Jean moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine, then to Northern New Jersey, where he began playing the guitar and studying jazz in his high school. In 1987, Jean, his friend (so close they told people they were cousins growing up) Prakazrel Michel (Pras) and his classmate, Lauryn Hill, formed a group called the Tranzlator Crew before becoming The Fugees. Wyclef worked as a cabdriver.
Recently he has been finding success as a collaborator - with his turn on Shakira's 2006 track 'Hips Don't Lie' hitting number one in many countries around the world.
In August of 2010, Jean announced his intent to seek the presidency of Haiti. This move came after his increasingly-high profile humanitarian work in the wake of the earthquake that devastated that nation.
Ne me quitte pas
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
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Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
À savoir comment
Oublier ces heures qui tuaient parfois
Le coeur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas (don't leave me)
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas (listen to my guitar)
Moi je t'offrirai des perles de pluie
Venues de pays où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps d'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi; où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas (don't leave me)
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas (listen to my guitar)
Ne me quitte pas
Je t'inventerai des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai de ces amants-là
Qui ont vu deux fois leur coeur s'embraser
Je te raconterai l'histoire de ce roi
Mort de n'avoir pas pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas (don't leave me)
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas (listen to my guitar)
Yeah, on a vu souvent rejaillir le feu
De l'ancien volcan qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est, paraît-il, des terres brûlées
Donnant plus de blé qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir ne s'épousent-ils pas?
Ne me quitte pas (don't leave me)
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas (listen to my guitar)
If you ever left me, my days would go dark
CPR, eclipse of the heart
From the start, we made an oath we'll never depart
'Til our flesh turn to dirt and we return to the gods
Let's toast to our future
Ne me quitte pas baby, I won't ever leave ya
So make love to your knight
Cello in your ear girl, tryna set the mood right
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
In Wyclef Jean's song "Ne Me Quitte Pas," the singer pleads with his lover not to leave him. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and fear of abandonment, as he implores her to forget the past and the misunderstandings that may have occurred. He emphasizes the importance of letting go of lost time and the hours that have caused pain, as they have questioned the happiness in their hearts.
The repetition of the phrase "ne me quitte pas," meaning "don't leave me" in French, further emphasizes the urgency and vulnerability of the singer's plea. He begs his lover to listen to his guitar, using it as a way to express his emotions and convey the depth of his love.
To convince his lover to stay, the singer promises to offer her pearls made of rain, symbolizing precious and rare treasures from a place where it rarely rains. He metaphorically states that he would dig the earth beyond death to cover her body with gold and light, representing his willingness to do anything to protect her and provide her with a life of luxury and happiness.
The lyrics continue with the idea of creating a kingdom where love reigns and his lover becomes the queen. This desire for a mutually fulfilling and loving relationship is reiterated throughout the song, reinforcing the singer's devotion and commitment to his lover.
The following verses delve into the singer's imagination, where he tells his lover he will invent nonsensical words that she will understand. He also recounts stories of other lovers whose hearts were set on fire, emphasizing that their love story is just as powerful and intense.
The final lines of the song introduce a metaphor of a volcano, suggesting that love can reignite and flourish even in seemingly desolate and burnt lands. The contrast between the colors red and black conveys the idea of passion and darkness coming together to create a vibrant and captivating atmosphere.
Overall, Wyclef Jean's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" is a heartfelt plea to his lover to stay, promising eternal love, grand gestures, and a future filled with passion and devotion. The lyrics tap into the universal emotions of longing, fear of abandonment, and the desire for a deep and lasting connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Ne me quitte pas
Don't leave me
Il faut oublier
You must forget
Tout peut s'oublier
Everything can be forgotten
Qui s'enfuit déjà
That is already fleeing
Oublier le temps des malentendus
Forget the time of misunderstandings
Et le temps perdu
And the time wasted
À savoir comment
To know how
Oublier ces heures qui tuaient parfois
To forget those hours that sometimes killed
À coups de pourquoi
With blows of why
Le coeur du bonheur
The heart of happiness
Moi je t'offrirai des perles de pluie
I will offer you pearls of rain
Venues de pays où il ne pleut pas
From countries where it doesn't rain
Je creuserai la terre jusqu'après ma mort
I will dig the earth until after my death
Pour couvrir ton corps d'or et de lumière
To cover your body with gold and light
Je ferai un domaine où l'amour sera roi
I will make a realm where love will be king
Où l'amour sera loi; où tu seras reine
Where love will be law; where you will be queen
Je t'inventerai des mots insensés
I will invent meaningless words for you
Que tu comprendras
That you will understand
Je te parlerai de ces amants-là
I will talk to you about those lovers
Qui ont vu deux fois leur coeur s'embraser
Who have seen their hearts ignite twice
Je te raconterai l'histoire de ce roi
I will tell you the story of this king
Mort de n'avoir pas pu te rencontrer
Dead for not being able to meet you
Yeah, on a vu souvent rejaillir le feu
Yeah, we have often seen the fire rekindle
De l'ancien volcan qu'on croyait trop vieux
From the old volcano that we thought was too old
Il est, paraît-il, des terres brûlées
There are, apparently, burnt lands
Donnant plus de blé qu'un meilleur avril
Giving more wheat than the best April
Et quand vient le soir pour qu'un ciel flamboie
And when the evening comes for a sky to blaze
Le rouge et le noir ne s'épousent-ils pas?
Don't red and black marry each other?
If you ever left me, my days would go dark
If you ever left me, my days would go dark
CPR, eclipse of the heart
CPR, eclipse of the heart
From the start, we made an oath we'll never depart
From the start, we made an oath we'll never depart
'Til our flesh turn to dirt and we return to the gods
'Til our flesh turn to dirt and we return to the gods
Let's toast to our future
Let's toast to our future
Ne me quitte pas baby, I won't ever leave ya
Don't leave me, baby, I won't ever leave you
So make love to your knight
So make love to your knight
Cello in your ear girl, tryna set the mood right
Cello in your ear, girl, tryna set the mood right
Laisse-moi devenir
Let me become
L'ombre de ton ombre
The shadow of your shadow
L'ombre de ta main
The shadow of your hand
L'ombre de ton chien
The shadow of your dog
Ne me quitte pas
Don't leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Don't leave me
Ne me quitte pas
Don't leave me
Lyrics © Tratore, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jacques Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind