This hasn't stopped him having success as a solo artist. Well-known for his concerts, Jean-Louis Aubert is an integral part of the French rock scene.
L'enfant et le cerf-volant
Jean-Louis Aubert Lyrics
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Le sang bat dans les veines au rythme ralenti
De la fin de journée les corps sont abrutis,
Demain matin le ciel se couvrira de brume.
Un air calme et cuivré circule entre les corps
Qui se recouvrent d’huile et sourient à la mort,
Programmés dans leurs gènes et dans leurs habitudes
Le soir s’immobilise, le cerf-volant retombe
L’enfant est devant lui, il contemple la tombe
Dans les bâtons brisés, les restes de voilure,
Dans la parfaite indifférence de la nature.
L’enfant fixe le sol et son âme s’épure
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse le sable,
L’océan redondant, l’huile et la chair minables
Il faudrait un vent fort, un vent inexorable.
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse le sable.
Il faudrait un vent fort
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse ce sable.
L’océan redondant, l’huile et la chair minables
Il faudrait un vent fort, un vent inexorable.
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse le sable.
The song "L'enfant et le cerf-volant" by Jean-Louis Aubert is a deeply contemplative piece about the transience of life and the human struggle to find meaning amidst the chaos of existence. The opening lines set a melancholy tone, as the evening - a symbol of both peace and sadness - descends, and the bodies of those present grow weary and apathetic. The "cuivré" air mentioned in the lyrics is symbolic of this weariness, as it suggests a heaviness that hangs in the air and weighs down on those present.
The song then turns to focus on a solitary kite, which wavers uncertainly in the sky above. The kite is described as being "ivré de solitude", or drunk with loneliness, and its presence seems to highlight the sense of isolation and disconnection that pervades the scene. When the night finally comes to a standstill, the kite falls to the ground, where it is discovered by a child who stands contemplating a grave. The remains of the broken kite serve as a reminder of the fragility and impermanence of all things, a fact that is underscored by the indifferent natural world that surrounds them.
The final lines of the song are a plea for a strong wind to blow away the sands of time and shake the world out of its complacency. The repetition of the phrase "Il faudrait un vent fort" reinforces the urgency of this need, and suggests that true change may require an upheaval of the natural order itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Le soir descend, porteur de paix et d’amertume
The evening descends, bearing both tranquility and bitterness.
Le sang bat dans les veines au rythme ralenti
Blood pulses through veins at a slowed rhythm.
De la fin de journée les corps sont abrutis,
As the day draws to a close, bodies become numb.
Demain matin le ciel se couvrira de brume.
Tomorrow morning, the sky will be covered in mist.
Un air calme et cuivré circule entre les corps
A calm, coppery atmosphere circulates among the bodies.
Qui se recouvrent d’huile et sourient à la mort,
They cover themselves in oil and smile at death.
Programmés dans leurs gènes et dans leurs habitudes
They are programmed by their genes and habits.
Un cerf-volant hésite, ivre de solitude.
A kite hesitates, drunk on solitude.
Le soir s’immobilise, le cerf-volant retombe
The evening stands still as the kite falls.
L’enfant est devant lui, il contemple la tombe
The child is before it, contemplating the grave.
Dans les bâtons brisés, les restes de voilure,
In the broken sticks and scraps of sail,
Dans la parfaite indifférence de la nature.
Within the complete indifference of nature.
L’enfant fixe le sol et son âme s’épure
The child fixes their gaze on the ground, and their soul becomes purified.
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse le sable,
A strong wind is needed to scatter the sand,
L’océan redondant, l’huile et la chair minables
The redundant ocean, the worthless oil and flesh,
Il faudrait un vent fort, un vent inexorable.
A strong, inexorable wind is needed.
Il faudrait un grand vent qui disperse le sable.
A strong wind is needed to scatter the sand.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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