[see Jacques Offenbach for the French classical composer]

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.

Femme qui s'en va
Offenbach Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Si j'te parle sur la rue
Vas-tu marcher plus vite?
Si j'dis "comment vas-tu"
Vas-tu m'prendre au sérieux?
Comment j'fais
Pour pouvoir te connaître?
Comment j'fais
Sans qu'tu t'sentes achalée?

J'ai passé l'âge
D'raconter des histoires
J'ai passé l'âge
D'faire semblant qu'on s'connaît
J'en ai assez
Des détours en paroles
J'en ai assez
On pourrait s'en passer...

Femme qui s'en va!

Si j'te parle sur la rue
Tu vas-tu m'écouter?
Si j'te parle
Toi là-bas qui s'éloigne...
Mais qu'est-ce que j'fais
Planté là sur l'asphalte?
Qu'est-ce que j'fais
Attends-moi j'te rattrape!

Femme qui s'en va!

Overall Meaning

Offenbach's song "Femme qui s'en va" speaks about a man who is trying to communicate with a woman who is walking away from him. He wonders if she will walk faster if he tries to approach her on the street and if she will take him seriously if he asks how she is doing. The man is interested in getting to know the woman, but he does not want her to feel bothered by his attempts to talk to her. He is tired of pretending to know people and wants to have genuine conversations.

As the song develops, the man realizes that he cannot catch up to the woman and she is slipping away from him. He takes a step back and wonders what he is doing standing alone on the street, waiting for someone who is not interested in him. The phrase "Femme qui s'en va" represents the woman who is walking away from him, and the man is left alone with his thoughts.

Line by Line Meaning

Si j'te parle sur la rue
If I speak to you on the street

Vas-tu marcher plus vite?
Will you walk faster?

Si j'dis 'comment vas-tu'
If I say 'how are you'

Vas-tu m'prendre au sérieux?
Will you take me seriously?

Comment j'fais
How do I do

Pour pouvoir te connaître?
To get to know you?

Comment j'fais
How do I do

Sans qu'tu t'sentes achalée?
Without you feeling bothered?

J'ai passé l'âge
I am too old

D'raconter des histoires
To tell stories

J'ai passé l'âge
I am too old