Je te rends ton amour
Mylène Farmer Lyrics

The lyrics of Mylène Farmer's "Je te rends ton amour" are a powerful expression of loss and betrayal, couched in metaphorical references to the world of art. In the song, the singer is struggling to extricate herself from a stifling and unhappy existence, represented by the "cadre" or frame. She dreams of something better, represented by the "âtre" or hearth, and sees the possibility of escape through the figure of the lover, who is also among the "inconnus" or strangers. However, this dream is not to be, as the lover has chosen someone else, represented by the artist Gaugin. The singer is left feeling exploited and compromised, forced to sell herself as "un nu de maître" or a masterpiece nude. The chorus, "Je te rends ton amour," then becomes a poignant plea to let go of this love, to return it to its rightful owner, and to reclaim her own identity and artistic vision through the influence of the master Egon Schiele.

The lyrics of "Je te rends ton amour" are remarkable for their rich and subtle references to the world of art, literature, and symbolism. The figure of Gaugin, for example, is not simply a historical artist, but represents the lover's choice of someone else, someone more exotic and unconventional. The mention of "toile" or canvas, "fibre" or thread, and "meurtrissures" or bruises, evoke both the process of creating art and the pain of being subject to it. The image of the "nu de maître" or masterpiece nude, references the long tradition of female objectification in art and hints at the singer's own experience of being exploited and commodified. Finally, the mention of Egon Schiele, an Austrian painter known for his raw and expressive style and his tragic personal life, becomes a symbol of the singer's journey towards a more authentic and independent self.