His debut single, "Ecris l'histoire" peaked at number two on the French singles chart in March 2005 and was certified platinum. His album, "Je deviens moi" released on April 18, entered at number one and sold more than a million copies.
He died on the April 30th 2007, shortly before his 24th birthday, from cystic fibrosis.
SOS d'un terrien en détresse.
Grégory Lemarchal Lyrics
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Pourquoi je ris, pourquoi je pleure?
Voici le S.O.S
D'un terrien en détresse
J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
J'suis mal dans ma peau
J'voudrais voir le monde à l'envers
Si jamais c'était plus beau
Plus beau vu d'en haut
D'en haut
J'ai toujours confondu la vie
Avec les bandes dessinées
J'ai comme des envies de métamorphoses
Je sens quelque chose
Qui m'attire, qui m'attire, qui m'attire
Vers le haut
Au grand loto de l'univers
J'ai pas tiré l'bon numéro
J'suis mal dans ma peau
J'ai pas envie d'être un robot
Métro, boulot, dodo, oh
Pourquoi je vis, pourquoi je meurs?
Pourquoi je crie, pourquoi je pleure?
Je crois capter des ondes
Venues d'un autre monde
J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
J'suis mal dans ma peau
J'voudrais voir le monde à l'envers
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
Dodo, l'enfant, do
"Pourquoi je vis, pourquoi je meurs?" are the opening lines to SOS D'Un Terrien En Détresse by Grégory Lemarchal. The song is a cry for help from a man who is lost, confused and in a state of despair. The lyrics speak to his longing to escape the trials and tribulations of life and to find peace in some other realm beyond this world. He longs to be liberated from his earthly limitations and to experience life from a new perspective.
The SOS in the title represents the man's distress signal as he feels overwhelmingly burdened by the gravity of his situation. He has never felt grounded, has always been searching for something more profound and is at a loss in his attempts to find it. He is unsure about whether he should be happy, sad, laugh or cry. He wants something more, something different from his current reality, which seems to him like living in a cartoon.
The song's lyrics capture the universal human experience of feeling disconnected and adrift in the world. The singer poignantly portrays the longing to escape to a different reality and the frustration of feeling weighted down and estranged from society. The sombre tone and the soaring melody of the song add to the emotional pull that this tale of despair creates.
Line by Line Meaning
Pourquoi je vis, pourquoi, je meurs?
The singer questions the purpose of his existence and why he must experience both life and death.
Pourquoi je ris, pourquoi je pleure?
The singer wonders why he experiences both joy and sadness throughout his life.
Voici le S.O.S
D'un terrien en détresse
The singer is reaching out for help, feeling lost and alone in the world.
J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre
The singer has always felt disconnected from reality and struggles to understand it.
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
The singer desires to escape his earthly problems and live a carefree life like a bird.
J'suis mal dans ma peau
The singer feels uncomfortable and unhappy with himself and his life.
J'voudrais voir le monde à l'envers
Si Jamais c'étaix plus
beau vu d'en haut
D'en haut
The singer imagines a world where things are different and wonders if it would be better if he had a new perspective.
J'ai toujours confondu la vie
Avec les bandes dessinées
The singer fantasizes and confuses reality with the fictional world portrayed in comic books.
J'ai comme des envies de métamorphoses
Je sens quelque chose
Qui m'attire
Qui m'attire
Qui m'attire vers le haut
The singer desires a change, something that will lift him up and transform him into a better version of himself.
Au grand loto de l'univers
J'ai pas tiré l'bon numéro
J'suis mal dans ma peau
The singer feels unlucky in life and believes he has not received what he deserves, leaving him unsatisfied.
J'ai pas envie d'être un robot
Métro boulot dodo
The singer refuses to live a monotonous and robotic life, constantly repeating the same routine.
Je crois capter des ondes
Venues d'un autre monde
J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
J'suis mal dans ma peau
The singer suggests he is receiving signals from another realm or dimension, but still feels distant and uncomfortable within his own skin.
J'voudrais mieux voir le monde à l'envers
J'aimerais mieux être un oiseau
Dodo l'enfant do
The singer repeats his desire to see the world differently and longs to be free like a bird. The last line could be interpreted as an attempt to escape reality by returning to childhood, represented by the lullaby 'Dodo l'enfant do.'
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Luc Plamondon, Michel Berger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind