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".
La chauve-souris
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je vous dis pourquoi je vole la nuit
Je vole la nuit et pas le jour
Parce que je cherche mon amour
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
"Salut" dit le pivert bien assis
Elle voulut rester dans un bouge
Et depuis ce jour ma tête est rouge
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
"Salut" dit un oiseau bleu
Si j’étais jeune, j’en aurais deux
Si l’une s’en va l’autre restera
Pour préparer mes repas
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
"Salut" dit le rossignol
Si tu peux chanter en sol
Chante avec moi et tu verras
Ta tristesse bientôt s’en ira
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
"Salut" dit la libellule
Fais comme moi avec mon Jules
Il m’a trompée mais moi, pas folle
Je l’ai fait condamner pour vol
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
Le pivert caché derrière une feuille
Me chuchote en clignant de l’œil
Je suis en instance de divorce
Ma femme aime beaucoup trop l'écorce
Ta di a di dil do dam ta di a di dil do dé
Ta di a di dil do dam to lo laï di dil do dé
The song "La chauve-souris" by Graeme Allwright is a conversation between various animals, each sharing a piece of their own story or experience. The first animal to speak is the bat, who explains that she flies at night because she is searching for love. The bat's words are accompanied by the sound of a repetitive, melodic tune played on a guitar or ukulele, creating a whimsical and dreamlike atmosphere.
The second animal to speak is the woodpecker, who talks about courting a girl who chose to stay in a sleazy bar. The woodpecker's head turned red from shame, and his words are set to a faster, more upbeat tune than the bat's. The next animal to speak is a blue bird, who laments that he would have two mates if he were young again. The blue bird's words are sung in a sorrowful tone, creating a sense of longing and regret.
After the blue bird comes the nightingale, who invites the listener to sing with him and hopes to help lift their spirits. Finally, the dragonfly shares her own story of revenge, describing how she had her cheating partner arrested for theft. As each animal speaks, the guitar or ukulele plays a repetitive tune that changes slightly in rhythm and tone to fit the mood of the story being told. Overall, "La chauve-souris" is a charming and whimsical song that celebrates the beauty and diversity of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
"Salut" dit la chauve-souris
The bat said "hello"
Je vous dis pourquoi je vole la nuit
I will tell you why I fly at night
Je vole la nuit et pas le jour
I fly at night and not during the day
Parce que je cherche mon amour
Because I am searching for my love
Salut" dit le pivert bien assis
The woodpecker sitting comfortably said "hello"
J’ai fait la cour à une jolie fille
I courted a pretty girl
Elle voulut rester dans un bouge
She wanted to stay in a dive
Et depuis ce jour ma tête est rouge
And since that day, my head is red
"Salut" dit un oiseau bleu
A blue bird said "hello"
Si j’étais jeune, j’en aurais deux
If I were young, I would have two
Si l’une s’en va l’autre restera
If one goes, the other will stay
Pour préparer mes repas
To prepare my meals
"Salut" dit le rossignol
The nightingale said "hello"
Si tu peux chanter en sol
If you can sing in G
Chante avec moi et tu verras
Sing with me and you will see
Ta tristesse bientôt s’en ira
Your sadness will soon go away
"Salut" dit la libellule
The dragonfly said "hello"
Fais comme moi avec mon Jules
Do as I did with my Jules
Il m’a trompée mais moi, pas folle
He cheated on me, but I'm not crazy
Je l’ai fait condamner pour vol
I got him convicted for theft
Le pivert caché derrière une feuille
The woodpecker hidden behind a leaf
Me chuchote en clignant de l’œil
Whispers to me while winking
Je suis en instance de divorce
I am in the process of getting a divorce
Ma femme aime beaucoup trop l'écorce
My wife loves bark too much
Contributed by Andrew Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@magalicrausaz1414
Merci pour ce partage
@jonathanlabbe-corbin9640
Merci pour cette chanson que je cherchais depuis un bout de temps. Si tu possèdes le 33 tours, pourrais-tu aussi mettre "La mouche bleue", "Venezuela" et "Well met" sur YouTube. Je ne les trouve nulle part et j'aimerais bien les écouter. Merci.