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".

No Man's Land
Graeme Allwright Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je n' crois pas que tout soit permis
Dis-moi ce que tu en penses
Nous pouvons nous dire merci
D'avoir su garder nos distances
Et ce no man's land
No man's land, no man's land
Entre nous

J'avoue en toute modestie
Nous fîmes preuve d'intelligence
Si j'étais passé dans ton lit
Imagine les conséquences
Plus de no man's land
No man's land, no man's land
Entre nous

C'est peut-être ça être amis
Aimer le goût des nuances
L'important n'est pas ce qu'on dit
C'est la qualité du silence
Dans ce no man's land
No man's land, no man's land
Entre nous

C'est si bien de s'être compris
On peut s'en faire la confidence
Ça prouve qu'on n'a pas trop vieilli
Pas trop perdu l'innocence
Dans ce no man's land
No man's land, no man's land
Entre nous

C'est librement que l'on a choisi
Ce deal rempli d'exigence
Se quitter avant qu'il fasse nuit
Pour n' pas oublier l'importance
Du no man's land

No man's land, no man's land
Entre nous

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Graeme Allwright's song "No Man's Land" suggest that it is better to maintain a distance or a no man's land between two individuals, rather than crossing it and being too intimate. The singer contemplates that the fact that they have maintained their distance is what allows them to be friends. They have shown intelligence in doing so, and they have earned the right to say thank you to each other for keeping those boundaries, which only reinforce their bond of friendship.

The chorus emphasizes the importance of the no man's land, and how it keeps them grounded in their relationship, which they value highly. There is a mutual understanding of the boundaries they have created between each other, which is demonstrated by the quality of their silence. The singer goes on to mention that they have not lost their innocence, and are able to trust each other enough to share things with one another.

In the end, the singer reflects on how it was a choice they made freely and with great care, before nightfall, and how it is necessary in order to remember the importance of the distance they have set up. It is easier to be friends when there is some distance between two individuals, because it allows them to keep their individuality and respect each other's boundaries.

Line by Line Meaning

Je n' crois pas que tout soit permis
I do not believe that everything is permissible

Dis-moi ce que tu en penses
Tell me what you think about it

Nous pouvons nous dire merci
We can thank each other

D'avoir su garder nos distances
For having known how to keep our distances

Et ce no man's land
And this no man's land

No man's land, no man's land
No man's land, no man's land

Entre nous
Between us

J'avoue en toute modestie
I admit modestly

Nous fîmes preuve d'intelligence
We showed intelligence

Si j'étais passé dans ton lit
If I had slept with you

Imagine les conséquences
Imagine the consequences