Robert Charlebois (born June 25, 1944) is a Canadian author, composer, musi… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Charlebois (born June 25, 1944) is a Canadian author, composer, musician, performer and actor. He is an important figure in French language song.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, amongst his best known songs are Lindberg and Je reviendrai à Montréal. His lyrics, often written in joual, are funny with plays on words.
He is also well-known in France since the '70s.

In 1999, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Insomnie
Robert Charlebois Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je suis assis dans mon fauteuil
Et je ne peux pas fermer l'oeil
Toi sur le bateau de ton lit
Tu es partie changer la vie

Demain encore il fera jour
Et les passants chacun leur tour
Repasseront dans les ornières

Qu'ils ont creusées dans la poussière

Demain, demain vieux comme hier
Demain plus vieux comme moi
Demain, demain plus vieux qu'hier
Demain vieux comme moi

Il est deux heures après minuit
J'ai soin de ne pas faire de bruit
Il ne faut pas faire de sauts
Aux avions de ton repos

Demain il refera soleil
Et nous reverrons nos pareils
Passer chacun de leur côté
Dans des couloirs numérotés

Demain, demain vieux comme hier
Demain plus vieux comme moi

Demain, demain plus vieux qu'hier
Demain vieux comme moi

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Robert Charlebois's song Insomnie describe the night of someone who can not sleep, while their partner has left to "change their life" on a boat-like bed. The main character is left alone, sitting on a chair and unable to close their eyes. The song describes a sense of restlessness, as the character contemplates the fact that tomorrow they will wake up to another day, with people going about their business, walking along familiar paths that they have carved in the dust.

The song paints a picture of the human condition, where people go through a monotonous cycle of days, aging with each one that passes. The character can not help but compare themselves to others, seeing everyone as the same, walking on the same path. The song implies that life has a predetermined path and that it is hard to break free from it. The song's mood is melancholic and has a sense of surrender to the idea of routine and monotony.

Line by Line Meaning

Je suis assis dans mon fauteuil
I am seated in my armchair

Et je ne peux pas fermer l'oeil
And I cannot close my eyes

Toi sur le bateau de ton lit
You on the boat of your bed

Tu es partie changer la vie
You left to change your life

Demain encore il fera jour
Tomorrow, it will be daylight again

Et les passants chacun leur tour
And the passersby, each in turn

Repasseront dans les ornières
Will pass again in the ruts

Qu'ils ont creusées dans la poussière
That they have dug in the dust

Demain, demain vieux comme hier
Tomorrow, tomorrow old like yesterday

Demain plus vieux comme moi
Tomorrow, older like me

Demain, demain plus vieux qu'hier
Tomorrow, tomorrow older than yesterday