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.

Le Quotidien
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Parfois je ne sais pas ce qui m'arrive
Je noie la poésie dans l'alcool
Je ne sais pas lequel des deux m'enivre
Et pour finir je parle de football

Et lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare
Lorsque j'en ai marre

Je gratte ma guitare

Chaque matin j'avale un café crème
En lisant des journaux remplis de sang
Mais le regard d'un enfant me ramène
Dans un monde meilleur et innocent

Et lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare
Lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare

Je parle du tiercé avec ma femme
Un jour on finira par le toucher
Ensemble on rêve et ça réchauffe l'âme
De rêver du jour où tout va changer

Et lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare
Lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare

Le samedi on boit quelques bouteilles
Ça fait passer l'amertume et le temps
Tant pis si le dimanche on se réveille
Avec les mêmes problèmes qu'avant

Et lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare
Lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare

Parfois lorsque mon esprit vagabonde
J'essaie de croire qu'il y a un bon Dieu
Je lui dis pourquoi as-tu fais le monde
Si c'est pour le défaire peu à peu

Et lorsque j'en ai marre
Je gratte ma guitare

Overall Meaning

In Georges Moustaki's song "Le Quotidien," the singer presents a sense of emptiness and disillusionment with life, while also showing a few ways he copes with it. He mentions drowning poetry in alcohol, indicating his numbness towards his creative side. He then talks about football, which could be seen as a distraction from the world's problems or a way to connect with others. Additionally, he mentions reading newspapers filled with blood, implying the harsh reality of the world and how it can be overwhelming. However, a child's gaze brings him back to a place of hope and innocence. The singer also talks about dreaming of wealth by winning the lottery with his wife, which could be seen as a way to escape their current situation or simply find some happiness. Lastly, he talks about his attempts to find a greater purpose in life by questioning the existence of God and the meaning of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Parfois je ne sais pas ce qui m'arrive
I sometimes feel lost and confused about my life

Je noie la poésie dans l'alcool
I drown my poetic spirit in alcohol

Je ne sais pas lequel des deux m'enivre
I don't know which one of them gets me drunk

Et pour finir je parle de football
And in the end, I talk about football

Chaque matin j'avale un café crème
Every morning I drink a cappuccino

En lisant des journaux remplis de sang
While reading newspapers filled with bloodshed

Mais le regard d'un enfant me ramène
But the gaze of a child brings me back

Dans un monde meilleur et innocent
To a better and innocent world

Je parle du tiercé avec ma femme
I talk about horse racing with my wife

Un jour on finira par le toucher
One day, we'll finally win big

Ensemble on rêve et ça réchauffe l'âme
Together, we dream and it warms our souls