El Tango De Roxanne
Moulin_Rouge Lyrics


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Will drive you...
Mad!


Roxanne
You don't have to put on that red light
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right
Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Roxanne
You don't have to sell your body to the night

His eyes upon your face
His hand upon your hand
His lips caress your skin
It's more than I can stand

(Roxanne) Why does my heart cry?
(Roxanne) Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me
And please, believe me when I say I love you

Yo que te quiero tanto, qué voy ha hacer
Me dejaste, me dejaste en un tango
En el alma se me fue
Se me fue el corazon
Ya no tengo ganas de vivir
Porque no te puedo convencer
Que no te vendas Roxanne

(Roxanne) Why does my heart cry?
(You don't have to put on that red light)
(Roxanne) Feelings I can't fight
(You don't have to wear that dress tonight)





Roxanne

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Moulin Rouge's song El Tango De Roxanne revolve around a man's obsessive love for a prostitute named Roxanne. He is tormented by her nightly exploits and her decision to sell her body for money. The man pleads with Roxanne, asking her to stop selling herself, but she refuses to change her ways. The chorus expresses the man's intense emotions, stating that the situation is driving him mad.


The song contains a poignant message about the plight of prostitutes and the men who become obsessed with them, sacrificing their own well-being in the process. The man's internal conflict illustrates the struggle between love and reason, as he is aware that Roxanne is not a virtuous woman, but his love for her is too strong.


The lyrics are accompanied by the intense and dramatic music of the tango, which adds to the emotional impact of the song. The combination of powerful music and heartfelt lyrics creates a moving musical masterpiece that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.


Line by Line Meaning

Roxanne
Addressing the person named Roxanne.


You don't have to put on that red light
You don't have to advertise your availability for sex.


Walk the streets for money
Engaging in prostitution to earn a living.


You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right
You're not concerned about the morality or legality of prostitution.


Roxanne
Addressing the person named Roxanne.


You don't have to wear that dress tonight
You don't have to dress up and act like a prostitute tonight.


Roxanne
Addressing the person named Roxanne.


You don't have to sell your body to the night
You don't have to engage in prostitution tonight.


His eyes upon your face
Referring to a man looking at Roxanne.


His hand upon your hand
Referring to a man touching Roxanne's hand.


His lips caress your skin
Referring to a man kissing Roxanne's skin.


It's more than I can stand
The artist cannot tolerate the sight of another man with Roxanne.


(Roxanne) Why does my heart cry?
Expressing emotional distress caused by Roxanne's actions.


(Roxanne) Feelings I can't fight
Admitting that the singer can't control their feelings for Roxanne.


You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me
Asking Roxanne not to lie or mislead the singer.


And please, believe me when I say I love you
Expressing love for Roxanne.


Yo que te quiero tanto, qué voy ha hacer
Expressing the artist's love for Roxanne.


Me dejaste, me dejaste en un tango
Feeling left behind or abandoned in a difficult situation.


En el alma se me fue
Expressing deep emotional pain.


Se me fue el corazon
Feeling heartbroken.


Ya no tengo ganas de vivir
Expressing feelings of hopelessness and despair.


Porque no te puedo convencer
Expressing frustration at not being able to persuade Roxanne.


Que no te vendas Roxanne
Asking Roxanne not to sell herself through prostitution.


(Roxanne) Why does my heart cry?
Expressing emotional distress caused by Roxanne's actions.


(You don't have to put on that red light)
Reiterating that Roxanne doesn't have to advertise her availability for sex.


(Roxanne) Feelings I can't fight
Admitting that the singer can't control their feelings for Roxanne.


(You don't have to wear that dress tonight)
Reiterating that Roxanne doesn't have to dress up and act like a prostitute tonight.




Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@oliyuprimizhu1326

Moulin rouge is actually based off a french novel “La dame aux camélias”, written by Alexandre Dumas jr. (The bastard son of the guy who wrote The Three Musketeers). The novel itself is based on a true story, on the relationship between Alexandre Dumas jr. and a courtesan named Marie Duplessis, who died at age 23 of a chest disease.

The novel tells the story of Armand Duval, a young man who falls in love with a courtesan, Marguerite. They begin a liaison, with Marguerite being a very famous and sought-after courtesan, and Armand being a young man of modest means. As he can not alone sustain his lover’s lavish expenses, she continues to take clients. It almost drives Armand mad with jealousy, and Marguerite, out of love for him, decides to quit her expensive lifestyle and retire with him to a countryside estate, while he plans to repay her debts with his dead mother’s inheritance. They live peacefully until Armand’s father appears. He writes a letter, asking for Armand to leave Marguerite, but he refuses. Armand’s father then secretly goes to see Marguerite and asks her to leave his son, and explains that if the two of them were to continue their relationship it would ruin Armand, he would be ridiculed and scorned by all, along with their family name and that Armand’s younger sister would never be able to marry the man she loves if her family’s name was tarnished as it would be.

Marguerite then leaves Armand, making him believe she has grown bored and had taken a new lover. Mad with jealousy and devoured by grief, he takes a lover himself as a revenge, behaving coldly and cruelly towards her at every social gatherings where they see each other.

Armand then asks her to come see him, and they end up falling into bed, after Armand mocks, taunts and finally begs her to come back to him, promising he would love and take care of her, no matter what. It’s a very sweet and passionate night. She leaves in the morning, and when he goes to see her in her home, he is informed that she is with one of his clients. In a fit of despairing agony and hate, he sends her some money with a note saying “here is last night’s fee”. After which she leaves for England.

Eventually, he receives a letter from her, where she explains that she has loved him and no other and that she had never betrayed him. It shows her immense devotion and love (one of my favorite lines roughly translated: “Everyday brought a new insult from you, which I received almost as a joy, for it was proof that you loved me still.”) However, the letter also explains that she has an incurable illness, and that she will soon be dead.

Armand rushes back as fast as he can, only to find her already dead, and all of her possession already being auctioned off. He finds letters she wrote him as she was slowly dying, where she shows her love for him, her final days, with bailiffs already emptying her house because of her debts and empty halls as no one would visit a dying courtesan. Her last letters were desperate pleas for him to come see her (“Oh! Come, come, Armand, I’m suffering unbearably, I am going to die, my God.”)

Armand sits through Marguerite’s belongings’ auction where he meets the narrator who bought a book Armand gave to Marguerite, and that Armand would like to buy back. Which results in Armand telling him the whole story.

[Thanks for reading this novel of a comment, I really recommend the book, “la dame aux camélias”:)]



All comments from YouTube:

@castielanne2544

My god Ewan McGregor's voice is an eargasm.

@katyexley8190

I adore him and his voice 😍😍😍😍

@castielanne2544

Yesss me too

@lucreziamilano8350

omg yes...it's a drug

@lucreziamilano8350

+Dena-Alba Alba-Dena he is the one who sing haha search the video where he sings with Robbie williams

@dena-albaalba-dena8923

Lucrezia Milano as long as I remember on the extras of the movie, it says that nicole sings for real but ewan doesn't

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@jennafyt1335

Whoever was playing the violin deserves a grammy

@dikaia8949

Sure, total agreement 👍

@Nitekom

Sounds almost like a voice

@littlezimgirl

I wonder who played it, Feliciano?? Or someone who wished to be anonymous... One may never know 😉

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