Eldorado
Lavilliers Bernard Lyrics

Dans la brasserie du nord de style mille neuf cent
In the old-fashioned northern brewery, travelers paid with valuable gold.

Les voyageurs payaient en or trébuchant
Those travelers desperately seeking escape from their problems traded their life savings for a temporary solution.

Rongés par le cancer infernal de la fuite
Those voyagers were afflicted by the deadly disease of constant escapism.

Vivre déraciné, vivre tard, vivre vite
Their lifestyle involved living without roots, without restraint, and at breakneck speeds.

Je suis en plein délire, dévoré par les fièvres
The singer is completely consumed by the feverish pursuit of something unknown.

J'essaie de modifier dans le creux de ma main
The singer is attempting to alter his destiny single-handedly.

La ligne d'un bonheur inconnu, incertain
He seeks a destination he can't describe, uncertain about his chances of success.

Car le malheur rend fou
The sorrow of his past has driven him mad.

Terminus Nord, ma créole
The singer echoes the name of Paris' northern terminal railway, beckoning him toward his destination.

Vacille dans les vapeurs d'alcool
The singer's favorite tavern is clouded with the fumes of intoxicating liquor.

J'entends des sifflets, des sourdos
He hears the sounds of whistles and drums calling him into the unknown.

Des cris de singes, des chants d'oiseaux
He is awestruck by the creatures he encounters, each with their own unique melody.

Tu me regardes, tu te demandes
The singer questions whether the woman he meets is interested in him or his journey.

S'il est trop tôt ou bien trop tard
He is unsure whether he is too early or too late in his quest.

Pour me demander si je pars
He wonders if she'll ask him to stay or to leave on his adventure.

Sais-tu au moins ce que tu cherches Gringo?
The woman queries if he even knows what he is searching for.

Sais-tu au moins ce que tu cherches?
The singer is reminded that he has yet to identify precisely what he seeks.

C'est toujours plus loin, toujours plus fou, toujours plus beau
The singer's quest is described by the endless pursuit of something elusive, difficult, yet captivating him more with each step forward.

C'est toujours étrange comme un mélange de gaz et d'eau
His quest is ambiguous, uneasy, and contradictory, a blend of two disparate elements.

C'est dans l'aventure et la magie, mon beau
He will find his Eldorado in adventures and magic, though he remains unsure what they truly mean.

Dans la démesure et la folie que tu trouveras Eldorado
He will find his Eldorado in extravagance and madness, though the path to it will be treacherous and uncertain.

Tu as cherché, tu as cherché, tu as cherché trop loin
He has searched too far and too long, still no closer to realizing his dream.

Le bonheur qui était au creux de ta main
Ironically, the happiness he seeks may have always been within his grasp.

Dans la jungle à la lune pleine
In the bright light of the jungle moon, all manner of seers and creatures are witnessed.

Les papillons ne se brûlent pas sur les lanternes
According to legend, some creatures fly too high to be enveloped by the flames around them.

Ils montent cette nuit-là vers les hautes ténèbres
The butterflies are seen dancing upwards towards the darkness of the night sky.

On regarde de loin briller leurs ailes bleues
The butterflies' faint blue shimmer can still be seen from afar.

On raconte ces choses dans le nord du Brésil
These tales are shared by travelers in the Brazilian north.

Il m'a semblé les voir se perdre dans les fils
The singer hallucinates seeing those butterflies caught in a web of dreams.

Des araignées velues dévoreuses de rêve
The arachnids in the singer's dreams appear as hideous beasts, devouring all hope.

Mais la jungle rend fou
The jungle is a place of madness and lost mind, as anyone can easily lose their way and be consumed by despair.

Assis à l'ombre des mangos
Sitting in the shade of mango trees.

Dans la taverne d'Eldorado
At the tavern of Eldorado, a stopping point in his journey.

Les rêves d'or ont la peau dure
Golden Dreams can survive even the hardest times.

Comme les diamants sous le carbure
Like diamonds under the carbide drills.

Elle me regarde et me soupèse
The woman looks closely at the singer to assess his value.

Il est trop tard ou bien trop tôt
It is uncertain whether it is too early or too late to proceed.

Elle me questionne sans dire un mot
The woman asks the singer without uttering a word.

As-tu trouvé ce que tu cherches Gringo?
The woman again inquires if he has found what he was searching for.

As-tu trouvé ce que tu cherches?
The singer Remains unsure whether he has realized his goal.

Vieilles légendes indiennes, rêves mystérieux des jungles
Old Indian legends and enigmatic jungle dreams shape his quest.

La voix grave d'une femme parle du pays des morts
The deep voice of a woman speaks of the land of the dead.

Où, juste à quelques miles, brille la Cité d'Or
Where, just a few miles from where they are sitting, the legendary City of Gold glistens.

Ton silence affamé a décodé les signes
The singer's deep silence has finally deciphered the signs present in his journey.

La nuit qui va tomber tourne ses feuilles noires
As night approaches, the darkness of his path intensifies.

Du côté du couchant, du sang et de l'espoir
On the horizon, there is both blood and hope.

Du côté des chercheurs tombés dans les abîmes
On the other hand, many before the singer's time have fallen into the darkness.

Du côté du parfum des femmes
On the side of the women's perfume, soulful experiences await.

Mais le parfum rend fou
Even pleasant aromas can drive someone mad.

Le son saturé de la radio
The radio's loud sounds blast in his ears like a missile.

Fait hurler les hommes et les chiens
The noise makes nearby humans and canines wail in unison.

Je bois et je ne pense à rien
The singer indulges in a drink, hoping to clear his mind from thoughts.

Je l'ai eue très vite et sans un mot
He quickly wins the woman over without speaking a word.

Elle ne sait pas ce que je vaux
The woman has no idea of the singer's true value as a person.

Elle ne sait pas ce que je cherche
The woman is unaware of the singer's ultimate goal.