Comment te dire adieu
Serge Gainsbourg & Francoise Hardy Lyrics

The lyrics to Comment te dire adieu by Serge Gainsbourg and Francoise Hardy explore the difficulty of saying goodbye to a past love. The singer expresses their desire to avoid any negative reflexes or reactions as they try to understand the reasons for the end of their relationship. The lyrics suggest a willingness to accept the situation and move on, but also a hesitancy to let go without a proper explanation or understanding. The imagery of the heart made of silex (flint) and the heart made of pyrex (heat-resistant glass) creates a metaphor for the differing reactions to the breakup, with the singer's heart quickly catching fire while their past lover's heart remains strong and unaffected.

The song's chorus repeats the title phrase, "Comment te dire adieu" (How to say goodbye to you), emphasizing the struggle to find the right words to express their feelings. The singer acknowledges that a past love may not have much chance for reconciliation, but still desires an explanation to help come to terms with the end of the relationship. The use of a Kleenex as a symbolic barrier for the singer's tears suggests a desire to maintain a sense of dignity in the face of heartbreak.

Overall, Comment te dire adieu captures the complex emotions of a breakup - the desire for closure, the struggle to let go, and the difficulty of finding words to express those feelings.