Si Tu Pars (If You Leave)
This song was written in 2005 by Yanne (Jan Savenberg), a Belgian songwriter and occasional singer. It appeared on Hallyday's "Ma Verité" album that year and was also recorded live in 2013 at the Born Rocker Tour at Bercy, Paris.
The paternity of this song is often confused with a 1969 song that Hallyday also recorded but was written by Mick Jones (Foreigner guitarist), Tommy Brown and Long Chris. That song bore a similar title "Si tu pars la premiere."
It is compelling to compare the perspective in “Si tu pars” with that in Jean-Jacques Goldman’s 1987 song “Puisque tu pars.” Both songs address separation and departure, but Hallyday/Yanne’s song envisions apocalyptic consequences whereas Goldman’s song conveys resignation, acceptance and best wishes. Goldman had earlier worked with Hallyday in 1986 when he wrote an entire 10-track album ("Gang") for him.
"Si tu pars" is a good song for learning the subjunctive mood, which is common but a bit confusing in French. Subjunctive mood is required in subordinate clauses that follow a main clause featuring “vouloir” (and other verbs that express necessities, emotions, wishes, hopes, desires, opinions) and ends with “que” or “qui.” From this standpoint, the subjunctive mood in this song flows from the strong sense of agency/volition expressed in the primary clause. After the conditional “Si tu pars,” each of the 5 stanzas below begins with “Je veux que” and therefore, the following dependent clauses have subjunctive verbs, which complicates expression in English.
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Si tu pars J'veux que la terre entière se couvre de brouillard Et que le silence s'installe dans les villages Que plus rien ne bouge en ville et sur les plages Qu'on n'entende que le vent Qui hurle, qui crie et qui comprend Si tu pars Je veux qu'on brûle les violons et les guitares Qu'on renvoie les musiciens et les poètes Qu'on oublie Noël et tous les jours de fête Qu'on exile les oiseaux Que l'on bannisse ce qui est beau Si tu pars Je veux que tous les trains du monde restent dans leur gare Je veux qu'on bloque les routes, qu'on ferme les frontières Qu'on instaure le couvre feu, le droit de guerre Que le rire soit interdit Que le plaisir soit aboli Si tu pars Je veux qu'on bloque les routes, qu'on ferme les frontières Qu'on instaure le couvre feu, le droit de guerre Que le rire soit interdit Que le plaisir soit aboli Si tu pars J'veux que la terre entière se couvre de brouillard Et que le silence s'installe dans les villages Que plus rien ne bouge en ville et sur les plages Qu'on entende que le vent Qui hurle, qui crie, et qui me comprend Si tu pars Oh, si tu pars |
If you leave I want the whole earth to cover in fog And that silence settle in the villages That nothing move in cities and on the beaches That we can hear only the wind That screams, that cries and that understands If you leave I want that we burn violins and guitars, That we dismiss musicians and poets That we forget Christmas and all holidays, That we exile birds That we banish everything that is beautiful If you leave I want all the world’s trains to remain in their stations I want that we block roads and close frontiers That we impose a curfew, wartime law That laughter be forbidden That pleasure be abolished If you leave I want that we block roads and close frontiers That we impose a curfew, wartime law That laughter be forbidden That pleasure be abolished If you leave I want the whole earth to cover in fog And that silence settle in the villages That nothing move in cities and on beaches That we can hear only the wind That screams, that cries, and that understands me If you leave Oh, if you leave |
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