Marie-Mai Bouchard (born July 7, 1984 in Varennes, Quebec) also known as he… Read Full Bio ↴Marie-Mai Bouchard (born July 7, 1984 in Varennes, Quebec) also known as her stage name Marie-Mai, is a French Canadian singer from Quebec. She was initially known as one of the top finalists of the first season of the Quebec reality show Star Académie.

As her father, who emigrated from France to Québec at an early age, was also a musician, Marie-Mai began her interest in music in her early years when practising piano lessons and also participated in musical theatre. Shortly, she began singing and her grandmother noticed her talent. In the following years, she would help Marie-Mai improve her singing abilities even further. At that time, her grandmother suggested to her that she audition for a new competition, Star Académie. Prior to this, in 2001, she would start to perform in shows at Montreal's Théâtre Musical in the Passion intense show.

She became a finalist in the 2003 edition, in which she was immediately noticed by her pop-rock style. She finished third behind Marie-Elaine Thibert, the runner-up of the competition and Wilfred Le Bouthillier, the eventual winner.

After the Star Académie tour that ended in 2004, she was part of Rent, a rock opera musical which was held at the Olympia Theatre in Montreal.

On July 1, 2009, Marie-Mai performed "Mentir" and "Emmène-Moi" for Canada Rocks The Capital held in Ottawa.

On February 28, 2010, she performed "Emmène-Moi" during the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Her debut album Inoxydable, produced by Fred St-Gelais, was released on September 28, 2004. Over 120,000 albums were sold in Quebec alone while the album was released in France in 2006. Several singles had reached high in the Quebec charts including the songs "Il faut que tu t'en ailles" and "Encore une nuit" which reached the top of the Radio Énergie charts.

In the fall of 2006, Marie-Mai had already reached the international stage, when she opened for Garou for four shows at the Olympia in Paris where several international acts made their mark at the landmark music hall. Additional stops in the European Tour included Switzerland, Belgium, Romania and Russia. In an interview with TVA's correspondent in Paris, Claude Charron, Marie-Mai mentioned she was thrilled about the experience and was amazed by the public reception in Paris. She also added that despite being a short experience each night (she opens with 30-minute performance), she enjoys every single moment of it and would stay there forever on the stage.

Her second album, Dangereuse Attraction (also produced by Fred St-Gelais), was released in August 2007. She mentioned in the interview with Charron that she hopes for success similar to her debut album Inoxydable. The first song from her next album is "Qui prendra ma place" (Who Will Take My Place) and already reached number 1 in the Francophone Chart of Radio NRJ (formerly Radio Énergie). Marie-Mai mentions that her second album is much more personal than Inoxydable. Her song "Tôt Ou Tard" is a cover of Alexz Johnson's "Waste My Time" on the album Songs from Instant Star. Over 80,000 albums were sold.

Marie-Mai provided guest vocals on David Usher's songs "Kill the Lights," on Wake Up and Say Goodbye, and "Je Repars," on The Mile End Sessions. She also provided guest vocals for Simple Plan's new song "Jet Lag" which is from their fourth album Get Your Heart On!, released on June 21 2011.

Avec Elle
Marie-Mai Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je la sens dans tes absences
Mais je reste avec toi
Toujours comme une présence
Mais je reste avec toi

C'est elle que je vois dans tes yeux
C'est moi qui ai mal entre nous deux

Elle se donne, elle m'arrache
Toujours à tes bras
Prends-moi, jure-moi
Que tu reviendras, et ça me suffira
Je me donne mais tu voudrais tout avoir
Tu me brûles les ailes
À chaque fois que tu pars
Avec elle

Je sais que tu l'aimes encore
Mais c'est plus fort que moi
Toujours plus de bien que de tort
Quand je suis avec toi

C'est elle qui fait briller tes yeux
C'est moi qui ai mal entre nous deux

Elle se donne elle m'arrache
Toujours à tes bras
Prends-moi, jure-moi
Que tu reviendras, et ça me suffira
Je me donne mais tu voudrais tout avoir
Tu me brûles les ailes
À chaque fois que tu pars

Que le temps la prenne et qu'il revienne
Te porter encore à moi
Que le temps la prenne et qu'il m'emmène avec toi

Elle se donne elle m'arrache
Toujours à tes bras
Prends-moi, jure-moi
Que tu reviendras, et ça me suffira
Je me donne mais tu voudrais tout avoir
Tu me brûles les ailes
À chaque fois que tu pars

Elle se donne, elle m'arrache
Toujours à tes bras
Prends-moi, jure-moi
Que tu reviendras, et ça me suffira
Je me donne mais tu voudrais tout avoir
Tu me brûles les ailes
À chaque fois que tu pars

Avec elle...
Avec elle...
Avec elle...

Avec elle...

Overall Meaning

The song "Avec Elle" by Marie-Mai talks about a complicated love triangle where the singer is in love with someone who is still in love with someone else. The lyrics express her pain and frustration as she knows that her love interest is not fully invested in their relationship. She can sense their attraction to the other person, even when they are physically present with her. The singer remains with her love interest, always present but never fully satisfied, as they are always thinking about the other person.

The chorus of the song speaks to the singer's desperation to hold on to their love interest, even if it means accepting a fraction of their love. She pleads for her love interest to promise to come back to her, even if it is just for a short time. The singer is aware that her love interest wants everything and is not satisfied with just a part of her.

The bridge of the song brings a glimmer of hope as the singer suggests that time can heal and bring them together again. She wishes that time can take away the other person and return her love interest fully to her.

Overall, "Avec Elle" by Marie-Mai is a powerful expression of love, pain, and the complexities that can arise in relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Je la sens dans tes absences
I feel her presence when you're not here

Mais je reste avec toi
But I stay with you

Toujours comme une présence
Always like a presence

C'est elle que je vois dans tes yeux
It's her that I see in your eyes

C'est moi qui ai mal entre nous deux
But it's me who hurts between us

Elle se donne, elle m'arrache
She gives herself, she tears me apart

Toujours à tes bras
Always in your arms

Prends-moi, jure-moi
Take me, swear to me

Que tu reviendras, et ça me suffira
That you'll come back, and that will be enough for me

Je me donne mais tu voudrais tout avoir
I give myself but you want everything