Les Champs-Elysées – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Joe Dassin

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a delightful journey into the French language with Joe Dassin's timeless classic, "Les Champs-Élysées." This cheerful and romantic song offers simple, evocative lyrics that are perfect for language learners. Its catchy melody and vivid storytelling about love blossoming on Paris's iconic avenue make it an engaging and memorable way to immerse yourself in French culture and vocabulary.

[English]

I was strolling down the avenue

With my heart open to the unknown

I felt like saying hello

To anyone

Anyone, and it was you

I said whatever came to mind

It was enough to talk to you

To get to know you

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

In the sun, under the rain

At noon or at midnight

There's everything you want

On the Champs-Élysées

You told me "I have a meeting

In a basement, with some crazy people"

Who live with guitar in hand

From evening to morning"

So, I went with you

We sang, we danced

And we didn't even think

About kissing

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

In the sun, under the rain

At noon or at midnight

There's everything you want

On the Champs-Élysées

...

Last night, two strangers

And this morning on the avenue

Two lovers, all dizzy

From the long night

And from the Arc de Triomphe to the Concorde

An orchestra with a thousand strings

All the birds at dawn

Sing of love

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

In the sun, under the rain

At noon or at midnight

There's everything you want

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

In the sun, under the rain

At noon or at midnight

There's everything you want

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

On the Champs-Élysées

...

[French]

Je m'baladais sur l'avenue

Le cœur ouvert à l'inconnu

J'avais envie de dire bonjour

À n'importe qui

N'importe qui et ce fut toi

Je t'ai dit n'importe quoi

Il suffisait de te parler

Pour t'apprivoiser

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie

À midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout c'que vous voulez

Aux Champs-Élysées

Tu m'as dit "J'ai rendez-vous

Dans un sous-sol, avec des fous"

Qui vivent la guitare à la main

Du soir au matin"

Alors, je t'ai accompagnée

On a chanté, on a dansé

Et l'on n'a même pas pensé

À s'embrasser

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie

À midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout c'que vous voulez

Aux Champs-Élysées

Hier soir, deux inconnus

Et ce matin sur l'avenue

Deux amoureux tout étourdis

Par la longue nuit

Et de l'Étoile à la Concorde

Un orchestre à mille cordes

Tous les oiseaux du point du jour

Chantent l'amour

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie

À midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout c'que vous voulez

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie

À midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout c'que vous voulez

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Aux Champs-Élysées

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
baladais /baladɛ/ B1	verb - walked, strolled
avenue /av(ə)n(j)uː/ A2	noun - a wide street
coeur /kœʁ/ B1	noun - heart
ouvert /uˈvɛʁ/ B1	adjective - open
inconnu /ɛ̃kɔny/ B1	noun - unknown adjective - unknown
dire /diʁ/ A1	verb - to say
bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ A1	verb - hello
parler /paʁle/ A2	verb - to speak
apprivoiser /apʁivwaze/ C1	verb - to tame
soleil /sɔlɛj/ A2	noun - sun
pluie /plyi/ A1	noun - rain
midi /midi/ A1	noun - noon
minuit /minɥi/ A1	noun - midnight
voulez /vule/ A1	verb - want
rendez-vous /ʁɑ̃devu/ A2	noun - appointment
fous /fu/ B1	noun - fools adjective - crazy
guitare /ɡitaʁ/ A2	noun - guitar
main /mɛ̃/ A1	noun - hand
matin /matɛ̃/ A1	noun - morning
chanté /ʃɑ̃te/ A2	verb - sang
dansé /dɑ̃se/ A2	verb - danced
embrasser /ɑ̃bʁase/ B1	verb - kiss
inconnus /ɛ̃kɔny/ B1	noun - strangers adjective - unknown
amoureux /amuʁø/ B1	noun - lovers adjective - in love
étourdis /etuʁdi/ C1	adjective - dazed
longue /lɔ̃ɡ/ A2	adjective - long
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
orchestre /ɔʁkɛstʁ/ B1	noun - orchestra
cordes /kɔʁd/ B1	noun - strings
oiseaux /wazo/ A2	noun - birds
amour /amuʁ/ A2	noun - love

Key Grammar Structures

• Je m'**baladais** sur l'avenue

  ➔ Imperfect tense

  ➔ The imperfect tense is used to describe past habitual actions or states. Here, it describes a past action that was ongoing or habitual.

• J'**avais** envie de dire bonjour

  ➔ Imperfect tense (avoir)

  ➔ Another example of the imperfect tense, used to describe a past state or feeling (to have a desire).

• Il **suffisait** de te parler

  ➔ Imperfect tense (suffire)

  ➔ The imperfect tense is used to describe a past situation: it was enough to talk to you.

• Tu m'**as dit** "J'ai rendez-vous"

  ➔ Passé composé

  ➔ The *passé composé* is used to describe a completed action in the past. Here it describes what someone *said* at a specific point in the past.

• On **a chanté**, on **a dansé**

  ➔ Passé composé (repeated action)

  ➔ The *passé composé* is used to describe completed actions. This sentence details two consecutive completed actions: singing and dancing.

• On **n'a même pas pensé** à s'embrasser

  ➔ Passé composé (negative)

  ➔ The *passé composé* in the negative form. This describes an action *not* completed in the past.

• Hier soir, deux **inconnus**

  ➔ Plural Adjective

  ➔ The adjective *inconnus* (unknown) is in the plural form to agree with the noun it modifies, which is plural (deux).

• Deux **amoureux** tout étourdis

  ➔ Plural Noun and Adjective agreement

  ➔ Both the noun *amoureux* (lovers) and the adjective *étourdis* (dazed) are in the plural form to agree with the implied subject.

• Tous les oiseaux du point du jour **chantent** l'amour

  ➔ Present tense

  ➔ The present tense describes an action happening now or a general truth. Here, it describes what the birds do.