Jean-Jacques Goldman is a French singer-songwriter who started his career singing as a back up singer before starting in a rock band Taï Phong before starting his solo career. A number of years later he founded the trio Fredericks - Goldman - Jones, with the British Michael Jones and American Carole Fredericks.
Extremely popular in French-speaking countries, he is a well-known songwriter, composing a number of albums for Céline Dion. He has also collaborated with Johnny Hallyday, Patricia Kaas, Garou, Marc Lavoine, Khaled (Aïcha), Lorie and Florent Pagny
He is also well known in France for getting involved in the homeless charity "Les Restos du Coeur" for which he wrote the main anthem.
Les Murailles
Jean-Jacques Goldman Lyrics
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Plus hautes que les batailles, défiant le poids des ans
Aujourd'hui quatre vents feraient s'envoler ses tours
Et l'on jurait avant que ça durerait toujours
Corons, terrils au nord, litanie des paysages
Aux vivants comme aux morts, la mine histoire et langage
Ce charbon peine et chance, chaque mineur l'a vécu
Et j'avais fait des merveilles en bâtissant notre amour
En gardant ton sommeil, en montant des murs autour
Mais quand on aime on a tort, on est stupide, on est sourd
Moi j'avais cru si fort que ça durerait toujours
J'avais cru si fort que ça durerait toujours
The lyrics of Jean-Jacques Goldman's song Les Murailles ("The Walls") reflect on the idea of longevity and how seemingly indestructible things can eventually fall. The opening lines describe the walls that were built with stones and blood, which are giant and higher than any battle ever fought, but also how even they, when faced with the four winds, are vulnerable to crumbling. The second verse switches to the idea of mining, with "corons" and "terrils" representing mining regions, and how this industry, despite being an integral part of life for the people who live there, can also be impermanent. The lines "ce charbon peine et chance, chaque mineur l'a vécu" ("this coal, hard work and luck, every miner has experienced it") further underscore the idea of the fleeting nature of things.
The song takes a more personal turn in the last verse, as the singer reflects on their relationship with someone they loved. They describe how they thought they had built an indestructible love and how they worked hard to maintain it, but how it eventually crumbled. The last line reiterates the main theme of impermanence with "j'avais cru si fort que ça durerait toujours" ("I had believed so strongly that it would last forever"). The overall message of the song is that even the strongest things are subject to change and that nothing lasts forever, whether it's physical structures or relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Géantes ces murailles bâties de pierres et de sang
These walls, built with stone and blood, are massive and imposing.
Plus hautes que les batailles, défiant le poids des ans
They tower over even the greatest battles, standing strong against the ravages of time.
Aujourd'hui quatre vents feraient s'envoler ses tours
Today, even a gentle breeze could knock over its towers.
Et l'on jurait avant que ça durerait toujours
But we used to believe that it would endure forever.
Corons, terrils au nord, litanie des paysages
The northern regions are marked by coal mines, slag heaps, and a landscape that seems unendingly monotonous.
Aux vivants comme aux morts, la mine histoire et langage
For both the living and the dead, the mine is a part of their story and their language.
Ce charbon peine et chance, chaque mineur l'a vécu
Coal is both toil and good fortune, an experience shared by every miner.
Mais un jour ce silence, oh pas un ne l'aurait cru
But one day, the silence of the mines would arrive, and nobody would have believed it.
Et j'avais fait des merveilles en bâtissant notre amour
I thought I had worked wonders building our love.
En gardant ton sommeil, en montant des murs autour
I protected your sleep, erecting walls around us.
Mais quand on aime on a tort, on est stupide, on est sourd
But when you're in love, you're often wrong, stupid, and deaf to reason.
Moi j'avais cru si fort que ça durerait toujours
I had believed so strongly that it would last forever.
J'avais cru si fort que ça durerait toujours
I had believed so strongly that it would last forever.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JEAN-JACQUES GOLDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind