His music is influenced by a range of composers and pianists such as Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, classical minimalists (Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Erik Satie), and modern composers such as Chilly Gonzales and Yann Tiersen.
Nostos
Jean-Michel Blais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And did you see it was all going to be so right for me
Why did we tell you then
You were always the golden boy then
And that you'd never lose that light in your eyes
Hey you... did you ever realize what you'd become
And did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from
Leading the blind while I stared out the steel in your eyes
The rain fell slow, down on all the roofs of uncertainty
I thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me
And did you know...
I never thought that you'd lose the light in your eyes
The lyrics of "Nostos" by Jean-Michel Blais address a former friend or acquaintance who seemingly had everything going for them at one point, but then ended up losing their way. Blais sings about how they always saw this person as the "golden boy," someone who would always have a spark in their eyes and never falter. However, things didn't turn out that way for them.
Blais questions whether this person ever realized what they had become and if they were running away from more than just him. The lyrics suggest that this person's downfall was gradual and that they may have always had an inkling of the path they were on, but didn't care. Meanwhile, Blais seems to have moved on from this past friendship and finds solace in thinking of this person and the years they had spent together. The rain falling is a symbol for the sadness that has come and gone from his life, and the memories he reflects upon.
Overall, the song seems to discuss the idea of nostalgia and how memories can shift over time. The person Blais sings about may have been viewed as perfect in the past, but hindsight reveals they weren't. At the same time, Blais acknowledges that he may have held onto an idealized version of the past and that his memories may not have reflected reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you know... it was all going to go so wrong for you
Were you aware that things were going to turn out badly for you?
And did you see it was all going to be so right for me
Did you realize that everything was going to work out well for me?
Why did we tell you then
What compelled us to tell you at that time?
You were always the golden boy then
You were always the favored one back then
And that you'd never lose that light in your eyes
And we believed that you would always retain that spark in your eyes
Hey you... did you ever realize what you'd become
Hey you... did you ever come to the realization of what you've turned into
And did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from
Did you notice that you were also trying to evade others, not just me
Did you know all the time but it never bothered you anyway
Did you have knowledge of it all along but it didn't concern you in the slightest
Leading the blind while I stared out the steel in your eyes
Guiding the ignorant while I directed a penetrating gaze into your eyes
The rain fell slow, down on all the roofs of uncertainty
The precipitation descended gradually, on all the unknown outcomes
I thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me
I reminisced about you and the past, and all the mournfulness dissipated from my being
And did you know...
And were you aware that...
I never thought that you'd lose the light in your eyes
I never imagined that you'd forfeit the gleam in your eyes
Contributed by Max O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sophiablow3422
It has the beauty of Debussy. Those skillful and powerful silences that punctuate the sound. The considered pace of emotion. Just beautiful. Thank you.
@PandaOnSkis
A heroic tragedy, it instills a feeling in me to fight for what I believe in even if I know it will be my end
@lionheart01
speechless, the combination of unusual view on nature , and the massive sound he achieved with a piano make this composition out of this world
@chinkoimpresion9132
Desde Tamuin S.L.P. Mexico te escucho desde el 2016 y eres mi paz esta madrugada GRACIAS Juan Miguel Blsis por tu arte Indpiras❤
@bstang7
such a beautiful piece of music. It made me cry. keep on composing please. thank you for this.
@alaltamirano
An emotional masterpiece!!!
@e7venjedi
Stunning piece and video. The music feels like flying in a dream. The video like falling into heaven.
@raushaxleman
To say that i'm blown away is the understatement of the year :O
@yoxs5461
Magnifique, merci à Radio Classique Montréal pour cette découverte !
@aftonpalmer1916
I use this song in my yoga class, and I am OBSESSED with it. This is the first time watching the video. So cool.