The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Tout au long d'un poème
Et d'une rime à l'autre
Elle va bras ballants
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
À la morte fontaine
Et les coupeurs d'osier
Moissonnent mes vingt ans
Nous n'irons plus au bois
La chanson du poète
Le refrain de deux sous
Les vers de mirliton
Qu'on chantait en rêvant
Aux garçons de la fête
J'en oublie jusqu'au nom
J'en oublie jusqu'au nom
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Chercher la violette
La pluie tombe aujourd'hui
Qui efface nos pas
Les enfants ont pourtant
Des chansons plein la tête
Mais je ne les sais pas
Mais je ne les sais pas
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Sur un air de guitare
Elle sort de moi-même
En silence à pas lents
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Elle a rompu l'amarre
Elle a dans ses cheveux
Les fleurs de mes vingt ans
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Voici venir l'automne
J'attendrai le printemps
En effeuillant l'ennui
Il ne reviendra plus
Et si mon cœur frissonne
C'est que descend la nuit
C'est que descend la nuit
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Nous n'irons plus ensemble
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Au rythme de tes pas
Si tu savais pourtant
Comme elle te ressemble
Mais tu ne le sais pas
Mais tu ne le sais pas
Tout au long d'un poème
Et d'une rime à l'autre
Elle va bras ballants
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
À la morte fontaine
Et les coupeurs d'osier
Moissonnent mes vingt ans
Nous n'irons plus au bois
La chanson du poète
Le refrain de deux sous
Les vers de mirliton
Qu'on chantait en rêvant
Aux garçons de la fête
J'en oublie jusqu'au nom
J'en oublie jusqu'au nom
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Chercher la violette
La pluie tombe aujourd'hui
Qui efface nos pas
Les enfants ont pourtant
Des chansons plein la tête
Mais je ne les sais pas
Mais je ne les sais pas
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Sur un air de guitare
Elle sort de moi-même
En silence à pas lents
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Elle a rompu l'amarre
Elle a dans ses cheveux
Les fleurs de mes vingt ans
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Voici venir l'automne
J'attendrai le printemps
En effeuillant l'ennui
Il ne reviendra plus
Et si mon cœur frissonne
C'est que descend la nuit
C'est que descend la nuit
Nous n'irons plus au bois
Nous n'irons plus ensemble
Ma jeunesse fout l'camp
Au rythme de tes pas
Si tu savais pourtant
Comme elle te ressemble
Mais tu ne le sais pas
Mais tu ne le sais pas
Lyrics submitted by immortalbeloved
Ma jeunesse fout le camp Lyrics as written by Guy Bontempelli
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I found a ROUGH english translation
my youth is running away from me all through the poems from one rhyme to another she goes arms balancing my youth is running away from me at the dead fountain and the wicker cutters are harvesting my twenty years
we won't go to the woods again the poet's song the two cents' refrain the verses of mirliton (???) that we sang while dreaming to the boy's party I even forget the name I even forget the name
we won't go to the woods again search for the violet the rain is falling today it's erasing our footsteps though the children have their heads full of songs but I don't know them but I don't know them
my youth is running away from me on a guitar's song she's going out of me in silence at a slow pace my youth is running away from me she's cut the moor she has in her hair the flowers from my twenty years
we won't go to the woods again here comes Autumn I will wait for Spring while plucking off my boredom he won't be coming back and if my heart shudders it is because night is falling it is because night is falling
we won't go to the woods again we won't go together my youth is running away from me to the rhythm of your footsteps but if you only knew how much she looks like you but you don't know it but you don't know it
whoa, i knew it sounded sad
a mirliton is a music instrument, but here it is used in the expression "vers de mirliton", which means "bad verses".
I have no idea what she is singing but its so beautiful and sad at the same time...I wish these were translated lyrics :(
found a good translation at angelfire.com. see Favorite Songs from La Femme Nikita.
did some googling on mirliton. its a flute with no finger-holes and operates on the same principle as the kazoo.
or the notorious humma-comb.