Offenbach… Read Full Bio ↴[see Jacques Offenbach for the French classical composer]
Offenbach is a Canadian blues rock band formed in Quebec in 1969 by Gerry Boulet, Michael Lamonthe, Jr., and Wezo. The band signed with the independent Barclay label in 1972 and released the French album Offenbach Soap Opera. Four years later, A&M provided a record deal and released the band's self-titled album in 1977. Also released that year was Never Too Tender and another self-titled LP. Lamonthe and Wezo left around that time and were replaced by Pierre Lavoie and Norman Kerr (though Kerr left soon after). In 1979, Offenbach recorded Traversion and added more new members, Breen LeBoeuf and John McVale. Four more studio albums followed — En Fusion (1980), Tonnedebrick (1983), Live a Fond D'Train (1984) and Rockorama (1985) — before the band split up in 1986. Recorded live in Montreal, the Offenbach album, Le Dernier Show, appeared in 1986. Gerry Boulet recorded two solo albums, Presque 40s in 1984 and Rendezvous Doux in 1988.
n 1996, McGale, Gravel and Leboeuf reunited as Offenbach Inc. for a reunion tour. Due to Boulet's death, they selected Martin Deschamps, who had recently won Quebec's L'Empire des futures stars competition, as the band's new vocalist. They toured extensively for two years, and released a greatest hits compilation in 1999. A second volume of hits followed in 2002.
In 2005, the band released Nature, which consisted of acoustic versions of their classic hits. It also includes one new song "L'amour est cruel" (Love is cruel). The music was written by Gravel in the 1980s and the words were later added by Deschamps. A concert at Montrteal's Bell Center on April 1, 2005, marked the 25th anniversary of Offenbach's first Forum show.
In 2018, Offenbach released Renaissance the first disc of new material in 33 years.
Ayoye
Offenbach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
À mon coeur d'animal
L'immigré de l'intérieur
Tu m'provoques des douleurs
Tu m'fais mal au cœur
Nous ne sommes pas pareils
Et pis pourtant on s'émerveille
À la même lune
Aux mêmes coutumes
Nous retournerons ensemble
Comme cendres
Au même soleil
Si le vent frappe à ma porte
Pour m'annoncer le réveillon
Je partirai comme marmotte
Au soleil à ses premiers rayons
Parmi les roseaux
Cueillir l'oiseau du paradis
À goût de grelots
À son de whisky
Chanter la toune
Comme papillon qui tourne
Ayoye tu m'fais mal
À mon coeur d'animal
The lyrics to Offenbach’s song Ayoye speak to the pain and suffering of a complicated, tumultuous love. The words, “Ayoye tu m’fais mal” (ouch, you’re hurting me) highlight the physical and emotional pain that the singer is feeling as a result of being in love with someone who is different from him. He describes himself as an “immigré de l’intérieur” (an immigrant from the inside), underscoring the fact that while he may look like everyone else on the outside, he feels like an outsider on the inside. Despite the ways in which they are different, the singer and his love interest are brought together by a shared sense of wonder and awe at the world around them, which they express by referencing the springtime, the moon, and their shared customs. They envision a future in which they will return to the earth as a shared legacy, becoming one with the same sun after everything else has turned to ashes.
The final verse of the song speaks to the singer’s desire to escape his pain by retreating into nature. He imagines himself leaving his home on the first day of spring to bask in the sun’s early rays, exploring the natural world and encountering “l’oiseau du paradis” (the bird of paradise) with its tinkling bells and whisky-like song. His heart may be hurting, but he finds solace in the beauty of the world around him.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayoye tu m'fais mal
Oh my, you're hurting me
À mon coeur d'animal
In my animal heart
L'immigré de l'intérieur
The immigrant from within
Tu m'provoques des douleurs
You cause me pain
Tu m'fais mal au cœur
You hurt my heart
Nous ne sommes pas pareils
We are not the same
Et pis pourtant on s'émerveille
Yet we marvel together
Au même printemps
In the same spring
À la même lune
During the same moon
Aux mêmes coutumes
With the same customs
Nous retournerons ensemble
We will return together
Comme cendres
Like ashes
Au même soleil
To the same sun
Si le vent frappe à ma porte
If the wind knocks on my door
Pour m'annoncer le réveillon
To announce the arrival of spring
Je partirai comme marmotte
I'll leave like a groundhog
Au soleil à ses premiers rayons
To the sun's first rays
Parmi les roseaux
Among the reeds
Cueillir l'oiseau du paradis
To capture the bird of paradise
À goût de grelots
Tasting like bells
À son de whisky
To the sound of whiskey
Chanter la toune
Sing the tune
Comme papillon qui tourne
Like a butterfly that spins
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Évangeline/APEM, Intermède Musique Intl
Written by: Andre St-Denis, Gerald Boulet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@izahgodard9189
Quelle fierté québécoise ce génial Gerry! Sa voix déchirante nous fait encore écho; sa poésie est magnifique; merci 🙏 merci et merci. Les musiciens sont hyperdoués. Oui c un groupe mythique, je suis fière d’être québécoise ❤❤❤
@paulrobert7627
Un chanteur Québécois d'aucune comparaison qui a émerveillé nos coeurs. Il ne sera jamais remplacer par aucun autre artiste de cette nature.
@GuillaumeLachance-pc8jk
Xere
@nadiaroussel5689
Il est plus grand que nature
@SoniaProteau-cj6tk
😂😂😂😂😂 Gerry 🎉😊 🎉❤
@claudeleduc2008
Même 33 ans son départ...il est encore dans une classe à part...
@obscurewoods9010
Maudit crisse que c'est bon, tellement excellent et émotif..je t'adore Gerry, ta voix, ta musique, ta poésie! merci bcp😘🥺
@sylviodoucet7712
comme acadien nous ne connaisons pas trop la music quebecise trop d`influence americaine mais je suis content d`avoir connu Jerry pi les boys.....ca m`a marquer pour la vie!!
@noelleblanc4473
Johnny Gravel, un grand guitariste. Tes solos sont parmi les meilleurs au monde.
@carolefleury
R.I.P. John McGale. You were great, you will be missed and never forgotten...