et l’on s’endort ensemble
Par peur de solitude

Je rentre un peu plus tard
Tu es moins impatiente
Je regarde mourir une étoile filante
Notre amour est un astre
Qui brille feu doux

Dans la brume légère
De nos habitudes
On garde la tendresse
Pour calmer l’inquiétude
Et l’on s’endort ensemble
Par peur de solitude

Tu n‘as plus rien dire
Je t‘ai tout raconté
Pour troubler le silence
On parle de l’été
Où irons-nous passer
Nos prochaines vacances

Dans la brume légère
De nos habitudes
On garde la tendresse
Pour calmer l’inquiétude

Et l’on s’endort ensemble
Par peur de solitude!

Overall Meaning

In Georges Moustaki's song "L’Habitude," the singer portrays the typical routine of a couple that has been together for a while. The lyrics describe the mundane aspects of their daily life, but the two lovers still find ways to show affection towards each other. Whether it's holding hands or kissing each other's necks, these small gestures of love bring them comfort and ease their worries about being alone. The song expresses the fear of solitude and the importance of maintaining a certain routine, even if it feels dull and lifeless.

The theme of the song is quite universal, as many people can relate to the idea of being stuck in a routine and fearing the changes that may come with breaking out of it. The lyrics also suggest that even in the midst of such routine, there is still beauty and love to be found. The couple may have fallen into a pattern of behavior, but they still hold onto each other and nurture their love.

Overall, "L’Habitude" is a poignant reminder that even the smallest acts of affection can have a significant impact on our emotional well-being, and that finding comfort in routine can sometimes be a survival mechanism in a world of chaos.

Line by Line Meaning

On vit comme tant d’autres
We live like so many others

Nos gestes sont les mêmes
Our gestures are the same

Il nous arrive encore
It still happens to us

De nous dire je t’aime
To say I love you

Que tu prennes ma main
When you take my hand

Que j‘embrasse ton cou
When I kiss your neck

Dans la brume légère
In the light mist

De nos habitudes
Of our habits

On garde la tendresse
We keep tenderness

Pour calmer l’inquiétude
To calm the anxiety

Et l’on s’endort ensemble
And we fall asleep together