In 1990, some friends recorded her at the Petite-Vallée song festival without her consent, but she completed a performance there and was regarded as a huge success. The following year she won at the Granby song festival for her rendition of Jacques Brel's "Amsterdam". That same year she was invited to take part in the festival Les FrancoFolies de Montréal.
In 1993 she represented Radio Canada at the "Truffe de Périgueux" festival held in Périgord, France. She carried off the prize for Best Singer in the "chanson francophone" (French song) category. Following her success in France, she was noticed by songwriter Luc Plamondon who was looking for emerging talents to perform in a new production of his rock opera Starmania. There, Boulay portrayed the role of Marie-Jeanne.
In 1996, Isabelle Boulay provided the singing voice for Alys Robi in the television series of the same name. She released her debut album, Fallait pas, that year.
Two years later, came "États d’amour" an album that included some of her most popular songs. "Je t’oublierai, je t’oublierai", "La lune" or "Le saule".
The following years were filled with success and recognition all over the world. In that time her albums "Scènes d’amour", which included thirteen live duets and "Mieux qu'ici-bas" were released. This last one became an instant success.
"Au moment d'être à vous" was again recorded live in Montreal in 2002. Acompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra of Montreal, she performed her favourite songs from many composers.
"Tout un Jour" was released in 2004 and it included 14 new songs.
"Du Temps pour Toi" was recorded live at L'Olympia in Paris and released in 2005 and a DVD of the concert was also released.
In 2007, she went back to her childhood memories and songs and recorded a Country music album called "De Retour à la source"
In the spring of 2008 she released an album produced in France, "Nos Lendemains" that you can hear in her official site: www.isabelleboulay.ca
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
Isabelle Boulay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parce que la vie
Est bien trop belle
Le ciel est trop luisant
Le noir est bleu, certains soirs
On peut tout deviner
Tous les yeux qu'on veut voir
Toutes les voix disparues
Qui m'appelle par mon nom...
Il est minuit
Les chauve-souris
Font la jasette avec les chouettes
Moi je me venge de mon enfance
Je ne vais pas dans ma chambre
Je ne me mets pas au lit
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
Au cas ou Cendrillon m'appellerait
En désespoir de cause
Il y a l'air tard le soir
Des sons qui frolent les rèves enfantins...
Une boite à musique
Un sanglot de poupée
Dans le noir d'Amérique
On peut tout deviner
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
Je ne veux pas aller m'coucher
Je préfère espionner l'aube
Que d'aller rêver
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
Je ne veux pas qu'il finisse
Le beau jour d'aujourd'hui
Elle est couchée
La lumière de là-haut
Sur la Stella Maris
Au soleil de minuit
Personne n'est pas joli
Passé minuit
Mauve et kaki
Je fends la nuit
À bicyclette
J'ai peur de perdre mon bonheur
Je ne veux pas rester dans ma chambre
Je n'veux pas me mettre au lit
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir...
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir...
Au revoir!
In Isabelle Boulay's song Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir, the lyrics express the desire to stay up all night because life is too beautiful and full of wonder. The song describes the feeling of wanting to embrace every moment instead of letting them slip away while asleep. The singer admires the shining sky and the blue-black color of the night, revealing the ability to see and imagine anything that could be possible. The mention of the "wawaron" calling out to the singer by name suggests a connection to nature, and perhaps the call of the wild.
The song also describes a moment of nostalgia, where the singer longs to relive past times of childhood innocence. The sound of bats and owls conversing outside their window adds to the sense of mystique and whimsy in the night. However, the singer decides not to surrender to the comfort of their own bed and instead, rides their bicycle through the city at night. They are afraid of losing their happiness and are willing to risk the exhaustion of sleep deprivation to experience more of the beauty of the night.
Overall, the lyrics of Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir are poetic and full of imagery. They capture the essence of a moment in time where everything seems possible and inspire the listener to embrace life and live in the moment fully.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
I don't want to sleep tonight
Parce que la vie
Because life
Est bien trop belle
Is just too beautiful
Le ciel est trop luisant
The sky is too bright
Le noir est bleu, certains soirs
The darkness is blue, some nights
On peut tout deviner
You can imagine anything
Tous les yeux qu'on veut voir
All the eyes you want to see
Toutes les voix disparues
All the disappeared voices
Y'a un gros wawaron
There is a big wawaron
Qui m'appelle par mon nom...
Calling my name...
Il est minuit
It's midnight
Les chauve-souris
The bats
Font la jasette avec les chouettes
Are chatting with the owls
Moi je me venge de mon enfance
I'm getting back at my childhood
Je ne vais pas dans ma chambre
I'm not going to my room
Je ne me mets pas au lit
I'm not getting into bed
Au cas ou Cendrillon m'appellerait
In case Cinderella calls me
En désespoir de cause
In desperation
Il y a l'air tard le soir
It feels late at night
Des sons qui frolent les rèves enfantins...
Sounds that touch childhood dreams...
Une boite à musique
A music box
Un sanglot de poupée
A doll's sob
Dans le noir d'Amérique
In the darkness of America
Je ne veux pas dormir ce soir
I don't want to sleep tonight
Je ne veux pas aller m'coucher
I don't want to go to bed
Je préfère espionner l'aube
I prefer to spy on the dawn
Que d'aller rêver
Than to go dream
Je ne veux pas qu'il finisse
I don't want it to end
Le beau jour d'aujourd'hui
This beautiful day today
Elle est couchée
She is lying down
La lumière de là-haut
The light from above
Sur la Stella Maris
On the Stella Maris
Au soleil de minuit
In the midnight sun
Personne n'est pas joli
Nobody is not pretty
Passé minuit
Past midnight
Mauve et kaki
Mauve and khaki
Je fends la nuit
I split the night
À bicyclette
On my bike
J'ai peur de perdre mon bonheur
I'm afraid of losing my happiness
Je n'veux pas me mettre au lit
I don't want to get into bed
Au revoir!
Goodbye!
Writer(s): Jean-Pierre Ferland, Robert Cohen, Alain Leblanc
Contributed by Ellie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Michelon
Linda canção; sublime voz!
LAURENT BRULE
Je la découvre aujourd'hui même, sublime, j'adore Isabelle. 😊❤💛💚💙
janine B
Comme toujours sublime , merci du merveilleux partage Peter .
Chahines Sabeur
Magnifique chanson merci Jean Pierre 😊😊
Laure Dissi
Merci. toujours cette voix émouvante.
rémi
ma préférence va à l'origine, JP Ferland a une voix et une émotion.
Et personne ne peut vraiment rendre ses chansons aussi belles.
Mon humble avis
Jeanne Pierre
et oui très bien j adore
Thruns Guinneabottle
Wow, the song goes out to a piccolo (I think). Splendid.
Someone did a good job to rescue the song from M Ferland, where it had little worth.
Was this Benjamin Biolay?
muriel legoff
j adore merci ses beau
laurentiu mariuta
👍