The longer he waits, the longer it’ll take his son to understand what’s going on.
Out of all the people whose heart he could possibly break, his son’s is the hardest
For him to consider, and once he has pondered all the ways he broke his promises
He can only see his son looking at himself and seeing his father as a complete failure
Not only doing worse to his son than what his father did to him, but doing so knowing
What it can possibly feel like for his son, to see him go, to chose freedom over caring
For his family, fulfilling his responsibility,
For his son, incarnating fatherly security,
For his wife, respecting their vows of eternity.
He will be there for them all, even if it means doing so half-way, only focusing on avoiding
Spreading more pain than they deserve, for the sake of rushing into another’s arms, loving
All the ways he felt when she was his, all the ways she looked at him, all her ways, loving
Him, when she made him feel like he was the one that she would spend her life with, adoring
Before she dumped him and sent him back to his most painful trauma, simply lamenting
On and about all the ways he never was enough, as he knew and forever will be;
On and about all the ways he only had his hands, heart, and head to give, and always fell short;
On and about all the ways he knew he should learn to be a better man, and still got distracted
By the hope of a slight chance, like a tiny possibility,
That he could dance once more with her, quietly,
And not betray his son to leave him crying DADDY…
“Souvent les nuits d'orage
Tu fais des drôles de rêves
Te voilà qui te lèves
Pour courir sur la plage
Et c'est tout naturel
C'est un pouvoir étrange
Qui te donnerait des ailes
Tu lui ouvres les bras
Tu cours quand elle t'appelle
Et tu danses, tu danses enfin avec elle
Tu danses, tu danses”
First two verses of Ça ne tient pas debout, by Michel Berger (1990)
If he was composing his music in English, he would not be able to use masculine and feminine
To talk about himself and the woman that he lost and longs for holding once more, simply dancing
Saying that he is love and that she is music, love being masculine, music being feminine
Asking what on earth can love possibly be useful for, if nobody receives it,
Asking what on earth can music possibly be useful for, knowing that she will be listening
And maybe reply with more music, or simply go on, hiding the fact that she too, is longing
For their reunion but won’t come around messing up his life once more, leaving him crying
Knowing that they are both lamenting and are both hiding to their surroundings their longing.
“À quoi il sert
Cet amour qui est en nous
À qui on le donne
Tous ces rêves qui nous secouent
Si c'est pour personne
À qui on l'avoue
À quoi elle sert
Cette musique qu'on joue partout
Pour qui elle sonne
Notre corps qui bat, qui bout
À qui on le donne
À qui on l'avoue”
Chorus of À quoi il sert, by Michel Berger (1990)
Since he would rather lose touch with reality than face his son’s judgement, even constructively
Since he knows that she too, misses him, but that they both know that they are an impossibility
Since he would like to revert back to a time before his father’s irresponsible cry for liberty
He sings that he will go, figuratively
In the paradise where he can be
Happy as a clam, inconsequentially.
“Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
Où les nuits sont si longues qu'on en oublie le temps
Tout seul avec le vent
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Je m'en irai courir dans le paradis blanc
Loin des regards de haine
Et des combats de sang
Retrouver les baleines
Parler aux poissons d'argent
Comme, comme, comme avant”
Chorus of Le Paradis blanc, by Michel Berger (1990)
Touring for his last solo album, he’ll get his wishes half-way realized.
He got to see her again, once more, and to sit not next to her, but not too far either.
He got to sway when she was performing, which is like dancing with her, on her music.
He got to tell her how he felt, without hurting anyone’s feelings, by admitting on TV
That the song by which she explained why she dumped him, was the best song ever
Written.
How many times he played the record?
Only he knows.
How many times he sang the song?
Only he knows.
How many times he wished she was still his and he was still hers?
***
Pour illustrer le fait que s’il est aisé pour la personne qui un jour a aimé
De comprendre que si « un seul être vous manque », alors « tout est dépeuplé »
Alphonse de Lamartine, Méditations poétiques (1820)
Il est beaucoup moins aisé pour celle qui un jour a pleuré du fait d’être délaissée
De comprendre qu’une fois entourée, même de personnes aimées
Tout lui semblera dépeuplé, si sa mie ne peut pas l’aimer
Et qu’il ne leur reste que leurs chansons pour danser
Offert avec révérence par SCM-SK