Brest
Miossec Lyrics

The song "Brest" by Miossec is a melancholic reflection of leaving the city of Brest and the memories associated with it. The opening lines, "Est-ce que désormais tu me détestes/D'avoir pu un jour quitter Brest" (Do you hate me now/For having left Brest one day), suggest a sense of regret for having left behind a place that was once significant to the singer. The mention of the port and the wind in Avenue Jean Jaurès evoke memories of a time when they were younger and carefree, a time when they could have savored the remnants of their youth even in the midst of a rain shower.

The refrain of the song, "Tonnerre, tonnerre, tonnerre de Brest" (Thunder, thunder, thunder of Brest), emphasizes the singer's longing for the city and the desire for the rain to stop, which suggests a desire for the feeling of being able to return without being bothered by negative memories. The second stanza describes how certain places, such as the Recouvrance and Rue de Siam, no longer hold the same appeal as before; it's not out of rudeness but simply the passage of time and weariness from past memories.

The final stanza's opening line, "Ceci n'est pas un manifeste" (This is not a manifesto), reads like an apology for leaving Brest behind and moving on with their life. The singer acknowledges that it was necessary to leave, questioning whether there was a need to protect themselves by--in a sense--leaving their past behind. The song concludes with a meditative question "Est-ce qu'aujourd'hui au moins quelqu'un te berce?" (Does anyone rock you to sleep nowadays at least?), which brings a sense that while the memories of the past may remain, life moved on and the singer has found comfort in new people and places.