In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
C'est comme une gaité
Comme un sourire
Quelque chose dans la voix
Qui parait nous dire "viens"
Qui nous fait sentir étrangement bien
C'est comme toute l'histoire
Du peuple noir
Qui se balance entre l'amour
Et l'désespoir
Quelque chose qui danse en toi
Si tu l'as, tu l'as
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je ne sais quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Cette drôle de voix
(Elle l'a)
Cette drôle de joie
Ce don du ciel qui la rend belle
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Elle l'a
Ce tout petit supplément d'âme
Cet indéfinissable charme
Cette petite flamme
Tape sur des tonneaux
Sur des pianos
Sur tout ce que Dieu peut te mettre
Entre les mains
Montre ton rire ou ton chagrin
Mais que tu n'aies rien
Que tu sois roi
Que tu cherches encore les pouvoirs
Qui dorment en toi
Tu vois, ça ne s'achète pas
Quand tu l'as, tu l'as
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je ne sais quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a Ella (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je-ne-sais-quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Cette drôle de voix
Cette drôle de joie
Ce don du ciel qui la rend belle
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Comme un sourire
Quelque chose dans la voix
Qui parait nous dire "viens"
Qui nous fait sentir étrangement bien
C'est comme toute l'histoire
Du peuple noir
Qui se balance entre l'amour
Et l'désespoir
Quelque chose qui danse en toi
Si tu l'as, tu l'as
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je ne sais quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Cette drôle de voix
(Elle l'a)
Cette drôle de joie
Ce don du ciel qui la rend belle
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Elle l'a
Ce tout petit supplément d'âme
Cet indéfinissable charme
Cette petite flamme
Tape sur des tonneaux
Sur des pianos
Sur tout ce que Dieu peut te mettre
Entre les mains
Montre ton rire ou ton chagrin
Mais que tu n'aies rien
Que tu sois roi
Que tu cherches encore les pouvoirs
Qui dorment en toi
Tu vois, ça ne s'achète pas
Quand tu l'as, tu l'as
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je ne sais quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a Ella (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ce je-ne-sais-quoi
Que d'autres n'ont pas
Qui nous met dans un drôle d'état
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Cette drôle de voix
Cette drôle de joie
Ce don du ciel qui la rend belle
Ella, elle l'a (elle l'a)
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
Ella, elle l'a
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Beautiful song, there's a more erotic version that starts with heavy breathing, very sexy.
A rough translation (made by some auto translator):
It is like a cheerfulness Like a smile Something in the voice Who appears to say to us come Who makes us smell curiously well It is like all the history Of the black people Who balances himself Between the love and despair Something which dances in you If you have it, you have it
Ella, it has it This I do not know what That others do not have Who puts to us in funny state Ella, it has it Ella, it has it This funny of voice This funny of joy This gift of the sky Who makes it beautiful Ella, it has it Ella, it has it
It has This very small supplement of heart This indefinable charm This small flame
Type On barrels On pianos On all that God can put to you between the hands Show your laughter or your sorrow But that you do not have anything That you would be a king That you still seek the capacities which sleep in you You see Ca does not buy yourself When you have it, you have it
Ella, it has it This I do not know what That others do not have Who puts to us in funny state Ella, it has it Ella, it has it This funny of voice This funny of joy This gift of the sky Who makes it beautiful Ella, it has it...
@Worst I know that it was a kind of auto translator so i'm just going to correct the few mistakes that there is to my best (since i'm french).<br /> <br /> It is like a cheerfulness<br /> Like a smile<br /> Something in the voice<br /> Who appears to say to us "come"<br /> Who makes us feel curiously well<br /> It is like all the history<br /> Of the black people<br /> Who balances himself<br /> Between the love and despair<br /> Something which dances in you<br /> If you have it, you have it<br /> <br /> Ella, she has it<br /> This "little something"<br /> That others do not have<br /> Who puts to us in funny state<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> This funny of voice<br /> This funny of joy<br /> This gift of the sky<br /> Who makes it beautiful<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> <br /> She has<br /> This very small supplement of soul<br /> This indefinable charm<br /> This small flame<br /> <br /> Hit<br /> On barrels<br /> On pianos<br /> On all that God can put to you between the hands<br /> Show your laughter or your sorrow<br /> But to have nothing<br /> To be a king<br /> To still seek the capacities which sleep in you<br /> <br /> You can't buy it<br /> If you have it, you have it<br /> <br /> Ella, she has it<br /> This "little something"<br /> That others do not have<br /> Who puts to us in funny state<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> Ella, she has it<br /> This funny of voice<br /> This funny of joy<br /> This gift of the sky<br /> Who makes it beautiful<br /> Ella, she has it... <br /> <br /> <br /> Aaaaand that's it! Well to be honest it's a rather literal translation. The meaning is deeper in French but I don't want to change it too much.