Maurane (born Claudine Luypaerts in Ixelles on 12 November 1960; died 7 May… Read Full Bio ↴Maurane (born Claudine Luypaerts in Ixelles on 12 November 1960; died 7 May 2018 in Schaerbeek, Belgium) was a Belgian singer and actress.

Born to a pianist mother and the director of a music academy, she took part in several singing competitions as a teenager. She was first noticed on the international scene when she played in the musical comedy Starmania in Paris.

Starting with her first album, Danser, in 1986 on the tiny Franc'Amour label, she was noted for strong, heartfelt songs. This was the first of her ten solo albums.

She was best known in her later years for her role in a TV talent show for young singers, Nouvelle Star (New Star).

She returned to the stage in Brussels in early May 2018 to take part in a concert in tribute to the late Jacques Brel, one of Belgium's most famous singer-songwriters. She died days later.

Petites Minutes Cannibales
Maurane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Siffloter, promener nonchalant
Arrкtez vos montres!
Conjuguer tout а l'instant prйsent
Arrкtez vos montres!
Arrкt total
De ces petites minutes cannibales
Bonjour, salut!
Les heures passent, on les voit plus

Oщ trouver l'йclat d'une sagesse
Parmi tant de pressions, tant de stress
Salut!
Ca bouscule dans la cohue

Le temps de voir grandir nos enfants
Arrкtez vos montres!
Pour s'йmouvoir, se toucher vraiment
Arrкtez vos montres!
Arrкt total
De ces petites aiguilles infernales
Couchй, debout!
Combien pour arrкter tout
Une pause, une heure, juste une sieste
Pour savourer le temps qui nous reste
Que debout!
C'est dйjа l'heure, rйveillez vous!

Sans ces petites minutes cannibales
Qui rongent le temps et le moral
La vie prendrait le rythme du coeur
Si harmonieusement
Le temps prendrait tout son temps...

Arrкtez vos montres!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Maurane's song Petites Minutes Cannibales implore us to stop and appreciate the present moment, to live in the moment without being ruled by the ticking of the clock. The song is a call to slow down and take pleasure in life's fleeting moments, to enjoy our relationships with others, to cherish our family and children, and to savor the time that we have. The refrain, "Arrкtez vos montres," which means "Stop your watches," is a recurring plea to let go of our obsession with time.

The opening lines of the song, "Siffloter, promener nonchalant" (Whistling, strolling nonchalantly), set the tone of the song, with its leisurely pace and whimsical imagery. The chorus, "Arrкt total/De ces petites minutes cannibales" (Complete stop/From these little cannibalistic minutes), refers to the way that our obsession with productivity and success turns our time into something that devours us, leaving us feeling rushed and anxious. The song imagines a world without this pressure and provides a glimpse into what it would feel like to live in the present moment.

Line by Line Meaning

Siffloter, promener nonchalant
Whistling, strolling aimlessly

Arrкtez vos montres!
Stop your watches!

Conjuguer tout а l'instant prйsent
Conjugate everything in the present moment

Arrкt total
Complete stop

De ces petites minutes cannibales
Of these little cannibal minutes

Bonjour, salut!
Hello, hi!

Les heures passent, on les voit plus
The hours pass, we no longer see them

Oщ trouver l'йclat d'une sagesse
Where to find the brilliance of wisdom

Parmi tant de pressions, tant de stress
Among so many pressures, so much stress

Ca bouscule dans la cohue
It jostles in the crowd

Le temps de voir grandir nos enfants
Time to see our children grow up