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.

Pourquoi Je Chante
Georges Moustaki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je chante des poèmes
Que je n'ai pas écrits
Je chante les "je t'aime"
Que je n'ai lamais dits
Je chante les révoltes
Qui m'étouffent parfois
Timide ou désinvolte
Je les chante à mi-voix

Je chante les voyages
En restant sur le quai
Je chante le courage
Qui souvent m'a manqué
Je chante les promesses
Que je n'ai pas tenues
Je chante les ivresses
Sans avoir jamais bu

Je chante et si je chante
Pour qui veut m'écouter
Je chante et je m'invente
Une autre vérité
Elle semble utopique
Elle existe pourtant
Je la mets en musique
Pour la dire en chantant

Je chante des poèmes
Que je n'ai pas écrits
Je chante des "je t'aime"
Que je n'ai jamais dits
Je chante les souffrances
Que je n'ai pas connues

Je chante l'espérance
Quand il n'en reste plus

Overall Meaning

In these lyrics to Georges Moustaki's song Pourquoi Je Chante, the singer reveals that he sings about things he has not personally experienced, such as love and pain, as well as things he has not done, like keeping promises and going on adventures. He also sings about his internal struggles, expressing that he sometimes feels suffocated by his own rebellious tendencies, and that he lacks courage. Despite this, he continues to sing and creates his own truth through music and lyrics. He chooses to focus on hope and optimism, even when it seems as if there is none left.

Through this song, Georges Moustaki speaks to the power of songwriting as an art form. Even though he has not necessarily lived the experiences and emotions he sings about, it does not diminish the power of the music to move and inspire listeners. The song encourages people to express themselves and create their own stories through art.

Overall, Pourquoi Je Chante speaks to the power of music and the creative process. It acknowledges that sometimes art is about expressing emotions that one has not personally experienced, and that this does not make it any less authentic or moving. The song encourages listeners to continue to create and share their own stories, even when it feels difficult or when they are unsure of their own truths.

Line by Line Meaning

Je chante des poèmes
I sing poems

Que je n'ai pas écrits
That I have not written

Je chante les "je t'aime"
I sing 'I love you'

Que je n'ai lamais dits
That I have never said

Je chante les révoltes
I sing rebellions

Qui m'étouffent parfois
That sometimes suffocate me

Timide ou désinvolte
Shy or nonchalant

Je les chante à mi-voix
I sing them in a low voice

Je chante les voyages
I sing the travels

En restant sur le quai
While staying on the shore

Je chante le courage
I sing the courage