Moustaki released “Le Métèque” in 1969 in an album of the same name. The success of this song launched Moustaki’s career as a solo performer of his own songs. Interestingly, it followed his first visit to Greece in 1966 (then under military rule) when he met Melina Mercouri and visited several regions of Greece, probably instigating consideration of his own roots and identity.
Le Métèque is a pejorative word for a shifty-looking immigrant of Mediterranean origin. [In ancient Greece, a “Metic” was a resident of a city whose birth origin was elsewhere]. The song earned its hit status by its clever lyrics, trenchant message, and soulful melody. Although Moustaki wrote the song for Serge Reggiani, who passed it back, he clearly portrays himself and it became his signature song. Moustaki himself was a person of many hues: Jew, Greek, Egyptian, French. He describes himself as a "wandering Jew," a "Greek shepherd" and a thief and vagabond. This song became an anthem for immigrants and outsiders and established Moustaki as a major figure in French chanson. Moustaki said of the song: "A small, subliminal settling of scores became the hymn of anti-racism and the right to be different, the cry of revolt of all minorities." In a tribute 10 years after his death in 2013, The Times of Israel described Moustaki as “An Arab Greek Jewish Italian French Rebel.” He was all those things, but with an open heart.
The song has 6 full stanzas of 6 lines each (called a sestain), with a 3-rhyme scheme AABCCB that is popular in French poetry (as in Verlaine’s “Chanson d’Automne”). The refrain “Avec ma gueule de métèque de Juif errant, de pâtre grec” begins 3 stanzas and the last 3 lines are repeated twice.
In this song to his “douce captive,” Moustaki first paints a vivid word picture of himself as ugly, dark-skinned with wild hair and washed-out eyes, debauched, rootless, hard-hearted and accomplished in thievery, drinking and womanizing. Having established his bona fides through this send-up, in the last few lines he offers his sweet soulmate a life of eternal love.
Le Métèque is a pejorative word for a shifty-looking immigrant of Mediterranean origin. [In ancient Greece, a “Metic” was a resident of a city whose birth origin was elsewhere]. The song earned its hit status by its clever lyrics, trenchant message, and soulful melody. Although Moustaki wrote the song for Serge Reggiani, who passed it back, he clearly portrays himself and it became his signature song. Moustaki himself was a person of many hues: Jew, Greek, Egyptian, French. He describes himself as a "wandering Jew," a "Greek shepherd" and a thief and vagabond. This song became an anthem for immigrants and outsiders and established Moustaki as a major figure in French chanson. Moustaki said of the song: "A small, subliminal settling of scores became the hymn of anti-racism and the right to be different, the cry of revolt of all minorities." In a tribute 10 years after his death in 2013, The Times of Israel described Moustaki as “An Arab Greek Jewish Italian French Rebel.” He was all those things, but with an open heart.
The song has 6 full stanzas of 6 lines each (called a sestain), with a 3-rhyme scheme AABCCB that is popular in French poetry (as in Verlaine’s “Chanson d’Automne”). The refrain “Avec ma gueule de métèque de Juif errant, de pâtre grec” begins 3 stanzas and the last 3 lines are repeated twice.
In this song to his “douce captive,” Moustaki first paints a vivid word picture of himself as ugly, dark-skinned with wild hair and washed-out eyes, debauched, rootless, hard-hearted and accomplished in thievery, drinking and womanizing. Having established his bona fides through this send-up, in the last few lines he offers his sweet soulmate a life of eternal love.
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Avec ma gueule de métèque
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents Avec mes yeux tout délavés Qui me donnent l'air de rêver Moi qui ne rêve plus souvent Avec mes mains de maraudeur De musicien et de rôdeur Qui ont pillé tant de jardins Avec ma bouche qui a bu Qui a embrassé et mordu Sans jamais assouvir sa faim Avec ma gueule de métèque De Juif errant, de pâtre grec De voleur et de vagabond Avec ma peau qui s'est frottée Au soleil de tous les étés Et tout ce qui portait jupon Avec mon cœur qui a su faire Souffrir autant qu'il a souffert Sans pour cela faire d'histoires Avec mon âme qui n'a plus La moindre chance de salut Pour éviter le purgatoire Avec ma gueule de métèque De Juif errant, de pâtre grec Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents Je viendrai, ma douce captive Mon âme sœur, ma source vive Je viendrai boire tes vingt ans Et je serai prince de sang Rêveur ou bien adolescent Comme il te plaira de choisir Et nous ferons de chaque jour Toute une éternité d'amour Que nous vivrons à en mourir Et nous ferons de chaque jour Toute une éternité d'amour Que nous vivrons à en mourir |
With my face of a wog,
Wandering Jew or Greek shepherd And my hair to the four winds With my eyes all washed-out That give me the look of a dreamer I who no longer dreams often With my hands of a petty thief Of a musician and of a prowler Which have pilfered so many gardens With my mouth which has drunk Which has kissed and has bitten Without ever satisfying its hunger With my face of a wog Wandering Jew, or Greek shepherd Of a petty thief and a vagrant With my skin which has rubbed In the sun of all the summers And everything that wore a skirt. With my heart which has known to Inflict suffering as much as it has suffered Without for all that making a fuss. With my soul which has no longer The least chance of salvation To avoid purgatory. With my face of a wog Wandering Jew or Greek shepherd And my hair to the four winds I’ll come, my sweet captive My soul mate, my living spring I’ll come and drink of your youth And I’ll become a prince of blood A dreamer or else a teenager Whichever you like to choose. And we will make of every day A whole eternity of love Which we will live to die for. And we will make of every day An eternity of love Which we will live to die for. |
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