This is the first French song for which I learned the lyrics by heart – J’aurais bien voulu – “I would have really liked”, from the album Dances of Resistance. There are a lot of English language songs on that album but two of the best are in French – this one, and De la Musique et de la Bruit. I can’t find this album on iTunes, unfortunately.
Notes
- Basta – Spanish – “that’s enough”
Verbs
| Serrer | To squeeze |
J’aurais bien voulu pour passer le temps, te serrer dans mes bras amicalement | |
I would have really liked, to pass the time, to squeeze you warmly in my arms | |
| Enlever | To remove, take away |
J’aurais bien voulu t’enlever en voyage, une croisière de rêve au pays des mirages | |
I would have really liked to take you away on a trip, a dream cruise to the land of mirages | |
| Réagir | To react, respond |
J’aurais bien voulu réagir virilement, me jeter sur toi, t’arracher tout tes vêtements | |
I would have really liked to react like a man, to throw myself at you and tear off all your clothes | |
| Arracher | To rip out, tear off, uproot |
J’aurais bien voulu réagir virilement, me jeter sur toi, t’arracher tout tes vêtements | |
I would have really liked to react like a man, to throw myself at you and tear off all your clothes | |
| Digérer | To digest |
J’en bouffe encore ma casquette, et j’ai du mal à digérer que je suis assis en face, et pas à tes côtés | |
I'm still eating my hat and I'm struggling to digest the fact that I am sitting opposite and not next to you | |
Vocabulary
| Les godasses | Shoes |
J’ai les gonds dans les chaussettes et les godasses sur le point de craquer | |
My ego’s in my socks and my shoes are about to split | |
| Galère | Galley, slave ship, nightmare |
J’ai cherché un paquebot et c’était la galère | |
I looked for a ship and it was a nightmare | |
Phrases / Idioms
| Avoir l'air suffisant | To look smug |
Alors je reste à ma place et tu restes à ta place,
Mais quittes-moi cet air suffisant | |
So I stay at my place and you stay at your place
But stop looking at me with that smug grin | |
| Suppliant | Pleading, imploring, begging |
Alors je reste à ma place et tu restes à ta place,
Je ne voudrais pas avoir l’air suppliant | |
So I stay at my place and you stay at your place, I wouldn’t like to appear to be begging | |
| Je ne voudrais pas avoir l’air... | I wouldn't like to appear... |
Alors je reste à ma place et tu restes à ta place,
Je ne voudrais pas avoir l’air suppliant | |
So I stay at my place and you stay at your place, I wouldn’t like to appear to be begging | |
| Tout court | Full stop, period, that’s it, that’s all |
C’est pas juste tout court et j’me sens comme condamné | |
It’s not fair, full stop, and I feel as if I’m condemned | |
| Avoir du mal | To find it hard, to struggle |
J’en bouffe encore ma casquette, et j’ai du mal à digérer, que je suis assis en face, et pas à tes côtés | |
I’m still eating my hat and am struggling to digest the fact that I’m sitting opposite you and not next to you | |
| La mort aux trousses | Death on one’s heels, close by |
Même la mort aux trousses, ca m’arrêtera pas | |
Even death on my heels won’t stop me | |
Grammar
| S’en va | To take off, to leave |
J’aurais bien voulu être un de ces gars...qui s’en va qui s’en va sans regrets | |
I would have really like to have been one of those guys who takes off, takes off with no regrets | |
Expressions
| Avoir une pêche d’enfer | To feel great, to feel like a million bucks |
J’aurais bien voulu avoir une peche d’enfer, te sourire sincèrement, te dire : « Ouais ca va super » | |
I would have really liked to have felt like a million dollars, to smile sincerely, to tell you, “yep, everything’s great” | |
| Tourner les talons | To turn on one's heels, make a u-turn |
J’aurais tant voulu qu’on en reste la, tourner les talons , merci, ciao, basta. | |
I so would have liked us to leave it there, turn on my heels, thanks, ciao, enough | |
| Avoir la frousse | To be scared |
Même si j’ai la frousse ca n’empêchera pas, de traverser la brousse de braver les froids | |
Even if I’m scared witless, it won’t stop me from crossing the bush, from braving terror | |
| Tendre le pouce | Hitchhike, stick out the thumb |
Même si j’ai la frousse ca n’empêchera pas, de traverser la brousse de braver les froids de tendre le pouce pour partir avec toi | |
Even if I’m scared witless, it won’t stop me from crossing the bush, from braving terror, from thumbing a lift to leave with you | |
J'aurais bien voulu - Babylon Circus | I would've really liked (translation of J'aurais bien voulu by Babylon Circus) |
| J’aurais bien voulu pour passer le temps, | I would have really liked, to pass the time | |
