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.

Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

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Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Où vont ces trains que je ne prends pas
Les bateaux qui partent me laissent sur
Le quai je commence à être fatigué

J'ai usé mon âme et mes souliers
Sur tous les chemins des écoliers
Près d'une fontaine je m'assieds un instant

Je veux regarder passer le temps

Où sont tous mes amis d'autrefois
J'entends leurs guitares et leurs voix
Où sont-ils tous ceux qui
M'avaient tendu la main
Pour m'emmener encore plus loin

Pour vivre ma vie en la rêvant
J'ai suivi le soleil et le vent
Sans jamais mettre une goutte
D'eau dans mon vin
J'ai fait de chaque jour un festin

Où est celle que j'ai attendue
Que j'ai cru trouver que j'ai perdu
Où est celle pour qui je me mettrai debout
Pour prendre la route jusqu'au bout

Mais je reste assis là sans bouger
Etranger parmi les étrangers
Le soleil réchauffe mon corps déraciné
Et la rose des vents s'est fanée

Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Où vont ces trains que je ne prends pas
Les bateaux qui partent me
Laissent sur le quai
Je commence à être fatigué

Dam dam dam dam

Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Où vont ces trains que je ne prends pas
Les bateaux qui partent me
Laissent sur le quai
Je commence à être fatigué

Ah ah ah ah ah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Georges Moustaki's song "Où mènent ces routes devant moi" talk about the journey of life and the feeling of being lost or disconnected. The singer is contemplating the various paths he sees ahead of him, wondering where they lead and where the trains he doesn't take go. He feels left behind as the boats set sail, feeling a sense of weariness and longing.

The singer reflects on his past, wondering where all his old friends are and missing the sound of their guitars and voices. He seeks the companionship and support they once offered, hoping they could help him go further in his journey. The singer has lived his life following the sun and the wind, enjoying every day as a feast, but also acknowledging that he hasn't added any water to his wine, suggesting he hasn't compromised or tempered his desires.

He longs for someone he has waited for, someone he thought he found but ultimately lost. He ponders where this person is and expresses his willingness to stand up for them and take the road until the end for their sake. However, despite his desires and reflections, the singer remains seated without moving, feeling like a stranger among strangers. He is disconnected from his roots as the rose of the winds has withered.

In conclusion, "Où mènent ces routes devant moi" is a contemplative and somewhat melancholic song about the journey of life, the longing for connection and support, and the feeling of being lost or disconnected.

Line by Line Meaning

Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Where do these roads in front of me lead?

Où vont ces trains que je ne prends pas
Where do these trains that I don't take go?

Les bateaux qui partent me laissent sur Le quai je commence à être fatigué
The boats that depart leave me on the dock and I'm starting to get tired

Où mènent ces routes devant moiGeorges Moustaki Lyrics

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Où mènent ces routes devant moi
Georges Moustaki Lyrics