L'amour fou – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Indochine
• Album: Babel Babel

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the enchanting world of Indochine's "L'amour fou," a song that beautifully merges French pop-rock with dreamlike imagery. Explore the nuances of the French language through its evocative lyrics, and uncover a tale of love, protection, and the fine line between reality and fantasy. Let this song guide you into understanding the beauty and depth of French expression.

[English]

When you fall asleep at night

I think of your nightmares

You'll call me in the night

You'll be scared in your bed

And then

you'll see me

on your rocking horse

I'll be there

on a flying carpet

Then I'll give you everything I missed

with you

I'll go find everything I didn't do

for you

It's night here

It's life

It's life

You see

It's night here

It's life

It's life

You see

When you hear the dogs, hide under

the sheets

You'll close your eyes and wait for me

over there

And then

You'll be

on a rocking horse

We'll fly away

on a flying carpet

It's night here

It's life

It's life

It's gonna

be okay

I'm here

don't worry

Everything will

be alright

You see

that's how it is

The night

The night

The night

It's night here

It's night here (I'll go find everything)

It's night here (that I missed)

It's life (that I missed)

It's life (with you)

It's night here

It's night here (And I'll give you everything)

It's night here (that)

It's life (I didn't do)

It's life (for you)

It's night here

It's life

It's life

It's night here (And I'll give you everything)

It's night here (that)

It's life (I didn't do)

It's life (for you)

It's night here

It's life

It's life

[French]

♪ Quand tu t’endors le soir ♪

♪ Moi je pense à tes cauchemars ♪

♪ Tu m’appelleras la nuit ♪

♪ Tu auras peur dans ton lit ♪

♪ Et là ♪

♪ tu me verras ♪

♪ sur ton cheval de bois ♪

♪ Je serai là ♪

♪ sur un tapis volant ♪

♪ Alors je te donnerai tout ce que j’ai raté ♪

♪ avec toi ♪

♪ J’irai retrouver tout ce que je n’ai pas fait ♪

♪ pour toi ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ Tu vois ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ Tu vois ♪

♪ Quand tu entendras les chiens cache-toi sous ♪

♪ les draps ♪

♪ Tu fermeras les yeux et tu m’attendras ♪

♪ là-bas ♪

♪ Et là ♪

♪ Tu seras ♪

♪ sur un cheval de bois ♪

♪ On s’envolera ♪

♪ sur un tapis volant ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ Ça va ♪

♪ aller ♪

♪ Je suis là ♪

♪ ne t’inquiètes pas ♪

♪ Tout va bien ♪

♪ se passer ♪

♪ Tu vois ♪

♪ c’est comme ça ♪

♪ La nuit ♪

♪ La nuit ♪

♪ La nuit ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (J’irai retrouver tout) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (ce que j’ai raté) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (ce que j’ai raté) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (avec toi) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (Et je te donnerai tout) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (ce que) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (je n’ai pas fait) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (pour toi) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (Et je te donnerai tout) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici (ce que) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (je n’ai pas fait) ♪

♪ C’est la vie (pour toi) ♪

♪ C’est la nuit ici ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

♪ C’est la vie ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
vie /vi/ A1	noun - life
peur /pœʁ/ A2	noun - fear
lit /li/ A1	noun - bed
bois /bwa/ A1	noun - wood
cheval /ʃə.val/ A1	noun - horse
dormir /dɔʁ.miʁ/ A1	verb - to sleep
tapis /ta.pi/ A2	noun - carpet, rug
volant /vɔ.lɑ̃/ B1	adjective - flying
cauchemars /koʃ.maʁ/ B1	noun - nightmares
rater /ʁa.te/ B1	verb - to miss, to fail
chiens /ʃjɛ̃/ A1	noun - dogs
drap /dʁa/ A2	noun - sheet
yeux /jø/ A1	noun - eyes
inquiéter /ɛ̃.kje.te/ B1	verb - to worry

Key Grammar Structures

• Quand tu t’endors le soir

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "quand" introducing a temporal clause.

  ➔ "Quand" means "when". This structure sets the scene by describing when the following action takes place. The verb "t'endors" is reflexive.

• Moi je pense à tes cauchemars

  ➔ Use of "à" with the verb "penser". Indirect object pronoun "je" for emphasis. Plural noun "cauchemars".

  ➔ "Penser à" means "to think about". Using "Moi je" is a common construction in French to emphasize the subject pronoun, although technically redundant.

• Tu auras peur dans ton lit

  ➔ Future simple tense of "avoir" (auras). Possessive adjective "ton".

  ➔ This line describes a future state. "Avoir peur" means "to be afraid". "Ton lit" means "your bed".

• Alors je te donnerai tout ce que j’ai raté

  ➔ Future simple of "donner" (donnerai). Relative pronoun "ce que". Past participle "raté".

  ➔ This uses the future simple to express an intention. "Ce que j'ai raté" means "what I missed". The past participle agrees in gender and number when preceding the auxiliary verb "avoir".

• J’irai retrouver tout ce que je n’ai pas fait

  ➔ Future simple of "aller" (irai). Negative construction "ne...pas". Relative pronoun "ce que".

  ➔ This uses the future simple to express an intention. "Je n'ai pas fait" is the passé composé in the negative, meaning "I did not do".

• cache-toi sous les draps

  ➔ Imperative mood (reflexive verb). Preposition "sous". Definite article "les".

  ➔ "Cache-toi" is the imperative form of the reflexive verb "se cacher", meaning "to hide". It's an order or instruction. "Sous les draps" means "under the sheets/covers".

• Tu fermeras les yeux et tu m’attendras là-bas

  ➔ Future simple tense (fermeras, attendras). Conjunction "et". Adverb of place "là-bas".

  ➔ This describes future actions. "Tu fermeras" (you will close) and "tu m'attendras" (you will wait for me). "Là-bas" means "over there".

• Je suis là

  ➔ Present tense of the verb "être". Adverb of place "là".

  ➔ "Je suis là" means "I am here". This is a simple but reassuring statement of presence.

• ne t’inquiètes pas

  ➔ Negative imperative form of reflexive verb "s'inquiéter".

  ➔ "Ne t'inquiètes pas" means "don't worry". This is a common expression of reassurance. The reflexive pronoun changes position in the negative imperative.