Michel Polnareff is one of the French music scene's more unconventional figures. He has a reputation for his wildly non-conformist lifestyle, but also made a name for himself with his legendary melodies.
Qui a tué grand-maman ?
Michel Polnareff Lyrics
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Des fleurs qui poussaient dans son jardin
Le temps a passé, seules restent les penses
Et dans tes mains il ne reste plus rien
Qui a tué grand-maman?
Est-ce le temps
Où les hommes qui n'ont plus l'temps d'passer le temps?
Il y avait du temps de grand-maman
Du silence à écouter
Des branches sur les arbres, des feuilles sur les branches
Des oiseaux sur les feuilles et qui chantaient
Qui a tué grand-maman?
Est-ce le temps
Où les hommes qui n'ont plus l'temps d'passer le temps?
Le bulldozer a tué grand-maman
Et changé ses fleurs en marteaux-piqueurs
Les oiseaux pour chanter ne trouvent que des chantiers
Est-ce pour cela que l'on te pleure?
Qui a tué grand-maman?
Est-ce le temps
Où les hommes qui n'ont plus l'temps d'passer le temps?
The lyrics to Michel Polnareff's song "Qui a tué Grand'maman?" ("Who Killed Grandmother?") tell a story that is both touching and critical of the rapid industrialization and urbanization of France in the post-war period. The song begins by describing the peaceful and natural world that Grandmother inhabited in the past: a world of flowers, quiet and birdsong. But now, all that remains of that world is sadness and the flowers that she once tended.
The refrain of the song asks the question, "Who killed Grandmother?" The answer is provided in the final stanza: it was the bulldozer that destroyed her world, turning flowers into jackhammers and birdsong into the noise of construction. The implication is clear: the greed and impatience of modern industrial society have killed something pure and beautiful.
The song can be viewed as a lament for the loss of traditional French culture and values in the face of rapid industrialization and urbanization. It is a critique of a society that has lost touch with the natural world and replaced it with commercialism and technology. Additionally, It is also a reflection on the impact that these changes have on the elderly and on the value placed on different forms of knowledge and experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Il y avait du temps de grand-maman
During the time of grand-maman's era
Des fleurs qui poussaient dans son jardin
Beautiful flowers used to grow in her garden
Le temps a passé, seules restent les penses
As time passed, only pansies remain
Et dans tes mains il ne reste plus rien
And now you have nothing in your hands
Qui a tué grand-maman?
Who killed grand-maman?
Est-ce le temps
Could it be time itself?
Où les hommes qui n'ont plus l'temps d'passer le temps?
Or is it the men who no longer have time to spend time?
Du silence à écouter
The silence to listen to
Des branches sur les arbres, des feuilles sur les branches
Tree branches with leaves
Des oiseaux sur les feuilles et qui chantaient
Birds on the leaves singing
Le bulldozer a tué grand-maman
The bulldozer killed grand-maman
Et changé ses fleurs en marteaux-piqueurs
And turned her flowers into jackhammers
Les oiseaux pour chanter ne trouvent que des chantiers
Birds can only find construction sites to sing
Est-ce pour cela que l'on te pleure?
Is that why we mourn for you?
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (FRANCE), BMG Rights Management
Written by: Michel Polnareff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind