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".
Saturn
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Saturne) (Andrew Kelly)
He's eternal, gloomy and sullen,
And he rules the kingdom of Time
Like his Planet his name is Saturn
This god who brings chill to our minds
It's a game where he looks for joy.
His touch withers the roses – that's how
The God of Time makes time go by
This year you had to pay, my truest;
For you lost at this game – that's not fair.
With silver you've paid him, the purest,
Now silver strands gleam through your hair
But the blooms Autumn brings are pettiest:
It's a fact, all the poets agree.
When I look at you one glance says this –
They didn't lie I'll guarantee
Once again come with me my lover
To the garden, daisies to pull.
Count the petals: He loves me, forever,
Our Indian Summer love's so full
I know your charms by heart, they're infinite,
To make me forget them would take
Saturn spinning time every minute:
All the time his hourglass could make.
And that young thing next door's not in it;
She just hasn't got what it takes!
Graeme Allwright's song "Saturn" is an ode to Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and Time. The song begins by describing Saturn as eternal, gloomy, and sullen, and how he rules over the kingdom of time. The lyrics then compare Saturn to his planet, explaining how he brings chill to our minds just like the planet.
The song continues by describing how Saturn shakes the flowers as he passes by, which is like a game where he looks for joy. However, his touch withers the roses, and that's how he makes time go by. The lyrics also mention how the God of Time makes us pay for losing at his game. This is illustrated through a metaphor where the singer had to pay Saturn with silver for losing the game, and now silver strands gleam through their hair.
The song concludes by inviting the singer's lover to a garden full of daisies to count the petals, declaring their love as forever. The lyrics acknowledge the never-ending nature of Saturn's reign and emphasize how time is constantly spinning. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer's lover is more alluring than the young thing next door, as she lacks the infinite charms that his lover possesses.
Line by Line Meaning
He's eternal, gloomy and sullen,
Saturn is characterized as being eternal, and his personality is quite gloomy and sullen.
And he rules the kingdom of Time
Saturn is in charge of time and its passing, which makes him a very powerful deity.
Like his Planet his name is Saturn
Just like the planet that shares his name, Saturn is a very significant figure in this world.
This god who brings chill to our minds
Saturn is so important that he is able to influence and even chill our thoughts and emotions.
And in passing he shakes the flowers
Saturn has a playful side to him, and he takes pleasure in shaking flowers as he passes by.
It's a game where he looks for joy.
This playful act of shaking flowers is like a game for Saturn, through which he finds joy and amusement.
His touch withers the roses – that's how
Unfortunately, as Saturn passes by and shakes the flowers, his touch often leads to the withering of roses.
The God of Time makes time go by
As the god of time, Saturn has the power to affect how quickly or slowly time passes.
This year you had to pay, my truest;
The singer warns their beloved that Saturn has made them pay a price this year.
For you lost at this game – that's not fair.
The price that the singer’s beloved had to pay was due to the fact that they lost Saturn’s little game, which the singer deems as unfair.
With silver you've paid him, the purest,
To pay Saturn back, the singer’s beloved has given him some silver, which is considered a very pure and valuable metal.
Now silver strands gleam through your hair
As a result of sacrificing some silver to Saturn, there are now strands of silver shining through the beloved’s hair.
But the blooms Autumn brings are pettiest:
Despite the fact that autumn brings new blooms and flowers, the singer suggests that they are inferior to those that came before.
It's a fact, all the poets agree.
This belief that autumn flowers are lesser is a widely held one among poets.
When I look at you one glance says this –
Despite this, when the singer looks at their beloved, they are struck by how beautiful they still are.
They didn't lie I'll guarantee
The singer promises that there is no exaggeration when it comes to declaring their beloved’s beauty.
Once again come with me my lover
The singer invites their lover to join them once more.
To the garden, daisies to pull.
Together, the singer and their lover will go to the garden and pick daisies.
Count the petals: He loves me, forever,
As they pick daisies, the singer and their lover count the petals, repeating the timeless phrase 'he loves me, he loves me not' until they reach the final petal, which always falls on the affirmation of 'he loves me, forever.'
Our Indian Summer love's so full
Despite the changing seasons, their love remains as strong and full as ever.
I know your charms by heart, they're infinite,
The singer knows and cherishes all the things that makes their lover charming, unique and endlessly wonderful.
To make me forget them would take
Even if the singer wanted to, it would be impossible for them to forget how charming their lover truly is.
Saturn spinning time every minute:
Time continues to pass on, every minute is accounted for by Saturn and the hourglass he holds.
All the time his hourglass could make.
Saturn holds the power of all the time that his hourglass could measure.
And that young thing next door's not in it;
The singer takes comfort in knowing that unlike the young girl who lives next door, their lover has a deep and meaningful connection with them.
She just hasn't got what it takes!
The girl next door simply cannot compare to the extraordinary charm and love that the singer shares with their lover.
Contributed by Adam S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.