| Te serrer dans mes bras amicalement. | To squeeze you warmly in my arms | |
| Mais le temps qui passe n’est pas à tes yeux | But the passing time, in your eyes, was | |
| Un argument apparemment suffisant. | Not apparently a good enough reason | |
| Alors je reste à ma place et tu restes à ta place, | So I stay at my place and you stay at your place | |
| Mais quittes-moi cet air suffisant. | But stop looking at me with that smug grin | |
| Alors tu restes à ta place et je reste à ma place, | So you stay at your place and I stay at my place | |
| En attendant vivement le printemps. | Waiting eagerly for springtime | |
| J’aurais bien voulu t’enlever en voyage, | I would have really liked to take you away | |
| Une croisière de rêve au pays des mirages. | A dream cruise to the land of mirages | |
| J’ai cherché un paquebot et c’était la galère, | I looked for a ship and it was a nightmare | |
| Les rames étaient trop courte, | The oars were too short to reach sea level | |
| Pour atteindre le niveau d’la mer ! | ||
| So I stay at my place and you stay at your place | ||
| Alors je reste à ma place et tu restes à ta place, | I wouldn't like to appear to be begging | |
| Je ne voudrais pas avoir l’air suppliant. | But if I stay at my place while you stay at your place | |
| Mais si je reste à ma place quand tu restes à ta place, | In autumn we'll be waiting for springtime | |
| A l’automne on attendra le printemps. | ||
| Let's go, hey! | ||
| Allez, hé ! | ||
| I would have really liked to react like a man | ||
| J’aurais bien voulu réagir virilement, | Throw myself at you and rip off all your clothes | |
| Me jeter sur toi, t’arracher tout tes vêtements. | I knew to stay dignified or perhaps a bit stupid | |
| J’ai su rester digne, ou alors un peu niait. | I'm still eating my hat and am struggling to digest | |
| J’en bouffe encore ma casquette, et j’ai du mal à digérer | ||
| The fact that I'm sitting opposite you and not next to you | ||
| Que je suis assis en face, et pas à tes côtés. | That there is no longer a place at your side and that I can't stay | |
| Ya tes coudes et ya plus d’place et je n’peux pas rester | Even though it's just across from you, it's just not enough | |
| Meme si c’est juste en face , c’est juste pas assez, | It's not fair, full stop, and I feel as if I'm condemned | |
| C’est pas juste tout court et j’me sens comme condamné | ||
| I would have really liked to have felt like a million dollars | ||
| J’aurais bien voulu avoir une peche d’enfer, | To smile sincerely, to tell you, "Yep, everything's great" | |
| Te sourire sincèrement, te dire : « Ouais ca va super » | I find it hard to lie, particularly when it's not true | |
| J’ai du mal à mentir surtout quand c’est pas vrai. | My ego's in my socks and my shoes are about to split | |
| J’ai les gonds dans les chaussettes et les godasses sur le point de craquer | ||
| I would have really like to have been one of those guys | ||
| J’aurais bien voulu être un de ces gars | Who has no fear of the rain or the night or the cold | |
| Qui ne craint ni la pluie ni la nuit ne le froid. | With a square jaw, who never cries | |
| Au menton carré, qui ne pleure jamais et | Who takes off, takes off with no regrets | |
| Qui s’en va qui s’en va sans regrets, | Who takes off, takes off with no regrets | |
| Qui s’en va qui s’en va sans regrets. | ||
| I so would have liked us to leave it there | ||
| J’aurais tant voulu qu’on en reste la, | Turn on my heels, thanks, ciao, enough | |
| Tourner les talons , merci, ciao, basta. | But I've got a heart of foam and a head of wood | |
| Mais j’ai le cœur en mousse et la tête en bois. | But even if I'm scared witless, it won't stop me | |
| Même si j’ai la frousse ca n’empêchera pas, | ||
| De traverser la brousse de braver les froids, | From crossing the bush, from braving terror, | |
| De tendre le pouce pour partir avec toi. | From thumbing a lift to leave with you | |
| Même la mort aux trousses, ca m’arrêtera pas | Even death on my heels won't stop me | |
| Jusqu'à ce que tu m’ ouvre la porte de tes bras. | Until you open the door of your arms for me | |
| J’aurais bien voulu être un de ces gars | I would have really like to have been one of those guys | |
| Qui ne craint ni la pluie ni la nuit ne le froid. | Who has no fear of the rain or the night or the cold | |
| Au menton carré, qui ne pleure jamais et | With a square jaw, who never cries | |
| Qui s’en va qui s’en va sans regrets. | Who takes off, takes off with no regrets | |
| Who takes off, takes off with no regrets |
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