He and his friends formed the country rock ensemble Abbittibbi in the 1970s. Desjardins played piano, guitar, and sang. When the group disbanded in 1982, Desjardins pursued a solo career.
He also found work scoring films, especially documentaries. This involvement in the Quebec film industry even led him to co-direct a number of feature length documentaries. As well as his singing career, he is well known for his environmental activism.
Caroline
Richard Desjardins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dans cette maison perdue
Au bout du monde
Au bout du monde?
Tu es grande et tu t'ennuies
La lune brille dans ton ventre
Caroline, le vois-tu?
Un oiseau tombe
Un oiseau tombe
L'oiseau avait fait son nid
À la fenêtre de ta chambre
Ô Caroline, que fais-tu dans ce château disparu?
Le puits est sec et l'amour est bu
Caroline, tu n'iras plus pleurer dans le jardin
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Tu t'en vas demain
Laisse-la derrière toi
La prière de ton père
À genoux
Sur le prélart
Son souhait ne sera qu'un souhait;
La vierge n’est qu’une image
Laisse-la derrière toi
La chanson de ta mère
Prisonnière
Dans le trou de sa guitare
L'amour est un oiseau qui se tait
Quand on le met en cage
Ô Caroline, que fais-tu dans ce paradis de glace?
Ici la vie n'est plus qu'un songe, qu'une trace
Caroline, tu le vois bien qu'ils ont fermé leurs mains
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Tu t'en vas demain
Prends ta robe et ton bijou
Dis bye bye à ta doudou
L'oiseau t'appelle
L'oiseau t'appelle
Réveille pas le malin, la maline
C'est le moment Caroline
Ô l'escalier qui descend
Vole, vole, ô mon enfant
Ouvre tes ailes
Ouvre tes ailes
Tu jouiras comme jouit l'orpheline
Tu es libre Caroline
Ô Caroline, éteins ta fièvre, le temps est venu
D'aller donner tes lèvres aux lèvres inconnues
Tu es grande et la lune brille dans ton ventre
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Tu t'en vas au loin
The lyrics of Richard Desjardins's song "Caroline" tell the melancholic story of a woman named Caroline who is trapped in a lost house at the end of the world. Caroline is described as being bored and longing for something more. The line "La lune brille dans ton ventre" (The moon shines in your belly) suggests that she is filled with unfulfilled dreams and desires.
The song continues to portray Caroline's isolation and longing for escape. The mention of a bird falling from its nest at her window represents a sense of loss and fragility. The lyrics emphasize the disappearance of the castle and the dry well, symbolizing the fading of love and hope in Caroline's life. The garden, once a place for her tears, is now inaccessible. The repeated line "Caroline, fais de beaux rêves" (Caroline, have beautiful dreams) serves as a bittersweet farewell, hinting at Caroline's upcoming departure and the possibility of finding solace in dreams.
The song further delves into Caroline's past, referencing her father's prayer and her mother's song as mere illusions. The lyrics convey the idea that parental hopes and dreams can sometimes be unattainable and restrictive. Caroline is urged to leave these false ideals behind and embrace her own journey.
The final verses of the song speak of a frozen paradise, where life becomes a mere dream and a trace. The mention of closed hands suggests the lack of openness and generosity in this frozen world. Caroline is encouraged to leave this cold environment and embark on a new adventure, symbolized by the image of an ascending staircase. It is a call to embrace her freedom and discover her true self.
In summary, "Caroline" tells the story of a woman trapped in a desolate place, yearning for something more. The song explores themes of longing, captivity, and the pursuit of personal liberation. It emphasizes the importance of dreams and the need to break free from societal expectations in order to find fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Caroline, que fais-tu
Caroline, what are you doing
Dans cette maison perdue
In this lost house
Au bout du monde
At the end of the world
Au bout du monde?
At the end of the world?
Tu es grande et tu t'ennuies
You are grown up and bored
La lune brille dans ton ventre
The moon shines in your belly
Caroline, le vois-tu?
Caroline, do you see it?
Dans le printemps revenu
In the returned spring
Un oiseau tombe
A bird falls
Un oiseau tombe
A bird falls
L'oiseau avait fait son nid
The bird had made its nest
À la fenêtre de ta chambre
At the window of your room
Ô Caroline, que fais-tu dans ce château disparu?
Oh Caroline, what are you doing in this disappeared castle?
Le puits est sec et l'amour est bu
The well is dry and love is consumed
Caroline, tu n'iras plus pleurer dans le jardin
Caroline, you will no longer cry in the garden
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Tu t'en vas demain
You are leaving tomorrow
Laisse-la derrière toi
Leave her behind
La prière de ton père
Your father's prayer
À genoux
On his knees
Sur le prélart
On the linoleum
Son souhait ne sera qu'un souhait;
His wish will only be a wish
La vierge n’est qu’une image
The virgin is just an image
Laisse-la derrière toi
Leave her behind
La chanson de ta mère
Your mother's song
Prisonnière
Imprisoned
Dans le trou de sa guitare
In the hole of her guitar
L'amour est un oiseau qui se tait
Love is a bird that remains silent
Quand on le met en cage
When it is put in a cage
Ô Caroline, que fais-tu dans ce paradis de glace?
Oh Caroline, what are you doing in this icy paradise?
Ici la vie n'est plus qu'un songe, qu'une trace
Here life is nothing more than a dream, a trace
Caroline, tu le vois bien qu'ils ont fermé leurs mains
Caroline, you see well that they have closed their hands
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Tu t'en vas demain
You are leaving tomorrow
Prends ta robe et ton bijou
Take your dress and your jewel
Dis bye bye à ta doudou
Say bye bye to your security blanket
L'oiseau t'appelle
The bird is calling you
L'oiseau t'appelle
The bird is calling you
Réveille pas le malin, la maline
Don't wake up the smart one
C'est le moment Caroline
It's the moment, Caroline
Ô l'escalier qui descend
Oh, the descending staircase
Vole, vole, ô mon enfant
Fly, fly, oh my child
Ouvre tes ailes
Open your wings
Ouvre tes ailes
Open your wings
Tu jouiras comme jouit l'orpheline
You will enjoy like an orphan enjoys
Tu es libre Caroline
You are free, Caroline
Ô Caroline, éteins ta fièvre, le temps est venu
Oh Caroline, extinguish your fever, the time has come
D'aller donner tes lèvres aux lèvres inconnues
To go give your lips to unknown lips
Tu es grande et la lune brille dans ton ventre
You are grown up and the moon shines in your belly
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Caroline, fais de beaux rêves
Caroline, have beautiful dreams
Tu t'en vas au loin
You are going far away
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard Desjardins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind