Première position
Richard Desjardins Lyrics


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Les radios de la contrée
du vaste ciel
font tourner
la première position.
Le bonheur des filles
a le mouvement
de jupes au vent,
les garçons boivent
depuis la nuit des temps
leur première bière
à la porte de l'hôtel.

Un homme paisible
et sûr de son droit,
citant la bible,
impose sa loi.
Empty gunracks tonight
is the night of the kill.
Un vent âpre assèche son puits
et fait un désert
de son monde
familier et fini.

Une colère lente roule sans bruit
sur la Principale nord.
Le fusil brûle encore.
Personne
ne sait ce qui arrive,
si le sang rougit la terre
ou s'il s'en va aux archives.
Les radios de la contrée
du vaste ciel




font tourner
la première position.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard Desjardins's song "Première position" depict a seemingly idyllic community where happiness is embodied by the movement of girls' skirts in the wind and boys' first beer at the hotel door, driven by the popular "première position" on the local radios. However, the song takes a dark turn as it portrays the arrival of a self-righteous man who imposes his beliefs and rules on the community, citing the Bible as his justification. This man brings division and violence, as an "empty gunrack" foreshadows an impending tragedy that will leave the streets empty and dry, turning his once familiar and finite world into a desert. The anger and frustration brewing beneath the surface of the community finally erupts, and nobody knows whether blood will be shed or if the events will be relegated to history.


The song is a commentary on the conflict between tradition and modernity, where the clash of two opposing worldviews leads to a rupture in the community fabric. The contrast between the carefree happiness of youth and the oppressive authority of the man who represents tradition highlights the struggle to reconcile past beliefs with the changing times. The imagery of the radios perpetuating the "première position" speaks to the power of popular culture to shape beliefs and traditions, even if they are destructive.


Line by Line Meaning

Les radios de la contrée du vaste ciel font tourner la première position.
The radios in the countryside with the vast sky play the most popular song on repeat.


Le bonheur des filles a le mouvement de jupes au vent, les garçons boivent depuis la nuit des temps leur première bière à la porte de l'hôtel.
Girls are happy and twirl their skirts in the wind, while boys have been drinking their first beer at the hotel entrance for ages.


Un homme paisible et sûr de son droit, citant la bible, impose sa loi.
A calm man, confident in his beliefs and quoting the bible, enforces his own laws.


Empty gunracks tonight is the night of the kill. Un vent âpre assèche son puits et fait un désert de son monde familier et fini.
Empty gun racks tonight, it's the night of the kill. A harsh wind dries up his well and turns his familiar and finite world into a desert.


Une colère lente roule sans bruit sur la Principale nord. Le fusil brûle encore.
A slow anger silently boils on North Main. The gun is still burning.


Personne ne sait ce qui arrive, si le sang rougit la terre ou s'il s'en va aux archives.
No one knows what's happening, whether the blood stains the earth or goes to the archives.


Les radios de la contrée du vaste ciel font tourner la première position.
The radios in the countryside with the vast sky play the most popular song on repeat.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: COTE MICHEL X, DESJARDINS RICHARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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