Les Petits Bateaux
Raphael Lyrics

In Raphaël's song "Les petits bateaux," the singer asks a series of existential questions, seemingly pondering the nature of life and why things happen as they do. He begins by questioning why time seems to both stare us in the face and break us down. He then asks why a person might choose to leave rather than staying together, and why boats on the water have wings. He follows this up by questioning why airplanes can fly higher than birds, and why stars hang suspended in the sky. Throughout each of these inquiries, he repeats the primary refrain of "pourquoi alors" - "why, then" - as if asking for greater insight or understanding.

As the song progresses, Raphaël contemplates why days seem to pass so quickly, why the wind takes everything away (including "the smiles and the children with their little boats") and why clouds seem not to want to stay in one place. The final lines of the song express a desire not to simply go through the motions of life, but to really experience it and avoid the ennui that can come with simply going from one day to the next without really engaging with the world.

Overall, "Les petits bateaux" seems to be a meditation on the fleeting nature of life, the transience of even the most beautiful or seemingly permanent things, and the difficulty of finding meaning in a world full of unanswered questions. Despite these somewhat heavy themes, the song's melody remains upbeat and catchy, creating an interesting dynamic between the lyrics and the music itself.