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".

Lumière
Graeme Allwright Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lumière
GRAEME ALLWRIGHT

The children coming through the haze
Coming to the final phase of evolution
Man will see yes he will see. .
See what he was meant to be a revelation
We have to drink the final cup and

Then we're going to give it up and
Submit to our destiny
We're fighting through the final bout
We're going to, work it out
Just the way it was planned to be...

Lumière, lumière sans fin
Dans ton cœur dans ta main
La nuit s'efface
Tout ce qu'il aime
Ce qu'il mène
Tout est à lui
Et tout lui-même dans l'espace
Un avec l'éternel
Comme sur terre comme au ciel
Vit dans son infinité
Vide ton esprit
Prends du recul
De la forme le nom

Toi-même annule
Et voilà que Dieu parait…

Overall Meaning

In Graeme Allwright's "Lumière," the song speaks of evolution and destiny. The lyrics suggest that human beings will eventually evolve and see what they were meant to be, which is a revelation. The final phase of this evolution is a fight to submit to one's destiny. The repetition of the phrase "we're going to work it out, just the way it was planned to be" suggests that there is already a predetermined path. The song also touches on spiritual elements, encouraging the listener to empty their minds, take a step back, and nullify their name and form, creating a space where God can appear.

The chorus of the song "Lumière" speaks of an endless light within our hearts and hands. The night fades, and all that he leads, everything belongs to him, and he is everything in space. The verse suggests that one can become one with the eternal, living in the infinite possibilities of life on Earth as in Heaven. The song speaks of surrendering oneself to destiny and becoming one with God.

Line by Line Meaning

The children coming through the haze
As we move towards the end of evolution, the next generation is emerging through the uncertainty and confusion that surrounds us.

Coming to the final phase of evolution
We are at the endgame, it's the final stage of evolution.

Man will see yes he will see. .
Humanity will finally awaken and understand.

See what he was meant to be a revelation
We'll realize our true potential, and it will be a revelation.

We have to drink the final cup and
We must complete the final task.

Then we're going to give it up and
Once we're done, we're going to surrender ourselves.

Submit to our destiny
We must accept our fate.

We're fighting through the final bout
We're putting in a last-ditch effort to win this final battle.

We're going to, work it out
We'll figure it out, find a way.

Just the way it was planned to be...
It's all happening exactly as it was intended.

Lumière, lumière sans fin
Light, endless light.

Dans ton cœur dans ta main
In your heart and in your hand.

La nuit s'efface
The night fades away.