Autrement – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Julien Lieb

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt French ballad "Autrement" by Julien Lieb, a poignant exploration of unspoken words and regret. This song is an excellent way to connect with contemporary French pop and learn emotional vocabulary and common French expressions related to feelings and relationships. Its clear, evocative lyrics and melancholic melody make it special for language learners eager to understand deeper meanings in French music.

[English]

I'm still searching somewhere for a bit of us

It's your gaze that helps me because everything's blurry

Today you need to understand that I have doubts

That unsaid words turn into I don't give a damn

And honestly

Even in failure, we keep the good moments

And even if our story once saw the sun

In my memories, we lost too much time

I wish the wind would pick up

If only

If only

Otherwise

Otherwise

But if only we had spoken honestly

If only the words had been different

If only

If only we had said the things

If only the words had been different

If only

If only

Otherwise

Otherwise

Otherwise

I want to redraw our smiles

I dream of the scent of your sighs

It's not normal

No, it's not normal

To pretend

Doing it alone, we get nowhere

We don't have any more time

I live in your routines, I have tears of stone

I want us to remember that silence will lead us astray

I want everything to stop and the wind to rise

I'm coming to confess to you

I need to talk a little

To find the "I love you"

But if only we had spoken honestly

If only the words had been different

If only

If only we had said the things

If only the words had been different

If only

If only

Otherwise

Otherwise

But if only we had spoken honestly

If only the words had been different

If only

If only we had said the things

If only the words had been different

If only

If only

Otherwise

Otherwise

Oh

If only we had spoken honestly

If only the words had been different

If only

If only we had said the things

If only the words had been different

If only

If only

Otherwise

Otherwise

Oh

[French]

Je cherche encore quelque part un peu de nous

C'est ton regard qui m'aide parce que c'est flou

Il faut qu'aujourd'hui tu comprennes que j'ai des doutes

Que les non-dits se transforment en j'en ai rien à foutre

Et sincèrement

Même dans les échecs on garde le bon

Et même si notre histoire un jour a vu le soleil

Dans mes souvenirs on a trop perdu de temps

J'aimerais que le vent se lève

Si seulement

Si seulement

Autrement

Autrement

Mais si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement

Autrement

Autrement

Autrement

J'aimerais redessiner nos sourires

Je rêve du parfum de tes soupirs

C'est pas normal

Non c'est pas normal

De faire semblant

Seul on s'en sort mal

On a plus le temps

Je vis dans tes repères, j'ai des larmes de pierre

Je veux qu'on se souvienne que le silence nous perd

Je veux que tout s'arrête et que le vent se lève

Je viens te faire mes aveux

J'ai besoin de parler un peu

Retrouver les je t'aime

Mais si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement

Autrement

Autrement

Mais si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement

Autrement

Autrement

Oh

Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

Si seulement il y avait eu les mots autrement

Si seulement

Si seulement

Autrement

Autrement

Oh

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
regard /ʁəɡaʁ/ B1	noun - look or gaze
sourire /suʁiʁ/ B1	noun - smile verb - to smile
vent /vɑ̃/ A2	noun - wind
temps /tɑ̃/ A2	noun - time
mots /mo/ A2	noun - words
silence /silɑ̃s/ B1	noun - silence
amour /amuʁ/ B2	noun - love
souvenir /suvnɛʁ/ B2	noun - memory or keepsake
jour /ʒuʁ/ A2	noun - day
rêve /ʁɛv/ B1	noun - dream
mains /mɛ̃/ A2	noun - hands
chemin /ʃ(ə)mɛ̃/ B1	noun - path, way
même /mɛm/ A2	adjective/pronoun - same

Key Grammar Structures

• Je cherche encore quelque part un peu de nous

  ➔ Present Tense (Indicative)

  ➔ Uses the present tense "cherche" to express an ongoing action or a state that is currently true. In this context, it indicates the speaker is still looking for a connection with the 'us' they once had.

• Il faut qu'aujourd'hui tu comprennes que j'ai des doutes

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after "il faut que"

  ➔ "Il faut que" (it is necessary that) requires the following verb to be in the subjunctive mood. Here, "comprennes" is the subjunctive form of "comprendre". This expresses a need or obligation.

• Même dans les échecs on garde le bon

  ➔ Use of 'on' as an impersonal pronoun

  ➔ The pronoun "on" is used in an impersonal way, meaning 'one', 'we', 'people' or 'they' in general. It doesn't refer to a specific person or group but rather to everyone.

• Si seulement on s'était dit les choses

  ➔ Pluperfect Subjunctive in 'Si' Clause (Past Unreal Conditional)

  ➔ This sentence uses "Si seulement" (If only) followed by the pluperfect subjunctive "s'était dit". This expresses a regret about something that didn't happen in the past. The condition is unreal because it refers to something that cannot be changed.

• J'aimerais redessiner nos sourires

  ➔ Conditional Mood (Present Conditional)

  ➔ "J'aimerais" uses the present conditional of the verb "aimer". It expresses a wish, a desire, or a polite request. It suggests something that the speaker would like to happen, but is uncertain or hypothetical.

• Je veux qu'on se souvienne que le silence nous perd

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after 'vouloir que'

  ➔ "Je veux que" (I want that) requires the following verb to be in the subjunctive mood. Here, "se souvienne" is the subjunctive form of "se souvenir". This expresses a wish or a will.

• Je viens te faire mes aveux

  ➔ Near future with 'venir de' + infinitive

  ➔ "Je viens te faire" uses the structure "venir de + infinitive" to express an action that is about to happen, or has just happened. It means "I am coming to make" or "I am about to make".