Allwright traveled to France in the early 1950's and married Catherine Dasté. His son Christophe Allwright, is a French comedian.
In the early '60s, Allwright sang at a number of clubs in Paris, folk music that was very big in the 60s. He wrote his own music, and created the French language versions of many songs by US and Canadian artists like Tom Paxton ("Sacrée Bouteille" "Qu'as tu appris à l'école?"), Leonard Cohen ("Suzanne") and Pete Seeger ("Jusqu' à la ceinture").
His earlier music focused more on social protest songs. As he matured as an artist, his songs became more personal, and his choice in material included more funny songs, songs with a mystical bent ("Garder le Souvenir", "Lumière"), and songs about the complexities of relationships ("No Man's Land"). Some of his songs are in English, but the vast majority are in French.
He has travelled extensively, to the Himalayas, Réunion Island, and Madascar, among other places. He was strongly influenced by the Indian master and teacher Sri Aurobino, which is reflected in the mystical qualities of some of his songs.
In 2005, he wrote new lyrics for the French National Anthem, "La Marseillaise".
Comment Faire Pour Te Chanter
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ce que j′ai sur le cœur
Je pourrais t'écrire des vers
De toutes les couleurs
Je pourrais faire des dessins
Des feuilles qui meurent
Je pourrais choisir pour toi
Des jouets, des fleurs
Ce serait bien meilleur
Et voici que sans un mot
Nous n'avons plus peur
The French lyrics of Graeme Allwright's "Comment faire pour te chanter" translate to "How can I sing to you what I have on my heart? I could write verses of all colors, make drawings of leaves that wither, choose toys and flowers for you, but I'd also like to remain silent; that would be better. And here we are, without a word, no longer afraid." The song seems to be about the difficulty of expressing one's feelings to someone else, and the various ways we might try to communicate without necessarily saying things aloud. The mention of "toys and flowers" suggests an attempt to please or impress the other person with gifts or gestures, while the idea of being silent together indicates that sometimes just being in someone's presence is enough.
Overall, the lyrics seem to suggest that sometimes words are inadequate for expressing ourselves fully to others, and that perhaps silence or other forms of communication are more powerful. The mention of fear is interesting; it's unclear what exactly the characters are afraid of, but perhaps it's the possibility of being rejected or misunderstood when trying to communicate. Ultimately, the song seems to suggest that there are many ways to connect with others, and that sometimes the best thing we can do is be present, even if we don't know how to express ourselves perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
Comment faire pour te chanter
How can I express my feelings to you through music?
Ce que j'ai sur le cœur
The emotions that I am holding inside.
Je pourrais t'écrire des vers
I could write you some poetry.
De toutes les couleurs
In all different hues and tones.
Je pourrais faire des dessins
I could draw you some pictures.
Des feuilles qui meurent
Using dying leaves as canvas.
Je pourrais choisir pour toi
I could choose for you the perfect toys or flowers.
Des jouets, des fleurs
The best toys and flowers.
Mais j'aimerais aussi me taire
But sometimes, I'd rather stay quiet.
Ce serait bien meilleur
It would be much better.
Et voici que sans un mot
And now, without saying anything,
Nous n'avons plus peur
We are no longer afraid.
Writer(s): Graeme Allwright, Guy Beart
Contributed by Elliot D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.