After relocating to Paris, Oldelaf joined the band Les Petits Humains ('The Little Humans') in 1997. They played several live concert and recorded two albums that were not available commercially but appeared on the band's website. In June 2003, the band folded.
Between 2000 and 2010, Oldelaf formed the band Oldelaf et Monsieur D together with comedian Frédéric Draps. In March 2003, Oldelaf joined Les Fatals Picards as guitarist for the album 'Picardia Independenza'.
In 2010, Oldelaf surrounded himself with four musicians and started his proper solo career. New songs and some old mingled in a colorful live set. Oldelaf and his musicians tour all over France and also participate in festivals in Belgium and France. The debut album 'Le Monde Est Beau' ('The World Is Beautiful') is released in 2010.
In 2013, Oldelaf records a new album 'Dimanche', released in January 2014. To finance this album, he uses crowdfunding like he did before for his music videos. A tour of more than 100 dates accompanies the release of 'Dimanche' and reaches its apotheosis during a concert at the Zenith in Paris on 29 November 2014, which is recorded and made available on DVD in April 2016.
Also, in 2014 performs a cover version of Babooshka with a heavy French accent as part of a series of 'Les Reprises d’Oldelaf', which appears on YouTube.
Les Filles qui s'appellent Valérie
Oldelaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sont nées sous Georges Pompidou
Leurs parents étaient si sexy
Tailleur marron et sous-pull roux
Elles ont coulé des jours jolis
Entre la maison et l’école
Elles rêvaient juste d’être Candy
A l’heure de la crise du pétrole
Elles étaient belles
Le savaient-elles
C’était pas vraiment leur souci
Perdues dans leur si grande envie
De voir le monde
Où se confondent
Au travers des films super-huit
Les couleurs d’après 68
Les filles qui s’appellent Valérie
Devinrent pour moi les grandes sœurs
Qui se fichaient de Platini
Et à qui le bac faisait peur
Bien-sûr j’étais amoureux d’elles
Et bien-sûr elles le voyaient pas
Rêvaient de Tom Cruise dans « Cocktail »
En écoutant Marcia Baïla
Elles étaient belles
Le savaient-elles
Ca devenait leur grand souci
Mais n’altérait pas leur envie
D’ouvrir leurs ailes
Sans être celles
Considérées à la va-vite
Comme héritières de 68
Instru
Les filles qui s’appellent Valérie
Aujourd’hui, elles ont quarante ans
Elles ont trois gosses et un mari
Qui travaille plus mais gagne autant
Elles ont perdu quelques espoirs
Et ont gagné quelques kilos
Elles aiment en parler le samedi soir
Avec les copines du boulot
Mais elles sont belles
C’est ce qu’on attend d’elles
Tous les matins elles s’en soucient
Pour faire plaisir à leur mari
Doivent être mère
Et faire carrière
Se prennent à regretter limite
Les conséquences de 68
Les filles qui s’appellent Valérie
Un jour auront 80 ans
Attendront le dimanche midi
Pour manger avec leurs enfants
Elles seront un peu fatiguées
Vu qu’elles n’auront plus de retraite
Elles continueront d’espérer
Bien nostalgiques, leurs rêves tout bêtes
Elles seront belles
Le sauront-elles
Ca ne sera plus leur souci
Elles n’auront plus qu’une seule envie
Fermer leurs ailes
Sans être celles
Considérées à la va-vite
Comme héritières de 68
The song "Les Filles qui s'appellent Valérie" by Oldelaf tells a story about a group of women named Valérie who were born during the time of Georges Pompidou's presidency in France. The lyrics describe these women as having parents who were attractive and stylish, with the mother wearing a brown suit and the father wearing a red undershirt. The Valéries spent their childhood days between home and school, dreaming of being like the character Candy during the oil crisis era.
The song emphasizes the beauty of these Valéries, suggesting that they may not have been aware of it or concerned about it. They were lost in their strong desire to see the world, which was represented by the colors of the Super-8 films that they watched. These films depict the post-1968 era, a time of cultural and political change in France.
