Although Bruel aspired to be a football star as a youth, he decided to pursue singing after seeing Michel Sardou in 1975. His first success came as an actor, however, in 1979's Le Coup de sirocco. He continued acting in films, on television and in the theater while pursuing his singing career. His first single, "Vide" ("Empty"), released in 1982, was not a success, but the follow up, "Marre de cette nana-là" ("Fed up with that chick"), was a hit.
In 2003, he had his last name officially changed to Bruel-Benguigui, his stage name with his birthname, before his partner Amanda Maruani gave birth to his first child, Oscar, on August 19. On September 21, 2004, he wed the 24-year-old Maruani; it is his first marriage. His second child, Léon Bruel was born on the 28th September, 2005.
As of 2004 Bruel has acted in more than 40 different television and film productions and made five studio albums and several live albums. His last album to date is Entre Deux (2002), a double CD of classic chanson that features duets with Charles Aznavour, Jean-Louis Aubert, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Souchon and Renaud, among others. It sold two million copies and made Bruel France's best paid singer of the year. At the beginning of 2005, in response to the South Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004, Bruel wrote the song "Et puis la terre" to benefit the Red Cross.
Pour Exister
Patrick Bruel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A regarder des gens au sourire phmre.
J'ai pass tellement de nuits courir derrire tout,
A courir vers ma vie, pour pas devenir fou,
A croiser des destins faits de haine et d'ennui,
De larmes verses pour rien, au milieu de mes nuits.
J'ai peut-etre jou ma vie sous de droles de lumires
Mais j'ai toujours pens que le plus beau reste faire
Et pour gagner
Toutes les batailles que le temps me force jouer
Et pour tenir
Malgr le pire,
Les poings tendus, sans rien dire, apprendre souffrir.
J'ai cherch comprendre quand on ne me disait rien,
Oblig de me dfendre quand tout allait trop loin.
Il m'a fallu tomber de si haut quelques fois
Pour comprendre que les autres ne savent jamais pour toi.
On a tout dit sur moi, meme des vrits.
J'ai dfi toutes leurs lois, mais je n'ai pu viter
Ces sourires qui allaient souvent jusqu' faire peur
Mais qui ont fait de moi le plus fou des acteurs.
Pour exister
Et pour gagner
Toutes les batailles que le temps me force jouer
Et pour tenir
Malgr le pire
Les poings tendus, sans rien dire, apprendre souffrir...
Pour exister.
J'ai pass tellement d'heures me demander pourquoi
Mes plus belles erreurs taient toujours pour toi.
Je vois bien dans tes yeux que tu es dj partie.
Tu ne m'coutes plus. Je continue ma vie.
Pour exister, pour exister,
Pour exister, pour exister,
Pour exister
Et pour gagner
Toutes les batailles que le temps me force jouer
Et pour tenir
Malgr le pire
Les poings tendus, sans rien dire, apprendre souffrir
Pour exister...
The lyrics to Patrick Bruel's song Pour exister speak of a journey of self-discovery and perseverance through hardship. The singer reflects on the past, observing people with fleeting smiles and spending nights chasing after something that will bring meaning to their life, hoping not to become crazy in the process. They have crossed paths with destinies that are full of hate and boredom, shedding tears in vain in the middle of their lonely nights. The singer may have played their life under peculiar lights but has always thought that the most beautiful thing is yet to come. "To exist, and to win all the battles that time forces me to play. And to hold on, despite the worst. With fists clenched and without saying anything, to learn how to suffer," says the chorus.
The singer has tried to understand when no one has told them anything, compelled to defend themselves when everything went too far. They have fallen from grace only to discover that others never understand your pain. They have defied laws, faced truths, and received smiles that were often too intimidating, but they realized that it is what made them the craziest actors of them all. Through it all, they learned that existing is a constant battle against time, striving to win even when faced with grim circumstances. The song ends on a reflective note where the singer realizes that some of their most beautiful mistakes were always for the people they lost, leaving them to continue with their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai passé tellement de temps regarder en arrire,
I've spent so much time looking back,
A regarder des gens au sourire phmre.
Looking at people with fleeting smiles.
J'ai pass tellement de nuits courir derrire tout,
I've spent so many nights running after everything,
A courir vers ma vie, pour pas devenir fou,
Running towards my life, so as not to go crazy,
A croiser des destins faits de haine et d'ennui,
Meeting fates made of hatred and boredom,
De larmes verses pour rien, au milieu de mes nuits.
Tears shed for nothing, in the middle of my nights.
J'ai peut-etre jou ma vie sous de droles de lumires
Maybe I've lived my life in strange lights,
Mais j'ai toujours pens que le plus beau reste faire
But I've always thought that the most beautiful things are yet to come,
Pour exister
To exist,
Et pour gagner
And to win
Toutes les batailles que le temps me force jouer
All the battles that time forces me to play
Et pour tenir
And to hold on
Malgr le pire,
Despite the worst,
Les poings tendus, sans rien dire, apprendre souffrir.
Fists clenched, saying nothing, learning to suffer.
J'ai cherch comprendre quand on ne me disait rien,
I tried to understand when no one would tell me anything,
Oblig de me dfendre quand tout allait trop loin.
Forced to defend myself when things went too far.
Il m'a fallu tomber de si haut quelques fois
I had to fall from such a high place a few times,
Pour comprendre que les autres ne savent jamais pour toi.
To understand that others never really know about you.
On a tout dit sur moi, meme des vrits.
Everything has been said about me, even some truths.
J'ai dfi toutes leurs lois, mais je n'ai pu viter
I defied all their laws, but I couldn't avoid
Ces sourires qui allaient souvent jusqu' faire peur
These smiles that often went as far as frightening me,
Mais qui ont fait de moi le plus fou des acteurs.
But that made me the craziest of actors.
J'ai pass tellement d'heures me demander pourquoi
I've spent so many hours wondering why
Mes plus belles erreurs taient toujours pour toi.
My most beautiful mistakes were always for you.
Je vois bien dans tes yeux que tu es dj partie.
I can see in your eyes that you've already left.
Tu ne m'coutes plus. Je continue ma vie.
You're not listening to me anymore. I'll keep living my life.
Pour exister, pour exister,
To exist, to exist,
Pour exister
To exist
Et pour gagner
And to win
Toutes les batailles que le temps me force jouer
All the battles that time forces me to play
Et pour tenir
And to hold on
Malgr le pire
Despite the worst
Les poings tendus, sans rien dire, apprendre souffrir
Fists clenched, saying nothing, learning to suffer
Pour exister...
To exist...
Contributed by Noah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.