Pourquoi je chante
Moustaki Georges Lyrics

Georges Moustaki’s song Pourquoi je chante, which translates to "Why I sing," is a reflection on why the artist sings. The first stanza starts with Moustaki confessing that he sings poems that he did not write and "I love you's" that he never uttered. This can be interpreted as him feeling a connection to certain poems that resonate with him and he sings them as his own even though he did not write them. Similarly, he sings about love he has never experienced, perhaps creating music for others that they can feel and relate to.

In the second stanza, he sings about courage that he did not necessarily have and the journeys he has never taken. Perhaps this is a reflection on his life and career - not physically taking journeys but rather musically through his writing and performances. He creates courage through his songs that he may not have possessed in his life. The stanza ends with him singing about the promises he never kept and intoxication he has never experienced. Again, this can be interpreted as his way of creating music that others can relate to without necessarily experiencing it firsthand.

In the final stanza, Moustaki explains that he sings for anyone who wants to listen to him. He creates his own truth through his music - a utopia where he can be whoever he wants to be. Despite it being a figment of his imagination, he puts these ideals into his music in the hopes that it will make a difference to those that listen. The song ends with him singing about hope and finding a way to make it exist even in the darkest of times.