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.
Argenteuil, ville ouvrière
Bastion rouge depuis des années.
En bas des rues, y'a pas la mer
Mais y'a la Seine à traverser.
Vous ne verrez pas d'ardoise
Sur le toit de nos maisons.
Si vous y tenez, je peux vous faire voir
Le plus joli béton de la région.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Le maire est un homme responsable
Doué d'un humour particulier.
Nos avenues portent les blases
De tous les plus grands déportés.
Moi, j'aurais voulu vivre
Rue des Aubépines, allée des Oliviers.
J'avais un deux-pièces avenue Lénine
Près de la rue Paul Vaillant-Couturier.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Ici, pas de musique locale
Ni de folklore très développé.
Des groupes de rock ou des chorales
Qui font des tabacs dans les lycées.
Le 14 juillet, y'a un bal
Et comme dans toutes les villes de banlieue
On peut compter sur les loubards
Qui viennent y faire valser nos petits vieux.
Ben quoi, ben quoi, grand-mère ?
On peut plus s'amuser.
Hé oui, hé oui, hé oui, grand-père
La musique a changé.
Argenteuil, ville ouvrière
Bastion rouge depuis des années.
En bas des rues, y'a pas la mer
Mais y'a la Seine à traverser.
Et quand on voulait parler d'amour
Y'avait pas trente-six solutions.
Le bois de Cormeilles aux alentours
Ou bien le Moulin d'Orgemont.
Ceux qui voulaient jouer les riches
Allaient en boîte à Enghien-les-Bains
Mais comme me disait un ami d'un air triste
"J'peux pas danser rue Giscard d'Estaing".
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Bastion rouge depuis des années.
En bas des rues, y'a pas la mer
Mais y'a la Seine à traverser.
Vous ne verrez pas d'ardoise
Sur le toit de nos maisons.
Si vous y tenez, je peux vous faire voir
Le plus joli béton de la région.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Le maire est un homme responsable
Doué d'un humour particulier.
Nos avenues portent les blases
De tous les plus grands déportés.
Moi, j'aurais voulu vivre
Rue des Aubépines, allée des Oliviers.
J'avais un deux-pièces avenue Lénine
Près de la rue Paul Vaillant-Couturier.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Ici, pas de musique locale
Ni de folklore très développé.
Des groupes de rock ou des chorales
Qui font des tabacs dans les lycées.
Le 14 juillet, y'a un bal
Et comme dans toutes les villes de banlieue
On peut compter sur les loubards
Qui viennent y faire valser nos petits vieux.
Ben quoi, ben quoi, grand-mère ?
On peut plus s'amuser.
Hé oui, hé oui, hé oui, grand-père
La musique a changé.
Argenteuil, ville ouvrière
Bastion rouge depuis des années.
En bas des rues, y'a pas la mer
Mais y'a la Seine à traverser.
Et quand on voulait parler d'amour
Y'avait pas trente-six solutions.
Le bois de Cormeilles aux alentours
Ou bien le Moulin d'Orgemont.
Ceux qui voulaient jouer les riches
Allaient en boîte à Enghien-les-Bains
Mais comme me disait un ami d'un air triste
"J'peux pas danser rue Giscard d'Estaing".
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Regarde-la pousser.
Regarde, regarde ma ville.
Écoute-la tousser.
Pour un touriste, c'est pas terrible.
Y'a pas grand-chose à photographier.
Seulement ici, question usines
On n'est pas mal organisés.
Lyrics submitted by Oliviaka
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Argenteuil (Val-d'Oise), working-class town Red (communist) bastion for years. Down the streets, there's no sea But there's the Seine to cross. You won't see any slate Roofs on our houses. If you care about it, I can make you see The most lovely concrete of the region.
Look at, look at my town. Look at it grow. Look at, look at my town. Listen to it cough. For a tourist, it's nothing special. There's not much to take photographs of. Only here, as far as factories grow We are quite organised.
The mayor is a responsible man Who has a particular humor. Our avenues take their names From the greatest internees. Me, I would have liked to live On Hawthorn Street, Olive (tree) Driveway. I had a two-room (flat) on Lenin Avenue Near Paul Vaillant-Couturier Street.
Look at, look at my town. Look at it grow. Look at, look at my town. Listen to it cough. For a tourist, it's nothing special. There's not much to take photographs of. Only here, as far as factories grow We are quite organised.
Here, no local music Nor very developed folklore. Rock bands or choral societies That are big hits in high schools. On July 14 (Bastille Day), there's a ball And, like in every suburban town We can count on hooligans Who come and make our old folks waltz.
Well, well, Granny? We can't have a good time anymore. Yes, yes, yes, Granddad The music has changed. Argenteuil, working-class town Red bastion for years. Down the streets, there's no sea But there's the Seine to cross.
And when we wanted to talk about love There weren't 36 solutions. The Cormeilles Wood in the vicinity Or the Mill at Orgemont. Those who wanted to play the rich Went to nightclubs in Enghien-les-Bains. But as a friend told me, with a sad mood "I can't dance on Giscard d'Estaing Street".
Look at, look at my town. Look at it grow. Look at, look at my town. Listen to it cough. For a tourist, it's nothing special. There's not much to take photographs of. Only here, as far as factories grow We are quite organised.