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
Ne me quitte pas
Isabelle Boulay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
À savoir comment
Qui tuaient parfois à coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Moi, je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps d'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi, où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Je t'inventerai
Des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai
De ces amants-là
Qui ont vu deux fois leurs cœurs s'embraser
Je te raconterai l'histoire de ce roi mort
De n'avoir pas pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
On a vu souvent
Rejaillir le feu
D'un ancien volcan
Qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est, paraît-il
Des terres brûlées
Donnant plus de blé
Qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir
Pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir ne s'épousent-ils pas?
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Je ne vais plus pleurer
Je ne vais plus parler
Je me cacherai là
À te regarder danser et sourire et
À t'écouter chanter et puis rire
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
The Isabelle Boulay song Ne Me Quitte Pas (or Don't Leave Me) speaks to themes of heartbreak and despair, with lyrics that plead with a lover not to leave and to instead embrace the pain inherent in love. In the opening verse, the singer asks their partner not to tell them to smile, but rather to acknowledge the weight of their suffering and the difficulty of loving unconditionally. The following verses continue in this vein, with the singer expressing their need for release and acceptance of their pain rather than forced happiness.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are filled with poetic imagery and emotion, as the singer tries to grapple with the magnitude of their feelings and the inevitability of heartbreak. The repetition of the line "ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire" ('don't tell me to smile') speaks to the pressure put on individuals to 'put on a happy face' in difficult times, and serves as a powerful metaphor for the struggle of trying to hide one's pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire
Don't tell me to smile, as I see you dressing yourself up. Instead, tell me if you want to love nature, embrace the emptiness, shedding tears.
Dis moi plutôt, je veux mourir
Rather, tell me that you want to die.
Dis moi veux tu, aimer nature
Tell me, do you want to love nature?
Aimer le vide, les yeux humides
Embrace the emptiness, with eyes full of tears.
Si tu n'as rien de mieux à dire
If you have nothing better to say,
Contente toi d'un long soupir
settle for a long sigh.
Comme tu n'as rien de mieux a faire
As you have nothing better to do,
Que de reprendre tes affaires
other than to pack up and leave.
Comme je m'apprête a trop souffrir
As I prepare to suffer too much,
Ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire
Don't tell me to smile.
Dis moi plutôt de te maudire
Tell me instead to curse you.
Dis moi veux tu, perds moi de vue
Tell me, do you want to forget about me?
Que ses lèvres, que c'est ainsi
That his lips are the reason for it all.
Puisque la vie va m'enlaidir
Since life is going to make me ugly.
De quoi pourrais je me ravir
What could I take pleasure in?
Si c'est le fin mot de l'histoire
If this is the end of the story.
Et Si la mer je dois la boire
And if I have to drink the sea.
Puisque tu dois m'anéantir
Since you have to destroy me.
Ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire
Don't tell me to smile.
Puisque la vie va m'enlaidir
Since life is going to make me ugly.
De quoi pourrais je me ravir
What could I take pleasure in?
Si c'est le fin mot de l'histoire
If this is the end of the story.
Et Si la mer je dois la boire
And if I have to drink the sea.
Puisque tu dois m'anéantir
Since you have to destroy me.
Ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire
Don't tell me to smile.
Puisque la vie va m'enlaidir
Since life is going to make me ugly.
De quoi pourrais je me ravir
What could I take pleasure in?
Si c'est le fin mot de l'histoire
If this is the end of the story.
Et Si la mer je dois la boire
And if I have to drink the sea.
Puisque tu dois m'anéantir
Since you have to destroy me.
Ne me dis pas qu'il faut sourire
Don't tell me to smile.
Lyrics © Tratore, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jacques Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind