Les Feuilles Mortes
Mario Adorf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O könntest du dich doch erinnern
Der glücklichen Tage, da wir Freunde waren
Das Leben war schöner zu jener Zeit
Und die Sonne brannte heißer als heut'
Das Herbstalaub wird zusammengekehrt
Du siehst, ich habe nicht vergessen
Die roten toten Blätter werden weggefegt
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
Sung:
Et le vent du nord les emporte
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
La chanson que tu me chantais
C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble
Toi, tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
The lyrics of Mario Adorf's song, Les Feuilles Mortes, express the bittersweet emotions associated with memories of a past love. The spoken words in the beginning describe the singer's desire for his/her former lover to remember the good times they had when they were friends. They reminisce about how life was better and the sun hotter back then. The next part of the spoken passage speaks of the fall, where dead leaves are swept away, along with memories and regrets.
The sung portion of the song embodies the sentimentality of the lyrics. The words describe a love that was once shared by two people who lived, laughed and loved together. The singer recalls a song that was sung to him/her by his/her lover, and the music that once filled their lives. The two lovers are separated by life, like most relationships; however, they are separated slowly and silently, without any harsh break or anger, and this makes the wound deeper. It's as if mother nature herself is erasing the traces of their love, by the sand of the sea wiping the footprints of separated lovers.
Overall, Les Feuilles Mortes carries an aura of deep sorrowful love, reminding us of the fragility of human relationships and the transience of life.
Line by Line Meaning
O könntest du dich doch erinnern
Oh, if only you could remember
Der glücklichen Tage, da wir Freunde waren
Of the happy days when we were friends
Das Leben war schöner zu jener Zeit
Life was more beautiful at that time
Und die Sonne brannte heißer als heut'
And the sun burned hotter than it does today
Das Herbstalaub wird zusammengekehrt
The autumn leaves are being swept together
Du siehst, ich habe nicht vergessen
You see, I have not forgotten
Die roten toten Blätter werden weggefegt
The red dead leaves are being swept away
Und mit ihnen die Erinnerungen und das Bedauern
And with them, the memories and the regrets
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Dead leaves are gathered with a shovel
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
Memories and regrets as well
Et le vent du nord les emporte
And the north wind carries them away
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
Into the cold night of forgetting
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
You see, I have not forgotten
La chanson que tu me chantais
The song that you used to sing to me
C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble
It's a song that resembles us
Toi, tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you
Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble
We used to live together, just the two of us
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais
You who loved me, me who loved you
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
But life separates those who love each other
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Gently, without making any noise
Et la mer efface sur le sable
And the sea erases on the sand
Les pas des amants désunis
The footsteps of the separated lovers
Contributed by Jonathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.