Ballerine
Serge Lama Lyrics

Ballerine, ballerine
Addressing the ballerina and setting the tone of the song

Tu auras vécu ta vie sans tes chaussons
You will have lived your life without your ballet shoes. The ballet shoes symbolize the passion for dancing, which you will have missed in your life

Sans musique, ballerine
Without music, ballerina. Music is an essential part of dancing, and you will have missed it in your life

Entre la chambre et le salon, ballerine
Between the bedroom and the living room, ballerina. You will have spent your life confined to your home without experiencing the world outside or achieving your dreams

Tu auras passé ta vie à tricoter
You will have spent your life knitting, which is a dull and uninspiring way of spending time

Un fil d'Ariane un peu mité
You will have a loosely woven thread of the myth of Ariadne which may guide you at times, but it is frayed and weak

Ballerine, en sourdine
Ballerina in silence. You will have lived your life quietly without any fanfare or applause

Tu n'auras dansé ta vie qu'un seul été
You will have danced your entire life for only one summer season, and the rest of your life will have been dull and unremarkable

Taille fine, en bottines
Slim-waisted, in ankle boots. You will have been attractive, but you will not have lived up to your full potential or realized your dreams

Entraînée par ton cavalier
Trained by your dancer partner, who will not have allowed you to express yourself freely

Dans un univers banlieusard
In a suburban universe, far from the excitement and cultural scene of city life

C'est dur de faire de grands écarts
It's hard to achieve big things when you're stuck in a small environment with limited opportunities

Ballerine, ballerine
Ballerina, once again

Tu auras dansé ta vie sabots pointus
You will have danced your life in pointed shoes, which are not as graceful or elegant as ballet shoes

Anonyme, ballerine
Anonymous, ballerina. You will have lived your life without recognition, appreciation, or fame

Au fil de l'eau du temps perdu
Over time, you will have lost track of your life and your dreams, which will have slipped away from your grasp

Le Lac des Cygnes a bu ta vie, D'Ophélie
Swan Lake and Ophelia have consumed your life. The first refers to a ballet, which you would have missed the opportunity to dance, and the second is a character from a play who goes mad and drowns

Ballerine, sans vitrine
Ballerina without a shop window. You will have lived without an audience or anyone to appreciate your talents

Tu te dis qu'au fond C'était ça ton destin
You tell yourself deep down that this was your destiny, to live an unremarkable and unfulfilled life

Naphtaline et cuisine
Mothballs and cooking. You will have spent your life in mundane and ordinary activities

Plutôt que les pointes sur Chopin
Instead of dancing ballet to Chopin's music, something that would have brought you joy but which you never did

Au fond tu ne regrettes rien
Deep down, you don't regret anything, even though your life has been unfulfilled and unremarkable

Y a même des soirs où tu es bien
There are even some evenings where you feel content and at peace with your life, despite everything

Ballerine, ma frangine
Ballerina, my sister

Certains soirs tu prends ta tête dans tes mains
Some evenings, you put your head in your hands and regret the missed opportunities in your life

Aspirine, mauvaise mine
Aspirin and a bad look on your face. You will have frequent headaches and a tired and worn look as your life saps your energy and enthusiasm

Tu te couches et le docteur vient
You go to bed, and the doctor comes to see you, an indication of your frailty and declining health

Et le docteur il appelle ça Crise de foie
And the doctor calls it a liver crisis, a humorous reference to the idea that you have lived an unhealthy life that has taken its toll

Ballerine, sœur chagrine
Ballerina, sad sister

Je me dis qu'au fond je te ressemble un peu
I tell myself that deep down I resemble you a little, that I too have unfulfilled dreams and lost opportunities

Ballerine, ma copine
Ballerina, my friend

Vu qu'on ne fait jamais ce qu'on veut
Since we never do what we want, we resort to pretending to others and ourselves that we are happy and content with our lives

Autant faire croire aux malheureux
We might as well make the unhappy believe that we are happy, instead of facing the reality that we have missed out on so much

Que l'on est heureux
That we are happy. A plea for self-deception for the sake of those around us and avoiding facing the harsh truth of our lives

Alors danse en cadence
So dance in rhythm. A final exhortation to the ballerina to enjoy the little moments of happiness and joy that life might still offer

Mène-moi en vacances
Take me on vacation. An expression of longing for escapes from the dullness and monotony of everyday life

Ballerine.
Ballerina, the last mention of her in the song