Graeme Allwright (born in Wellington, New Zealand on 7 November 1926; died … Read Full Bio ↴Graeme Allwright (born in Wellington, New Zealand on 7 November 1926; died 16 February 2020) was a New Zealand-born French singer and songwriter. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as a French language interpreter of the songs of American and Canadian songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, and remained active into his nineties.

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".

Je Voulais Te Quitter
Graeme Allwright Lyrics

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Je voulais te quitter,
Je ne le cache pas.
J'ai fermé le livre sur nous
Une bonne centaine de fois.
Mais je me réveille toujours
A tes cotés.

Les années passent,

Ton orgueil chavire.
Bébé pleure,
Alors tu ne veux pas sortir.
Et tout ton travail est là
Devant tes yeux.

Bonne nuit, mon amour,
Tu es heureuse je l'espère.
Le lit est très étroit mais
Mes deux bras sont grand ouverts.
Et voici un homme qui travaille toujours
Pour ton sourire.

Les prix augmentent,
L'espoir diminue.
Il paraît qu'ils vont pénaliser
Toutes les plus-values.

Mais les vraies valeurs sont cachées
Dans nos cœurs.

Overall Meaning

Je Voulais Te Quitter, which means "I Wanted to Leave You," is a song by French singer-songwriter Graeme Allwright. The song is about a relationship that has had its struggles, but despite wanting to leave numerous times, the singer always ends up waking up next to their partner. Through the years, the pride of the partner has dwindled, and they prioritize their child over going out. The chorus suggests that despite the troubles, the singer is still working hard to make their partner happy.

The first verse of the song expresses the desire of the singer to leave their partner, which they have thought about many times. They have tried to close the book on their relationship, but somehow they always end up next to their partner, waking up with them. The second verse depicts the struggle of the partner, who is consumed with their child and work, as prices increase, and hope dwindles. Despite all of this, the singer is still trying to make their partner happy and loves them deeply.

The last verse makes reference to how true values are hidden within our hearts and not in the materialistic things in our world. The song suggests that the difficulties in the relationship are not due to a lack of love between the partners but more to do with external factors that are uncontrollable. Graeme Allwright's Je Voulais Te Quitter is a melancholic, beautiful song that captures the complexities of relationships and the efforts we put in to make them work.

Je Voulais Te QuitterGraeme Allwright Lyrics

Catherine Grœné

Je Voulais Te Quitter
Graeme Allwright Lyrics