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 gomme
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et même croquer toutes les pommes
C'est bon et ça donne du calcium
Mais pour devenir un homme
Surtout, sers-toi de ta gomme
Pour ne pas faire comme
Tout ce tas de types en uniforme
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Surtout, ne va pas les croire
Ils veulent faire de ta mémoire
Un sac plein de sales histoires
D'ailleurs, t'as qu'à voir leur tête
C'est pas vraiment des types nets
Regarde leur planète
Efface leurs sornettes
Puisqu'ils qu'ils t'assomment
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Gomme, gomme les antipathiques
Les boss de la politique
À la conscience élastique
Passe-les à l'ardoise magique
Efface leurs combines tragiques
Même si c'est symbolique
Pour te sentir libre au maximum
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Gomme, gomme les mots inutiles
Qui plaisent aux gens qui défilent
Les trucs-machins, les systèmes
Qui font qu'on n'est pas soi-même
Tu n'as besoin de personne
Pour devenir grand
Tu as bien compris, petit bonhomme?
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Gomme, gomme.
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Gomme, gomme.
Sers-toi de ta gomme
The song "La gomme" is a call to young people to use their own judgment, critical thinking, and individuality in a society that seeks to mold them into uniformity. The lyrics encourage the listener to use their eraser, or "gomme," to erase the imposed ideas and values that limit their freedom and creativity. The singer recommends avoiding succumbing to authority figures' pressure and advises against trusting their stories and their objectives that are not aligned with personal values. The song further emphasizes that the power to be oneself and to define one's own path lies within one's ability to exercise free will by removing negative influences that confuse or limit one's self-belief.
The theme of the song reflects the social upheavals of the 1960s and early 1970s when the youth rebellion was at its peak. The song encouraged young people to stand up to authority, to challenge the status quo, and to question what was being imposed on them. Additionally, the lyrics reflect the singer's perspectives as a pacifist and non-conformist who emphasizes individuality and peace, as opposed to war and uniformity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu peux mâchouiller ton chewing-gum
You can chew your gum
Et même croquer toutes les pommes
And even bite into all the apples
C'est bon et ça donne du calcium
It's good and gives you calcium
Mais pour devenir un homme
But to become a man
Surtout, sers-toi de ta gomme
Above all, use your eraser
Pour ne pas faire comme
So as not to do like
Tout ce tas de types en uniforme
All those guys in uniform
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Use your eraser
Surtout, ne va pas les croire
Above all, don't believe them
Ils veulent faire de ta mémoire
They want to make your memory
Un sac plein de sales histoires
A bag full of dirty stories
D'ailleurs, t'as qu'à voir leur tête
Moreover, just look at their faces
C'est pas vraiment des types nets
They're not really straightforward guys
Regarde leur planète
Look at their planet
Efface leurs sornettes
Erase their nonsense
Puisqu'ils qu'ils t'assomment
Since they're overwhelming you
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Use your eraser
Gomme, gomme les antipathiques
Erase, erase the unpleasant ones
Les boss de la politique
The bosses of politics
À la conscience élastique
With elastic conscience
Passe-les à l'ardoise magique
Pass them to the magical slate
Efface leurs combines tragiques
Erase their tragic schemes
Même si c'est symbolique
Even if it's symbolic
Pour te sentir libre au maximum
To feel as free as possible
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Use your eraser
Gomme, gomme les mots inutiles
Erase, erase useless words
Qui plaisent aux gens qui défilent
That please the people who parade
Les trucs-machins, les systèmes
The stuff-things, the systems
Qui font qu'on n'est pas soi-même
That make us not ourselves
Tu n'as besoin de personne
You don't need anyone
Pour devenir grand
To become great
Tu as bien compris, petit bonhomme?
Have you understood, little man?
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Use your eraser
Gomme, gomme.
Erase, erase.
Sers-toi de ta gomme
Use your eraser
Writer(s): jean-luc morel, gilles blumenfeld
Contributed by Lily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.