As the singer grows up, he sees these Valéries as older sisters who were uninterested in famous football player Michel Platini and scared of the baccalaureate exam. He admits being in love with them, but they did not notice. They dreamed of Tom Cruise in the movie "Cocktail" while listening to the French band Les Rita Mitsouko's song "Marcia Baïla."
As the Valéries reach their forties, they have three children and a husband who works as much but earns the same. They have lost some hopes and gained a few extra pounds. They talk about their lives on Saturday nights with their coworkers. They are expected to be beautiful every day to please their husbands and balance motherhood and careers. The song implies that they regret the consequences of the social changes brought about during the events of 1968.
In the end, when the Valéries are old and waiting to have lunch with their children on Sundays, they will be tired, as they will not have pensions. They will continue to hope, feeling nostalgic for their once simple dreams. The song concludes by expressing a longing for these Valéries to be seen not as mere heirs of a particular era in history but as individuals with their own unique experiences and stories.
Line by Line Meaning
Les filles qui s’appellent Valérie
The girls named Valérie
Sont nées sous Georges Pompidou
Were born during the presidency of Georges Pompidou
Leurs parents étaient si sexy
Their parents were so attractive
Tailleur marron et sous-pull roux
Wearing brown suits and red turtlenecks
Elles ont coulé des jours jolis
They spent beautiful days
Entre la maison et l’école
Between home and school
Elles rêvaient juste d’être Candy
They dreamed of being like Candy
A l’heure de la crise du pétrole
During the oil crisis
Elles étaient belles
They were beautiful
Le savaient-elles
Did they know it
C’était pas vraiment leur souci
It wasn't really their concern
Perdues dans leur si grande envie
Lost in their great desire
De voir le monde
To see the world
Où se confondent
Where blend together
Au travers des films super-huit
Through Super 8 films
Les couleurs d’après 68
The colors of the post-'68 era
Devinrent pour moi les grandes sœurs
Became the big sisters for me
Qui se fichaient de Platini
Who didn't care about Platini
Et à qui le bac faisait peur
And who were afraid of the baccalaureate
Bien-sûr j’étais amoureux d’elles
Of course, I was in love with them
Et bien-sûr elles le voyaient pas
And of course they didn't see it
Rêvaient de Tom Cruise dans « Cocktail »
Dreamed of Tom Cruise in 'Cocktail'
En écoutant Marcia Baïla
While listening to Marcia Baïla
Ca devenait leur grand souci
It became their great concern
Mais n’altérait pas leur envie
But didn't diminish their desire
D’ouvrir leurs ailes
To spread their wings
Sans être celles
Without being the ones
Considérées à la va-vite
Considered hastily
Comme héritières de 68
As heirs of '68
Aujourd’hui, elles ont quarante ans
Today, they are forty years old
Elles ont trois gosses et un mari
They have three kids and a husband
Qui travaille plus mais gagne autant
Who works more but earns the same
Elles ont perdu quelques espoirs
They have lost some hopes
Et ont gagné quelques kilos
And have gained some weight
Elles aiment en parler le samedi soir
They like to talk about it on Saturday night
Avec les copines du boulot
With their work friends
C’est ce qu’on attend d’elles
That's what is expected of them
Tous les matins elles s’en soucient
Every morning they care about it
Pour faire plaisir à leur mari
To please their husband
Doivent être mère
They must be a mother
Et faire carrière
And have a career
Se prennent à regretter limite
They start to regret to some extent
Les conséquences de 68
The consequences of '68
Un jour auront 80 ans
One day they will be 80 years old
Attendront le dimanche midi
They will wait for Sunday lunchtime
Pour manger avec leurs enfants
To eat with their children
Elles seront un peu fatiguées
They will be a little tired
Vu qu’elles n’auront plus de retraite
Since they won't have a retirement
Elles continueront d’espérer
They will continue to hope
Bien nostalgiques, leurs rêves tout bêtes
Nostalgic of their simple dreams
Le sauront-elles
Will they know it
Ca ne sera plus leur souci
It won't be their concern anymore
Elles n’auront plus qu’une seule envie
They will have only one desire
Fermer leurs ailes
To close their wings
Sans être celles
Without being the ones
Considérées à la va-vite
Considered hastily
Comme héritières de 68
As heirs of '68
Lyrics © ROY MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Olivier DELAFOSSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind