Danser sur la table, (“Dancing on the table”), 2016
Album: À présent
This short song has only 4 verses of 7 lines each. It lasts barely 3 minutes including an instrumental interlude. The chords and chord sequence are identical in each verse. Basically, the lyrics consist of a monologue by an introverted party to a more extroverted companion who has chided his/her withdrawn personality. The response, in a nutshell: “I may miss a lot, but you’ve flamed out many times, and I’ll get by, without dancing on the table.” The phrase “Danser sur la table” is a French metaphor for “letting loose,” “letting down your hair” and throwing off encumbering inhibitions.
The title of the song takes a grammatical form that we have seen before. The French language often employs verb infinitives like “danser” (“to dance”) as subject-nouns to begin a sentence or when following “preference verbs” (e.g. “to like”). In English, the verb infinitive "danser" in the title translates as “dancing,” which is a "gerund" or verb form ending in "-ing" and masquerading as a noun.
One observer called this song an “ode to discretion, to timidity.” It is an affirmation of Delerm's respect for humility and equilibrium or, conversely, dislike for exhibitionism. To put it in context, Vincent Delerm acknowledged that “Danser sur la table” is his personal version of Anne Sylvestre’s most popular song, the 1977 “Les gens qui doutent.” Sylvestre explained the origin of that song: “I found myself struggling with people filled with certitude and they annoyed me.” The first verse of her song therefore was (below on left):
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FRENCH LYRICS
J'aime les gens qui doutent Les gens qui trop écoutent Leur cœur se balancer J'aime les gens qui disent Et qui se contredisent Et sans se dénoncer |
TRANSLATION (PENDERGAST)
I like people who doubt People who listen too much To their heart swaying I like people who say things And who contradict themselves And without betraying themselves |
Delerm has performed Sylvestre’s song occasionally on stage and, in 2007, he released a cover version with Jeanne Cherhal and Albin de la Simone. Then he decided to compose his own statement and, in 2016, he included “Danser sur la table” on his album “À présent.” Three years later, following Agnès Varda’s death in 2019, Delerm doubled down on his his appreciation for quiet reserve with a moving tribute to Varda in the song “Vie Varda,” which is featured elsewhere on this website. Agnès Varda is widely considered as a foundation of New Wave cinema. Delerm penned the following refrain, repeated 3 times in his tribute to her:
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FRENCH LYRICS
Si on peut vivre comme Agnès Se parler à deux dans la pièce Et ressentir une émotion Si on peut vivre une vie Varda Marcher sur le sable comme ça Faire une vie hors compétition |
TRANSLATION (PENDERGAST)
If we can live like Agnes Speak with each other in the room And feel an emotion If we can live a Varda life Walk on the sand like that Make a life outside competition |
Marie Rivière as Delphine in Eric Rohmer's "The Green Ray" (1986)
Echoes from Eric Rohmer’s 1986 film “Le rayon vert” (“The Green Ray”), released as "Summer" in the US, are equally strong. Recall that Delerm wrote his master’s thesis on New Wave film at the University of Rouen. As shown in the notes below, Delerm makes explicit reference to Rohmer’s film in "Danser sur la table." In Rohmer’s film, the lead character Delphine’s shy personality fits poorly with the conventional lighthearted and superficial small-talk and banter of acquaintances who spend their lives flirting and partying. Ultimately, she finds love and meaning by remaining true to her internal self, allowing her to discern the “green ray” of the setting sun. “Danser sur la table” has a melancholy air that expresses a sense of acceptance and affirmation that resembles a soundtrack for Rohmer’s film.
Words highlighted in bold italic are explained in notes following the lyrics.
Words highlighted in bold italic are explained in notes following the lyrics.
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FRENCH LYRICS
Toi, tu dis il me manque Tant de choses tu n'sais pas Toutes les choses qui me manquent Toujours je reste là Effacé, incapable, de parler fort comme ça De danser sur la table Toi, depuis le départ Tu as raté cent fois Un amour, une histoire Un geste maladroit Un garçon inflammable Et une autre que toi A dansé sur la table Toi, tu dis je préfère Les étés sous les toits La plage, le rayon vert Je fais ça juste là Pour retirer le sable Ne me demandez pas De danser sur les tables Interlude Toi, tu dis il me manque Tant de choses tu sais toi Toutes ces choses qu'il me manque Et ma vie passera Et ma vie incroyable Et je vivrai comme ça Sans danser sur la table |
TRANSLATION (PENDERGAST)
You, you say I’m missing So many things, you don’t know All the things I’m missing Still, I stay there Withdrawn, unable to speak out like that To dance on the table You, since the beginning You’ve failed a hundred times A love affair, a fling A clumsy gesture A fiery boy And someone besides you Danced on the table You, you say I prefer Summers under the rooftops The beach, the green ray I am doing that right here To dispense with the sand Don’t ask me To dance on the tables Interlude You, you say I’m missing So many things, you know All these things that I’m missing And my life will pass by And my incredible life And I’ll live like that Without dancing on the table |
NB:
1)Les étés sous les toits: this expression evokes the intense summer heat of the low-rent top floor of Parisian mansard-roofed dwellings. It also has some history in French literature (Emile Zola, “L’amour sous les toits,” 1865) as well as film (René Clair, “Sous les toits de Paris,” 1930).
2)La plage le rayon vert: this reference reflects the loading of Delerm’s songs with symbolism and esoteric allusions. As indicated above, “Le Rayon vert” (“The Green Ray/Flash”) is a 1986 film by New Wave director Eric Rohmer. It is one of 6 films in his cycle “Comédies et Proverbes.” Rohmer’s film depicts Delphine following a summertime breakup, isolated and lonely, flitting from place-to-place in seaside locations searching for a meaningful connection. Rohmer drew both inspiration and his film’s title from an 1882 novel by Jules Verne, “Le Rayon Vert,” that popularized an optical phenomenon that occurs occasionally at sunrise or sunset. Certain atmospheric conditions refract sunlight into different colors until a final green flash appears briefly above the sun. Jules Verne himself wrote: “when one sees the green ray….one is able to see into one’s own heart and that of others.” Subsequent cultural interpretations posited that discerning the green flash brings love and clarity. Green was the color of hope and the light at the end of Daisy’s dock in The Great Gatsby.
3)Je fais ça juste là: this common phrase means “I am doing that right here.” Spoken properly (with a pause after “ça” ), there is an internal rhyme between “ça” and “là” that provides extra affirmative strength.
1)Les étés sous les toits: this expression evokes the intense summer heat of the low-rent top floor of Parisian mansard-roofed dwellings. It also has some history in French literature (Emile Zola, “L’amour sous les toits,” 1865) as well as film (René Clair, “Sous les toits de Paris,” 1930).
2)La plage le rayon vert: this reference reflects the loading of Delerm’s songs with symbolism and esoteric allusions. As indicated above, “Le Rayon vert” (“The Green Ray/Flash”) is a 1986 film by New Wave director Eric Rohmer. It is one of 6 films in his cycle “Comédies et Proverbes.” Rohmer’s film depicts Delphine following a summertime breakup, isolated and lonely, flitting from place-to-place in seaside locations searching for a meaningful connection. Rohmer drew both inspiration and his film’s title from an 1882 novel by Jules Verne, “Le Rayon Vert,” that popularized an optical phenomenon that occurs occasionally at sunrise or sunset. Certain atmospheric conditions refract sunlight into different colors until a final green flash appears briefly above the sun. Jules Verne himself wrote: “when one sees the green ray….one is able to see into one’s own heart and that of others.” Subsequent cultural interpretations posited that discerning the green flash brings love and clarity. Green was the color of hope and the light at the end of Daisy’s dock in The Great Gatsby.
3)Je fais ça juste là: this common phrase means “I am doing that right here.” Spoken properly (with a pause after “ça” ), there is an internal rhyme between “ça” and “là” that provides extra affirmative strength.