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".
Petites boites
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Petites boîtes faites en ticky-tacky
Petites boîtes, petites boîtes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Y a des rouges, des violettes
Et des vertes très coquettes
Elles sont toutes faites en ticky-tacky
Et ces gens-là dans leurs boîtes
Vont tous à l'université
On les met tous dans des boîtes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Y a des médecins, des dentistes
Des hommes d'affaires et des avocats
Ils sont tous tous faits de ticky-tacky
Ils sont tous tous tous pareils.
Et ils boivent sec des martinis
Jouent au golf toute l'après-midi
Puis ils font des jolis enfants
Qui vont tous tous à l'école.
Ces enfants partent en vacances
Puis s'en vont à l'université
On les met tous dans des boîtes
Et ils sortent tous pareils.
Les garçons font du commerce
Et deviennent pères de famille
Ils bâtissent des nouvelles boîtes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Puis ils règlent toutes leurs affaires
Et s'en vont dans des cimetières
Dans des boîtes faites en ticky-tacky
Qui sont toutes toutes pareilles.
The song "Petites boites" by Graeme Allwright is a commentary on suburbia and the conformity that it breeds. The "petites boites" or "little boxes" are in reference to the identical-looking homes that fill the suburbia. These "boxes" are all made of the same material and are painted in different colors. The song muses on the idea that the people living in these little boxes are all the same, pursuing the same things and living the same kind of lives.
The lyrics describe how the people living in these houses are all educated, affluent and are professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and dentists. They all drink martinis, play golf and build similar little boxes for their families. They send their children to college, who then become businessmen and build more little boxes. The song ends with a bleak tone as it mentions how all these people eventually end up dying and being buried in identical graves that are also made of the same material.
The song is an observation on the monotony of suburban life and the pressures of conforming to the status quo. Allwright uses a repetitive melody to reflect the monotony of these little boxes.
Line by Line Meaning
Petites boîtes très étroites
Small narrow boxes
Petites boîtes faites en ticky-tacky
Small boxes made of cheap, uniform material
Petites boîtes, petites boîtes
Small boxes, small boxes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Small boxes all the same
Y a des rouges, des violettes
There are red ones, there are purple ones
Et des vertes très coquettes
And some very pretty green ones
Elles sont toutes faites en ticky-tacky
They are all made of cheap, uniform material
Elles sont toutes toutes pareilles.
They are all exactly the same
Et ces gens-là dans leurs boîtes
And these people in their boxes
Vont tous à l'université
All go to university
On les met tous dans des boîtes
They are all put in boxes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Small boxes all the same
Y a des médecins, des dentistes
There are doctors, dentists
Des hommes d'affaires et des avocats
Businessmen and lawyers
Ils sont tous tous faits de ticky-tacky
They are all made of cheap, uniform material
Ils sont tous tous tous pareils.
They are all exactly the same
Et ils boivent sec des martinis
And they drink dry martinis
Jouent au golf toute l'après-midi
Play golf all afternoon
Puis ils font des jolis enfants
Then they have lovely children
Qui vont tous tous à l'école.
Who all go to school
Ces enfants partent en vacances
These children go on vacation
Puis s'en vont à l'université
Then they go to university
On les met tous dans des boîtes
They are all put in boxes
Et ils sortent tous pareils.
And they all come out the same
Les garçons font du commerce
The boys go into business
Et deviennent pères de famille
And become fathers
Ils bâtissent des nouvelles boîtes
They build new boxes
Petites boîtes toutes pareilles.
Small boxes all the same
Puis ils règlent toutes leurs affaires
Then they take care of all their affairs
Et s'en vont dans des cimetières
And go to cemeteries
Dans des boîtes faites en ticky-tacky
In boxes made of cheap, uniform material
Qui sont toutes toutes pareilles.
Which are all exactly the same
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.