Les vacances au bord de la mer
Stacey Kent Lyrics


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On allait au bord de la mer
Avec mon père, ma sœur, ma mère
On regardait les autres gens
Comme ils dépensaient leur argent
Nous, il fallait faire attention
Quand on avait payé
Le prix d'une location
Il ne nous restait pas grand-chose

Alors on regardait les bateaux
On suçait des glaces à l'eau
Les palaces, les restaurants
On n' faisait que passer d'vant
Et on regardait les bateaux
Le matin on s' réveillait tôt
Sur la plage, pendant des heures
On prenait de belles couleurs

On allait au bord de la mer
Avec mon père, ma sœur, ma mère
Et quand les vagues étaient tranquilles
On passait la journée aux îles
Sauf quand on pouvait déjà plus

Alors on regardait les bateaux
On suçait des glaces à l'eau




On avait l' cœur un peu gros
Mais c'était quand même beau.

Overall Meaning

The song "Les vacances au bord de la mer" by Stacey Kent narrates the childhood memories of the singer spent by the sea with her family. The first stanza depicts the singer's family as not being affluent and forced to be careful with their expenses during their vacations. They could only afford to watch the other people around them spend their money. Despite the financial difficulties, they were excited about their annual vacation, and the sight of boats and indulging in ice cream kept them entertained.


The second stanza maintains the same sentiment and includes the family's morning ritual waking up early to spend the entire day basking in the sun and lazing around in the sand. The third stanza describes their boat rides out into the sea and visiting nearby islands. The last two lines of this stanza suggest that the family's financial limitations would cut these trips short, but they would still enjoy themselves.


Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of a working-class family's experience during their summer vacations. Although they couldn't afford the luxuries that were available around them, they enjoyed and cherished what they could afford.


Line by Line Meaning

On allait au bord de la mer
We used to go to the seaside


Avec mon père, ma sœur, ma mère
With my father, my sister, my mother


On regardait les autres gens
We looked at other people


Comme ils dépensaient leur argent
How they were spending their money


Nous, il fallait faire attention
We had to be careful


Quand on avait payé
When we had paid


Le prix d'une location
The cost of a rental


Il ne nous restait pas grand-chose
We didn't have much left


Alors on regardait les bateaux
So we looked at the boats


On suçait des glaces à l'eau
We sucked on water ice lollies


Les palaces, les restaurants
The luxury hotels, the restaurants


On n' faisait que passer d'vant
We just passed by


Le matin on s' réveillait tôt
In the morning we woke up early


Sur la plage, pendant des heures
On the beach, for hours


On prenait de belles couleurs
We got a nice tan


Et quand les vagues étaient tranquilles
And when the waves were calm


On passait la journée aux îles
We spent the day on the islands


Sauf quand on pouvait déjà plus
Except when we couldn't do anymore


On avait l' cœur un peu gros
We felt a bit sad


Mais c'était quand même beau.
But it was still beautiful.




Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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