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Translation
Marcelle
Marcelle
There's only that thing that's not quite right
that's your name (x3)
You opened
nice9 blue eyes
which looked at me from the heart of heavens.
You smiled to me
I did my best
It had been a century
since you last laughed
I saw a child face
that appealed from deep within me10
You told me "please
don't go
It's been so long since a man held me11 in his arms"
Marcelle
you're like a fairy to me
like the one
from the times of old
Marcelle
There's one thing that's not right
that's your name (x3)
Kneeling there
snuggling up to you
I pressed your hand there16
snug against me
A tear flowed there
and then nothing
except your thin voice that said "I won't forget you"
Marcelle
you're like a fairy to me
like the one
from the times of old
Marcelle
This thing I don't forget
is your name (x3)
Your name
now echoes inside me
like this
tale of old
Marcelle
What echoes inside me
is your name (x3)
Marcelle (x3)
That's your name (x3)
Marcelle
- 1. should be "contes" (tales) instead of "compte" (account)
- 2. Marcelle is disused at least since the 50's and pronounced just like the equally dated "Marcel" male counterpart, making it sound somewhat ridiculous.
"clocher" usually means "not being quite right", so "cloche pas" sould mean "is quite right", but obviously the negation is not intended here. - 3. the expression feels convoluted in French too
- 4. should be "allongée" (lying) instead of "allongez" (stretch!)
- 5. the complete French name of "sleeping beauty" is "la belle au bois dormant" (the beauty asleep in the wood)
- 6. should read "ça fait"
- 7. does not sound particularly subtle in French either. There might be a vague sexual allusion too
- 8. should be "autrefois" (long ago) instead of "autre fois" (last time)
- 9. correct spelling is "de jolis yeux bleus"
- 10. does not make much sense in French either
- 11. should be "prise" for a woman
- 12. should be "résonne" (echoes) instead of "raisonne" (reasons)
- 13. again should be "conte"
- 14. a French surrealist poet
- 15. "mot à mot" can also mean "literally" like in "a literal translation"
- 16. "là" (there) might have been added for effect, like "yeah" or "I said" in English. Given the devotion of J.L.Aubert for American rock, this is rather likely
Guest on 2014-09-26
maluca✕
Collections with "Marcelle"
| 1. | Prénoms (First names) Partie V : M-O |
Jean-Louis Aubert: Top 3
| 1. | Dis, quand reviendras-tu |
| 2. | Alter égo |
| 3. | Voilà, c'est fini |
Comments
Don Juan
Whoever transcribed these lyrics seems to have skipped a couple of French lessons too many.
That might explain why a couple of lines are barely understandable.
On the other hand, J.L. Aubert was never famous for subtle lyrics, even in the Téléphone era.