Quelques mots d'amour (Several Words of Love), 1980, Beauséjour (Beautiful Stay)
This song written by Michel Berger appeared in his 1980 album Beauséjour (Beautiful Stay) and also appeared on side B of his single record featuring “La Groupie du pianiste.”
Following their breakup in 1973, Berger and Véronique Sanson exchanged barely-disguised messages in their two songs “Seras tu là?” (Berger 1975) and “Je serai là” (Sanson 1976). In this 1980 song “Quelques mots d’amour,” Berger’s lyrics highlight, without specifying a recipient, this declaration: “Je t'envoie comme un papillon à une étoile quelque mots d'amour.” Sanson acknowledged that she was the intended recipient of this message when, years after Berger’s death, she reciprocated by naming her 1999 tribute album to him “D’un papillon à une étoile,” where she covered his major hits.
Following their breakup in 1973, Berger and Véronique Sanson exchanged barely-disguised messages in their two songs “Seras tu là?” (Berger 1975) and “Je serai là” (Sanson 1976). In this 1980 song “Quelques mots d’amour,” Berger’s lyrics highlight, without specifying a recipient, this declaration: “Je t'envoie comme un papillon à une étoile quelque mots d'amour.” Sanson acknowledged that she was the intended recipient of this message when, years after Berger’s death, she reciprocated by naming her 1999 tribute album to him “D’un papillon à une étoile,” where she covered his major hits.
In Quelques mots d'amour, Berger expresses feelings of loneliness despite living in a capitol city with millions of inhabitants, a fast-paced life, dance halls and technology marvels like heart transplants. That sounds like Paris. He feels alone without someone by his side and he sends to his anonymous interlocutor “several words of love, like a butterfly to a star.”
The structure of the song is Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse. Of the 6 stanzas, the chorus repeats in stanzas 3 and 5 and lists the kinds of messages he sends. The other stanzas describe his setting and his despondent feelings. The number of lines in each stanza is: 7, 7, 8, 5, 8, 7. The rhymes follow no particular pattern.
The structure of the song is Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse. Of the 6 stanzas, the chorus repeats in stanzas 3 and 5 and lists the kinds of messages he sends. The other stanzas describe his setting and his despondent feelings. The number of lines in each stanza is: 7, 7, 8, 5, 8, 7. The rhymes follow no particular pattern.
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Il manque quelqu'un près de moi Je me retourne, tout le monde est là D'où vient ce sentiment bizarre Que je suis seul? Parmi tous ces amis Et ces filles qui ne veulent Que quelques mots d'amour De mon village, capitale Où l'air chaud peut être glacial Où des millions de gens Se connaissent si mal Je t'envoie comme un papillon À une étoile Quelque mots d'amour Je t'envoie mes images Je t'envoie mon décor Je t'envoie mes sourires des jours Où je me sens plus fort Je t'envoie mes voyages Mes jours d'aéroport Je t'envoie mes plus belles victoires Sur l'ironie du sort Et dans ces boîtes pour danser Les nuits passent inhabitées J'écoute les battements de mon cœur me répéter Qu'aucune musique au monde ne saura remplacer Quelque mots d'amour Je t'envoie mes images Je t'envoie mon décor Je t'envoie mes sourires des jours Où je me sens plus fort Je t'envoie mes voyages Mes jours d'aéroport Je t'envoie mes plus belles victoires Sur l'ironie du sort De mon village à cent à l'heure Où les docteurs greffent les cœurs Où les millions de gens Se connaissent si mal Je t'envoie comme un papillon À une étoile Quelques mots d'amour |
There is missing somebody near me I turn around, everyone’s there Whence comes this bizarre feeling That I’m alone? Amongst all these friends And these girls who want only Several words of love From my capital village Where the hot air can be freezing Where millions of people Barely know each other I send you like a butterfly To a star Several words of love I send you my images I send you my setting I send you my smiles from the days When I feel stronger I send you my journeys My days at the airport I send you my greatest victories Against the irony of fate And in those clubs for dancing The nights pass uninhabited I hear the beat of my heart repeating That no music in the world could replace Several words of love I send you my images I send you my setting I send you my smiles from days When I feel stronger I send you my journeys My days at the airport I send you my greatest victories Against the irony of fate From my fast-paced village Where doctors graft hearts Where the millions of people Barely know each other I send you like a butterfly To a star Several words of love |
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