Zazie's mother was an architect and her father a music teacher. Her songs range from upbeat rock or pop songs to languid downtempo tunes and are characterised by the wit of their lyrics based on puns, alliterations, homophones and double-entendres.
Zazie debuted in 1992 with the album "Je Tu Ils" and the single "Sucré salé".
In 1995, she released her sophomore album Zen, which was co-written and co-produced with Vincent-Marie Bouvot. It included the singles "Zen" and "Homme Sweet Homme". Her 1996 single "Un point c'est toi" from the same album was discussed on Canada's MuchMusic TV program Too Much 4 Much due to its controversial content. Ultimately, the discussion panel deemed the video okay for audiences. In the video, a group of four smitten women, including Zazie, follow a pair of men down to a lake. There, the two men strip off their clothes and swim in the water. Zazie fantasizes about undressing one of the men and kissing him. To shock of the women, however, the two men kiss each other.
In 1997, Pascal Obispo and Zazie released the single "Les Meilleurs Ennemis".
Her 1998 album Made in Love was co-produced by Ali Staton, Pierre Jaconelli, and herself. The album photos were taken by fashion designer Jean-Baptiste Mondino. The songs "Ça Fait Mal Et Ça Fait Rien", "Tous des anges", and "Tout Le Monde" were released as singles. This album was followed by a live album, Made in Live, the next year. In 1999 she also wrote a song for Jane Birkin in Jane Birkin's album .
In 2001, Zazie dueted with Axel Bauer on the single "A Ma Place". It was her most successful single in France, reaching number four on the French charts.
Zazie once again addressed gay content on her 2002 single "Adam et Yves" from her 2001 album La Zizanie. This album was produced solely by Pierre Jaconelli. Other singles included "Rue de la paix" and "Danse avec les loops". In 2003, she released another live album, Ze Live.
Her 2004 album Rodéo was co-produced and co-written with Jean-Pierre Pilot and Philippe Paradis. A short film "Rodéo indien" was made using songs from the album as a soundtrack. Zazie played the role of an Indian woman who leaves her cheating husband. She followed this album up with a live album, Rodéo Tour in 2006.
In 2007 her sixth studio album "Totem" was released and debuted at number 1. The second single (but first commercially released) was "Je Suis Un Homme" which became Zazie's first solo top ten hit in France. In Winter 2008 a best of album "Zest of Zazie" was released which as well as past hits contained two new songs "Fm Air" and "Un peu beaucoup" and live recordings.
Si j'étais moi
Zazie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni la montagne à gravir
Au bord du vide, la neige à venir
Ne me feraient peur
Si j'étais moi
Ni les pages à écrire
Ni de trouver les mots pour le dire
Mais je me lâche la main
Je m'éloigne de moi
Je me retrouve au matin
Sur la mauvaise voie
Quand on se perd en chemin
Comment venir à bout
De ces efforts inhumains
Qui nous mènent à nous
Si j'étais moi
Ni les démons que je cache
Les idées noires, les flammes que je crache
Ne me feraient peur
Mais je me lâche la main
Je m'éloigne de moi
Je me retrouve au matin
Sur la mauvaise voie
Quand on se perd en chemin
Comment venir à bout
De ces efforts inhumains
Qui nous mènent à nous
Si j'étais moi
Tout ce que j'ai sur le cour
Ce que je fais de pire et de meilleur
Ne me feraient peur
Si j'étais moi
Ce que je fais de pire et de meilleur
Ferait mon bonheur
Zazie's song "Si J'étais Moi" is a reflection on the struggle of self-acceptance and self-discovery. The opening lines state that if the singer was truly herself, then nothing would scare her, not even climbing a mountain or the impending arrival of winter. She wouldn't be afraid of the challenges of writing or finding the right words to express herself either. However, despite this desire for self-confidence, the singer admits she lets go of her own hand and distances herself from her authenticity. She wakes up in the morning on the wrong path, lost on her journey, but unsure how to overcome the inhumane efforts that lead her down this route.
The song highlights the internal battle within all of us, between the part that yearns for authenticity and the part that fears it. The chorus reinforces this idea, stating that if the singer was truly herself, she would not be afraid of her demons, nor the good or the bad within her. The final line, "If I were me, the best and the worst of me would make me happy," reveals that self-acceptance is the key to finding happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Si j'étais moi,
If I were truly myself,
Ni la montagne à gravir
Au bord du vide, la neige à venir
Ne me feraient peur
I wouldn't be afraid of any obstacle, like a mountain to climb or the unknown ahead, and would have the courage to face them head-on.
Ni les pages à écrire
Ni de trouver les mots pour le dire
Ne me feraient peur
I wouldn't fear expressing myself through writing or speaking, and would be confident in finding the right words to convey my thoughts.
Mais je me lâche la main
Je m'éloigne de moi
Je me retrouve au matin
Sur la mauvaise voie
Quand on se perd en chemin
Comment venir à bout
De ces efforts inhumains
Qui nous mènent à nous
But I often let go of myself and lose my way, struggling to overcome the inhuman effort required to find my true self again.
Si j'étais moi
Ni les démons que je cache
Les idées noires, les flammes que je crache
Ne me feraient peur
If I were truly myself, I wouldn't be afraid of the dark thoughts and demons I hide within, embracing both the light and dark parts of myself.
Si j'étais moi
Tout ce que j'ai sur le cour
Ce que je fais de pire et de meilleur
Ne me feraient peur
If I were truly myself, I wouldn't fear either my worst or my best qualities, accepting them as part of my identity and finding happiness in being true to myself.
Si j’étais moi
Ce que je fais de pire et de meilleur
Ferait mon bonheur
Being true to both my worst and best self would bring me happiness and fulfillment, if only I had the courage to be truly myself.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tharsice SAR
Profonde et magnifique cette chanson. Comme souvent chez Zazie, "triste à souhait". Elle sait comment toucher les gens. Superbe final au piano et pourtant tellement simple. Bravo
Camille Poupon
C'est le clip officiel?
Camille Poupon
Ok, cette vidéo est trés touchante en tout cas, aussi douce que la chanson
mapie boustie
non il n'y en a pas je crois