On était beau – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Louane

Lyrics & Translation

[French]

[English]

Sur les trottoirs je pense à toi

On the sidewalks, I think of you

Sur les boulevards je pense à toi

On the boulevards, I think of you

Dans la nuit noire je pense à toi

In the dark night, I think of you

Même s'il est tard

Even though it's late

Sous les réverbères je pense à toi

Under the streetlights, I think of you

Dans la lumière je pense à toi

In the light, I think of you

Tous les hémisphères je pense à toi

All over the world, I think of you

Sous la poussière

Under the dust

On était beau

We were beautiful

Pourtant on accélérait sans freins

Yet we accelerated without brakes

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

On était beau

We were beautiful

Souvent, quand on souriait pour rien

Often, when we smiled for nothing

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

Je me réveille je pense à toi

I wake up, I think of you

Encore sommeil je pense à toi

Still sleepy, I think of you

Trop de soleil je pense à toi

Too much sun, I think of you

C'est plus pareil

It's not the same anymore

En funambule je pense à toi

Like a tightrope walker, I think of you

On me bouscule je pense à toi

I get jostled, I think of you

Si je recule je pense à toi

If I back away, I think of you

J'suis ridicule

I'm ridiculous

On était beau

We were beautiful

Pourtant on accélérait sans freins

Yet we accelerated without brakes

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

On était beau

We were beautiful

Souvent, quand on souriait pour rien

Often, when we smiled for nothing

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

...

...

Je suis désolé je pense à toi

I'm sorry, I think of you

Presque obsédée je pense à toi

Almost obsessed, I think of you

T'es possédé je pense à toi

You're possessed, I think of you

Trop fatiguée

Too tired

Sur toutes les routes je pense à toi

On all the roads, I think of you

Si je m'écoute je pense à toi

If I listen to myself, I think of you

L'ombre d'un doute je pense à toi

The shadow of a doubt, I think of you

Je me dégoûte

I disgust myself

On était beau

We were beautiful

Pourtant on accélérait sans freins

Yet we accelerated without brakes

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

On était beau

We were beautiful

Souvent, quand on souriait pour rien

Often, when we smiled for nothing

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

Tu sais j'étouffe je pense à toi

You know, I'm suffocating, I think of you

Quand je découche je pense à toi

When I stay out late, I think of you

Je perds mon souffle je pense à toi

I lose my breath, I think of you

Au bord du gouffre

At the edge of the abyss

Encore un soir je pense à toi

One more night, I think of you

J'ai le cafard je pense à toi

I'm feeling blue, I think of you

Dans le brouillard je pense à toi

In the fog, I think of you

Je peux pas y croire

I can't believe it

On était beau

We were beautiful

Pourtant on accélérait sans freins

Yet we accelerated without brakes

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

On était beau

We were beautiful

Souvent, quand on souriait pour rien

Often, when we smiled for nothing

On s'aimait trop

We loved each other too much

Pour s'aimer bien

To love each other well

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pense /pɑ̃s/ A2	verb - to think
beau /bo/ A2	adjective - beautiful, handsome noun - handsome man
accélérait /a.kɛ.lə.ʁɛ/ B1	verb - was accelerating
souriait /su.ʁi.ɛ/ A2	verb - smiled
boulevard /bule.vaʁ/ A2	noun - boulevard, large street
trottoir /tʁo.twar/ A2	noun - pavement, sidewalk
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
feu /fø/ A1	noun - fire
lumière /lj‿eʁ/ A2	noun - light
route /ʁut/ A2	noun - road, route
rêver /ʁeve/ B1	verb - to dream
route /ʁut/ A2	noun - path, route
reveille /ʁevjɛ/ B2	verb - to wake up, to wake

Key Grammar Structures

• Sur les trottoirs je pense à toi

  ➔ Preposition + Noun indicating location; Verb "penser à" + pronoun.

  ➔ The sentence uses the preposition "sur" to indicate location ("on the sidewalks"). "Penser à" is a common French expression meaning "to think of." The pronoun "toi" means "you."

• Même s'il est tard

  ➔ Conjunction "même si" (even if) + impersonal verb structure "il est" + adjective

  ➔ "Même si" introduces a concessive clause. "Il est tard" means "it is late" and uses the impersonal pronoun "il" because it doesn't refer to a specific person or thing.

• Pourtant on accélérait sans freins

  ➔ Adverb "Pourtant" (yet, however); Imperfect tense (accélérait) with the pronoun "on" (we/one); Preposition "sans" (without) + noun (freins).

  ➔ "Pourtant" indicates a contrast with what was previously stated. The imperfect tense describes an ongoing action in the past. The expression "sans freins" means "without brakes."

• On s'aimait trop

  ➔ Reflexive verb "s'aimer" (to love each other) conjugated in the imperfect tense; Adverb "trop" (too much).

  ➔ "S'aimer" indicates a reciprocal action – the subjects love each other. "Trop" modifies the verb, indicating an excessive amount of love.

• Pour s'aimer bien

  ➔ Preposition "pour" (in order to/to) + reflexive verb "s'aimer" (to love oneself/each other) + adverb "bien" (well).

  ➔ This clause expresses the purpose of the action. "Pour s'aimer bien" means "in order to love each other well/properly". It contrasts with "s'aimait trop" earlier, implying that their love was excessive and not healthy.

• Souvent, quand on souriait pour rien

  ➔ Adverb "Souvent" (often); Conjunction "quand" (when); Imperfect tense of "sourire" (to smile) - "souriait"; Expression "pour rien" (for nothing/for no reason)

  ➔ This sentence describes a recurring action in the past using the imperfect tense. "Pour rien" emphasizes that the smiling was spontaneous and without a specific cause.

• Je suis désolé je pense à toi

  ➔ "Être désolé" (to be sorry) - Adjective agrees with the subject (je); Present simple tense of "penser à" (to think of) + pronoun "toi" (you).

  ➔ "Désolé" needs to agree in gender with the subject. As the singer is female, the form used is "désolée".