This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Je m'baladais sur l'avenue
Le cœur ouvert à l'inconnu
J'avais envie de dire bonjour à n'importe qui
N'importe qui, ce fut toi
Je t'ai dit n'importe quoi
Il suffisait de te parler
Pour t'apprivoiser
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Tu m'as dit, "j'ai rendez-vous"
"Dans un sous-sol, avec des fous"
"Qui vivent la guitare à la main ddu soir au matin"
Alors, je t'ai accompagnée
On a chanté, on a dansé
Et l'on n'a même pas pensé à s'embrasser
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Hier soir, deux inconnus
Et ce matin, sur l'avenue
Deux amoureux tout étourdis par la longue nuit
Et de l'Étoile à la Concorde
Un orchestre à mille cordes
Tous les oiseaux du point du jour chantent l'amour
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Le cœur ouvert à l'inconnu
J'avais envie de dire bonjour à n'importe qui
N'importe qui, ce fut toi
Je t'ai dit n'importe quoi
Il suffisait de te parler
Pour t'apprivoiser
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Tu m'as dit, "j'ai rendez-vous"
"Dans un sous-sol, avec des fous"
"Qui vivent la guitare à la main ddu soir au matin"
Alors, je t'ai accompagnée
On a chanté, on a dansé
Et l'on n'a même pas pensé à s'embrasser
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Hier soir, deux inconnus
Et ce matin, sur l'avenue
Deux amoureux tout étourdis par la longue nuit
Et de l'Étoile à la Concorde
Un orchestre à mille cordes
Tous les oiseaux du point du jour chantent l'amour
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie
À midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout c'que vous voulez
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Aux Champs-Élysées
Lyrics submitted by eva, wake up
Les Champs-Élysées Lyrics as written by Mike Deighan Pierre Delanoe
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Here is a translation that is less literal, but more accurate to the ideas and feeling of the song. It is breezy, and casual in that very unique French way :-)
I went for a walk, feeling open to possibilities, and felt like saying hello to anyone, whoever. "Whoever" turned out to be you. I said whatever, this and that, to you. All it took was to talk to you, to win you over.
On the Champs-Elysees, on the Champs-Elysees, Whether it's sunny or raining, noon or midnight, You can find whatever you want, on the Champs-Elysees.
You said, "I'm going to meet some crazy friends (this is said affectionately) Who play guitar all day and night." So I went with you. We sang, we danced, and neither of us even thought about kissing each other.
(this is meaning to be playful and coy, of course they were thinking about kissing, the whole time)
Last night, we were strangers, but this morning, back out on the Champs-Elysees, We're a pair in love, stunned with fatigue after our long night. But, From end to end of the Champs-Elysees (Place de l'Etoile is on one end of the avenue, and Place de la Concorde is on the other end), it's like there's a thousand-string orchestra playing for us, and As day breaks, all the birds sing of (our) love.
It is really a cute song.