Roch Voisine was born in Edmundston, New Brunswick, but grew up in Saint Basile. His parents are Réal Voisine, mayor of Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Québec and a former English teacher, and Zélande Robichaud, a former nurse.
Voisine's musical breakthrough came with his 1989 album Hélène which sold three million copies and became a major hit not only in Quebec but also in France, Belgium and Switzerland. In 1990, Hélène was awarded the Best Album prize at the the Victoires de la Musique, France's version of Grammys. After a highly successful European Tour in 1991, he was awarded France's Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
In 1993, Voisine had his biggest English-language hit to date with the single and album both entitled I'll Always Be There, which he worked on with David Foster.
Over the years, he has continued to alternatively record both French and English-language albums. His French language work and concert tours have continued to enjoy success in Europe (especially France) and Quebec, while his English-language recordings are a frequent mainstay of Canadian Adult Contemporary radio.
Bon Vivant
Roch Voisine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the moment you decided to run
Never wanted to hurt anyone
That much I know
Maybe it′s another part of your plan
That you had to be with some other man
Maybe there is nothing to understand
Maybe we could live it over again
And you′d recover what you had in your hands
But I believe I won't
I believe it's come and gone
Bon Vivant
You let it slip away
Bon Vivant
There is nothing I could say
Love is gone in the melody faded
To that sweet song
Trop de nuits folles, et vides, et vaines
De cendre et d′alcool coulant dans tes veines
Tu ne seras jamais qu′une sirène
Dans mon histoire
Comment ai-je pu à ce point me méprendre
Qu'il m′ait fallu tout ce temps pour apprendre
A voir à travers, tes sentiments éphémères
Bon Vivant, à trop vouloir rester
Bon Vivant, t'as tout laissé tomber
Notre histoire n′est plus qu'une chanson noire
Not a sweet song
Il n′y a ni passion, ni remords
Rien qui ne brûle encore
Il ne reste rien du passé
Bon Vivant, à trop vouloir rester
Bon Vivant, t'as tout laissé tomber
Notre histoire n'est plus qu′une chanson noire
Not a sweet song
Notre histoire n′est plus qu'une chanson noire
Not a sweet song
The song "Bon Vivant" by Roch Voisine narrates how one encounters love, goes through ups and downs, and then, when it is seemingly over, moves on. The lyrics recall the beginning of the relationship as one, but the woman decides to end it by leaving. As the singer contemplates the reasons for the breakup, he realizes that there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He suggests that maybe they would be able to rekindle their love, but the singer has already moved on and does not believe they can.
The title of the song "Bon Vivant" means "good liver" in French, but the lyrics of the song have nothing to do with this meaning. Rather, it is more likely that the song speaks about the lavish lifestyle that the character of Bon Vivant has, which might have been a contributing factor to his failed relationship. The song is melancholic and speaks about the end of a relationship, with the title and the opening lines being ironic, given how the character's life is not necessarily all sunshine and rainbows.
Overall, "Bon Vivant" is a well-written song that captures the complexities of love and relationships. It emphasizes how love often fades away, and how it's no longer the same song - it's not a sweet song that the singer had hoped for.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember how we started as one
I recall the beginning of our relationship, when we were united
And the moment you decided to run
And then you made the choice to leave
Never wanted to hurt anyone
You never intended to cause any pain
That much I know
I am certain of this fact
Maybe it's another part of your plan
Perhaps this was an intentional part of your scheme
That you had to be with some other man
That you had to be with someone else
Maybe there is nothing to understand
Maybe there is no deeper explanation
Baby, I sure don't
But I certainly do not understand
Maybe we could live it over again
Perhaps we could start anew
And you'd recover what you had in your hands
And you would regain what you once held
But I believe I won't
But I do not believe it will happen
I believe it's come and gone
I believe our chance has passed
Bon Vivant
Hedonist
You let it slip away
You allowed it to escape from your grasp
There is nothing I could say
There are no words that could change what has happened
Love is gone in the melody faded
Love has dissipated as the music has dwindled
To that sweet song
To that once beautiful melody
Trop de nuits folles, et vides, et vaines
Too many wild, empty, and futile nights
De cendre et d'alcool coulant dans tes veines
Of ash and alcohol flowing through your veins
Tu ne seras jamais qu'une sirène
You will only ever be a siren
Dans mon histoire
In my story
Comment ai-je pu à ce point me méprendre
How could I have been so mistaken
Qu'il m'ait fallu tout ce temps pour apprendre
That it took me all this time to learn
A voir à travers, tes sentiments éphémères
To see through your fleeting emotions
Bon Vivant, à trop vouloir rester
Hedonist, by trying too hard to stay
Bon Vivant, t'as tout laissé tomber
Hedonist, you dropped everything
Notre histoire n'est plus qu'une chanson noire
Our history is now nothing more than a dark song
Not a sweet song
Definitely not a beautiful song
Il n'y a ni passion, ni remords
There is neither passion nor remorse
Rien qui ne brûle encore
There is nothing still burning
Il ne reste rien du passé
There is nothing left of the past
Notre histoire n'est plus qu'une chanson noire
Our history is now nothing more than a dark song
Not a sweet song
Definitely not a beautiful song
Writer(s): Thomas E. Kimmel, Jennifer K. Kimball
Contributed by Emily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.