Born in Iskretz, Bulgaria, to a Bulgarian-Armenian father and a Hungarian mother, Vartan arrived in France when she was 10. She married the French rocker Johnny Hallyday on April 12, 1965 in Loconville. They have a son, David Hallyday (who is also a singer), born David Michael Benjamin Smet on August 14, 1966. Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan were France's "Golden Couple" of their generation. They divorced on November 4, 1980.
She is currently married to American media mogul Tony Scotti. She is actor Michael Vartan's aunt.
In 2005, Sylvie Vartan was appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal and Child Health in the European Region.
Her European hits include "Panne d'essence" ('Out Of Gas'), "Comme un garçon" ('Like a boy'), "J’ai un problème, je crois bien que je t’aime" ('I have a problem: I really think I love you'), and "La plus belle pour aller danser" ('The most beautiful to go dancing'). She is also rembered for such songs such as "L'amour c'est comme une cigarette" (Love is like a cigarette)
Suzanne
Sylvie Vartan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suzanne t'emmene ecouter les sirenes
Elle te prend par la main
Pour passer une nuit sans fin
Tu sais qu'elle est a moitie folle
C'est pourquoi tu veux rester
Sur un plateau d'argent
Et quand tu voudrais lui dire
Tu n'as pas d'amour pour elle
Elle t'appelle dans ses ondes
Et laisse la mer repondre
Que depuis toujours tu l'aimes
Tu veux rester a ses cotes
Maintenant, tu n'as plus peur
De voyager les yeux fermes
Une flamme brule dans ton cœur
Il etait un pecheur venu sur la terre
Qui a veille tres longtemps
Du haut d'une tour solitaire
Quand il a compris que seuls
Les hommes perdus le voyaient
Il a dit qu'on voguerait
Jusqu'a ce que les vagues nous liberent
Mais lui-meme fut brise
Bien avant que le ciel s'ouvre
Delaisse et presqu'un homme
Il a coule sous votre sagesse
Comme une pierre
Tu veux rester a ses cotes
Maintenant, tu n'as plus peur
De voyager les yeux fermes
Une flamme brule dans ton cœur
Suzanne t'emmene ecouter les sirenes
Elle te prend par la main
Pour passer une nuit sans fin
Comme du miel, le soleil coule
Sur notre dame des pleurs
Elle te montre ou chercher
Parmi les dechets et les fleurs
Dans les algues, il y a des reves
Des enfants au petit matin
Qui se penchent vers l'amour
Ils se penchent comme ça toujours
Et suzanne tient le miroir
Tu veux rester a ses cotes
Maintenant, tu n'as plus peur
De voyager les yeux fermes
Une blessure etrange dans ton cœur
In "Suzanne" by Sylvie Vartan, the singer speaks of a woman named Suzanne who takes the singer to hear the sirens. Suzanne takes the singer by the hand to spend a night without end. The singer knows that Suzanne is halfway crazy, but the singer wants to be with her. Suzanne serves the singer jasmine tea and when the singer would like to tell her that they do not love her, Suzanne calls to the singer through the waves of the sea and lets the sea respond by saying that the singer has always loved her.
The song then turns to the story of a fisherman who came to the earth and watched for a very long time from the top of a solitary tower. When he realized that only lost people saw him, he said that they would sail until the waves freed them. But the fisherman himself was broken long before the sky opened, abandoned and almost a man, he sank under their wisdom like a stone. The song ends with Suzanne showing the singer where to look for love and dreams among the waste and flowers. Suzanne holds the mirror, and the singer now wants to stay by her side.
The song seems to be about escapism, living in a dream-like state, and being with someone you know is not quite stable. The sirens could represent a call to leave reality behind, and the jasmine tea could represent a sweet escape from reality. The fisherman's story could be about wanting to leave everything behind and find freedom. Overall, the song speaks to the desire to be in a world that is not the real one.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzanne t'emmene ecouter les sirenes
Suzanne takes you to listen to the sirens
Elle te prend par la main
She takes you by the hand
Pour passer une nuit sans fin
To spend a never-ending night
Tu sais qu'elle est a moitie folle
You know she's half crazy
C'est pourquoi tu veux rester
That's why you want to stay
Sur un plateau d'argent
On a silver plate
Elle te sert du the au jasmin
She serves you jasmine tea
Et quand tu voudrais lui dire
And when you would like to tell her
Tu n'as pas d'amour pour elle
You don't love her
Elle t'appelle dans ses ondes
She calls you through her waves
Et laisse la mer repondre
And lets the sea respond
Que depuis toujours tu l'aimes
That you've loved her forever
Il etait un pecheur venu sur la terre
There was a fisherman who came to earth
Qui a veille tres longtemps
Who stayed up very late
Du haut d'une tour solitaire
From the top of a lonely tower
Quand il a compris que seuls
When he realized that only
Les hommes perdus le voyaient
Lost men could see him
Il a dit qu'on voguerait
He said we would sail
Jusqu'a ce que les vagues nous liberent
Until the waves set us free
Mais lui-meme fut brise
But he himself was broken
Bien avant que le ciel s'ouvre
Long before the sky opens
Delaisse et presqu'un homme
Abandoned and almost a man
Il a coule sous votre sagesse
He sank under your wisdom
Comme une pierre
Like a stone
Comme du miel, le soleil coule
Like honey, the sun flows
Sur notre dame des pleurs
On Our Lady of Tears
Elle te montre ou chercher
She shows you where to look
Parmi les dechets et les fleurs
Among the debris and the flowers
Dans les algues, il y a des reves
In the seaweed, there are dreams
Des enfants au petit matin
Children in the early morning
Qui se penchent vers l'amour
Who lean towards love
Ils se penchent comme ça toujours
They always lean like that
Et suzanne tient le miroir
And Suzanne holds the mirror
Une blessure etrange dans ton cœur
A strange wound in your heart
Tu veux rester a ses cotes
You want to stay by her side
Maintenant, tu n'as plus peur
Now, you're no longer afraid
De voyager les yeux fermes
To travel with your eyes closed
Une flamme brule dans ton cœur
A flame burns in your heart
Contributed by Caroline A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.