Quelqu'un M'a Dit

for the longest time i had no interest in finding an english translation of this song. i assumed i would just be disappointed with the lyrics (after all, it's a model trying her hand at a music career) and never be able to hear the song the same way again. eventually, though, my curiosity got the better of me, and i went in search of some translations. the two translations found above are fairly indicative of the other ones posted elsewhere on the internet (even though i did find a couple others out there in cyberspace that i liked somewhat better). of the two found here, i'm more partial to the one posted by ooominhooo because that translation shares the same sensibility as the other one, but comes across as much less clumsy and awkward-sounding. anyhow, the lyrics aren't first rate or anything--though i'm sure there's something that gets lost in the translation--but i was pleasantly surprised by them nonetheless.

the basic trend i've noticed from the user comments on this site is that people generally think just about every song is written in reference to one of three things: love/relationships, drugs, or some combination of those two. this song has the word love in it quite a few times so most people immediately took off running with that idea and steered right into relationship territory (though i would love to see someone try and interpret this song as being about drugs). i'll admit i could be totally wrong, but from the way i processed the lyrics, i see the main theme of this song actually being hope. the lyrics outline how bleak life really is and imply that we should really all be cynics and/or nihilists--we're born only to die, happiness seems always just out of reach, our lives aren't worth anything and ultimately they're essentially meaningless in the grand scheme of things anyway. and yet...we always find something to reach for; we continue to hope. that sentiment may be completely irrational but it's what keeps us going. we know we're fated to die yet we choose to try and keep focus on possibilities--maybe, just maybe we can be happier, or find someone that loves us, or score some really great drugs (just kidding). so i don't really see this song being about the subject of love. i see the idea of love merely being used as one of those beacons of hope for which we are constantly on the lookout.

this song expresses a really interesting sentiment by, in my opinion, describing the human condition, but it's the musical aspects of it that actually strike a chord within me (hey, i liked this song long before i knew one word of it). truth be told, i don't find carla bruni to be an impressive vocalist by any means--she really has no range to speak of--but her voice has a great smoky, sexy quality to it. plus it doesn't hurt that the french language just sounds great to begin with (to me anyway). but it's the stringed instruments on this track that make it stellar. the acoustic guitars are given a great treatment and the orchestral strings float beautifully in the background, punctuating certain moments with great accents. i really love how the different guitar tracks weave and interact with each other, especially the dueling guitars during the solo section. the album credits state that it was the albums producer who not only laid down all the guitar tracks, but also arranged the guitars and strings for the song (wow!). so as usual, it's the man behind the curtain who's mainly responsible for the great creation yet doesn't get any of the deserved accolades.