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 petite route
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui voulait plus faire la route
Qui trouvait le temps trop long
Et l'avenir sans horizon
Les types des Ponts et Chaussées
Arrêtaient pas de la stresser
Elle qui rêvait sur terre
Ceux qui vendaient de l'essence
Voulaient qu'elle mène aux vacances
Elle voulait aller nulle part
Même pas à l'arrêt du car
La blonde qui vendait des frites
Disait "Demain, je la quitte
Pour une route qui va plus vite
Ce chemin-là, c'est la faillite"
C'est l'histoire d'une petite route
Qui voulait plus faire la route
Qui devant sa voie tracée
Avait envie de l'effacer
La ligne droite et les virages
Disaient "C'est quand même dommage
Qu'est-ce qu'on va trouver au bout?
Le chômage et puis c'est tout"
Le stop disait "Attention
Elle oublie sa direction
Mieux vaut la fermer avant
Qu'elle ne cause des accidents"
Un très vieux coureur cycliste
Murmurait "C'est quand même triste
Elle avait une bonne descente
Peut-elle remonter la pente?"
C'est l'histoire d'une petite route
Qui s'est arrêtée en route
Comme ça, sur le bord du chemin
Cette route-là, c'était quelqu'un!
The song "La petite route" by Graeme Allwright tells the story of a small road that is tired of the constant pressure and expectations placed upon it. It dreams of sleeping in the ferns and going nowhere, not even to the bus stop. The road is being pushed by the engineers who are in charge of it, the gas stations who want it to lead to vacation spots, and even the woman who sells fries by the side of the road. They all want the road to fulfill their own desires and dreams, but the small road has other ideas. It's tired of its predetermined path and the possible destination of unemployment that lays ahead. Despite the warnings of the traffic signs and a veteran cyclist, the road chooses to stop and break free from its predetermined path. The ending of the song implies that this small road is a personification of dreams and aspirations and that it was someone special.
The lyrics of "La petite route" can be interpreted in several ways. The small road represents the desire to break free from the confines of society and expectations placed upon individuals. It highlights the need for individuals to listen to their inner voice and follow their dreams, even if it leads them away from the predetermined path. The song also highlights the beauty and importance of small things that are often overlooked, such as the small road that was someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est l'histoire d'une petite route
This is the story of a little road
Qui voulait plus faire la route
That didn't want to be a road anymore
Qui trouvait le temps trop long
And found time to be too long
Et l'avenir sans horizon
And the future without any horizon
Les types des Ponts et Chaussées
The people from the Department of Transportation
Arrêtaient pas de la stresser
Kept stressing her out
Elle qui rêvait sur terre
She, who dreamed on earth
D' dormir dans les fougères
Of sleeping in the ferns
Ceux qui vendaient de l'essence
Those who sold gasoline
Voulaient qu'elle mène aux vacances
Wanted her to lead to vacation destinations
Elle voulait aller nulle part
She wanted to go nowhere
Même pas à l'arrêt du car
Not even to the bus stop
La blonde qui vendait des frites
The blonde woman who sold fries
Disait "Demain, je la quitte
Said, "Tomorrow, I'm quitting this job
Pour une route qui va plus vite
For a road that goes faster
Ce chemin-là, c'est la faillite"
This road here is a failure"
C'est l'histoire d'une petite route
This is the story of a little road
Qui voulait plus faire la route
That didn't want to be a road anymore
Qui devant sa voie tracée
That, faced with her predetermined path
Avait envie de l'effacer
Wanted to erase it
La ligne droite et les virages
The straight line and the turns
Disaient "C'est quand même dommage
Said "It's still a shame
Qu'est-ce qu'on va trouver au bout?
What are we going to find at the end?
Le chômage et puis c'est tout"
Unemployment and that's it"
Le stop disait "Attention
The stop sign said "Be careful
Elle oublie sa direction
She forgets her direction
Mieux vaut la fermer avant
It's better to shut her down before
Qu'elle ne cause des accidents"
She causes any accidents"
Un très vieux coureur cycliste
A very old cyclist
Murmurait "C'est quand même triste
Muttered "It's still sad
Elle avait une bonne descente
She had a good downhill
Peut-elle remonter la pente?"
Can she make it back up the hill?"
C'est l'histoire d'une petite route
This is the story of a little road
Qui s'est arrêtée en route
Who stopped halfway
Comme ça, sur le bord du chemin
Just like that, on the edge of the road
Cette route-là, c'était quelqu'un!
That road, she was someone!
Writer(s): Graeme Allwright
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.