Elisa – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Serge Gainsbourg

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Serge Gainsbourg's "Elisa"! This enchanting French pop song offers a unique window into poetic expression and colloquialisms through its playful and intimate lyrics. You can learn how French conveys affection and subtle humor, discovering why Gainsbourg's masterful wordplay and a touch of scandalous charm make "Elisa" a truly special and enduring piece of French musical heritage.

[English]

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, jump into my arms

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, look for lice for me

Dig your nails in well

And your delicate fingers

Into the jungle

Of my hair, Lisa

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, jump into my arms

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, look for lice for me

Make me some curls

And part it in the middle

We are 13

14 years between us

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, we don't care about the others

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, just you, me, us

Your 20 years, my 40

If you think that this

Torments me

Ah no really, Lisa

...

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, jump into my arms

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa, look for lice for me

Dig your nails in well

And your delicate fingers

Into the jungle

Of my hair, Lisa

...

[French]

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa saute-moi au cou

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa cherche-moi des poux

Enfonce bien tes ongles

Et tes doigts délicats

Dans la jungle

De mes cheveux Lisa

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa saute-moi au cou

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa cherche-moi des poux

Fais-moi quelques anglaises

Et la raie au milieu

On a 13

14 ans à nous deux

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa les autr's on s'en fout

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa rien que toi, moi, nous

Tes 20 ans, mes 40

Si tu crois que cela

Me tourmente

Ah non vraiment, Lisa

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa saute-moi au cou

Elisa, Elisa

Elisa cherche-moi des poux

Enfonce bien tes ongles

Et tes doigts délicats

Dans la jungle

De mes cheveux Lisa

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
saute /sot/ B1	verb - to jump
cherche /ʃɛʁʃ/ B1	verb - to search for
enfonce /ɑ̃.fɔ̃s/ B2	verb - to push in
déliats /de.li.ka/ B2	adjective - delicate
jungle /ʒ‿ɛ̃.ɡlɑ̃/ A2	noun - a tropical rainforest
cheveux /ʃə.vø/ A2	noun - hair
poux /pu/ B2	noun - lice
anglaises /ɑ̃.ɡlɛz/ B1	noun - English (female, plural)
raie /ʁɛ/ A2	noun - parting (hair)
ans /ɑ̃/ A1	noun - years
fout /fu/ B2	verb - to care about (informal)
rien /ʁi.ɛ̃/ A1	noun - nothing
moi /mwa/ A1	pronoun - me

Key Grammar Structures

• Elisa, Elisa

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis

  ➔ The repetition of "Elisa" emphasizes the speaker's affection and urgency.

• Elisa saute-moi au cou

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase is a command, urging Elisa to jump into the speaker's arms.

• Enfonce bien tes ongles

  ➔ Adverb placement

  ➔ The adverb "bien" is placed before the verb to modify its meaning.

• Dans la jungle de mes cheveux

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase describes a location using a preposition.

• On a 13, 14 ans à nous deux

  ➔ Use of 'on' as a subject

  ➔ 'On' is used informally to mean 'we' or 'people' in general.

• Elisa rien que toi, moi, nous

  ➔ Emphasis with 'rien que'

  ➔ 'Rien que' emphasizes exclusivity, meaning 'only' or 'just'.

• Tes 20 ans, mes 40

  ➔ Possessive adjectives

  ➔ Possessive adjectives like 'tes' and 'mes' indicate ownership.

• Si tu crois que cela me tourmente

  ➔ Conditional clause

  ➔ The clause introduces a condition that affects the main clause.