Tournent les violons – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Jean-Jacques Goldman

Lyrics & Translation

[French]

[English]

Grande fête au château, il y a bien longtemps

Big party at the castle, a long time ago

Les belles et les beaux, nobliaux, noble sang

The beautiful and the handsome, nobles, noble blood

De tout le royaume on est venu dansant

From all over the kingdom they came dancing

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

Grande fête aux rameaux et Manon a seize ans

Big party with branches and Manon is sixteen

Servante en ce château comme sa mère avant

Servant in this castle like her mother before

Elle porte les plateaux lourds à ses mains d'enfant

She carries the heavy trays in her child's hands

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

...

...

Le bel uniforme, oh le beau lieutenant

The beautiful uniform, oh the handsome lieutenant

Différent des hommes d'ici blond et grand

Different from the men here, blond and tall

Le sourire éclatant d'un prince charmant

The dazzling smile of a charming prince

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

Redoublent la fête et les rires et les danses

The party doubles and the laughter and the dances

Manon s'émerveille en remplissant les panses

Manon marvels while filling bellies

Le bruit, les lumières, c'est lui qui s'avance

The noise, the lights, it's him who's coming forward

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

En prenant son verre auprès d'elle il se penche

Taking his glass near her, he leans over

Lui glisse à l'oreille en lui frôlant la hanche

Whispers in her ear while brushing her hip

Tu es bien jolie dans un divin sourire

You are very pretty in a divine smile

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

...

...

Passent les années dures et grises à servir

The hard and gray years go by serving

Une vie de peine et si peu de plaisir

A life of pain and so little pleasure

Mais ce trouble là brûle en ses souvenirs

But that turmoil burns in her memories

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

Elle y pense encore et encore et toujours

She still thinks about it again and again and always

Les violons, le décor, et ses mots de velours

The violins, the setting, and his velvet words

Son parfum, ses dents blanches, les moindres détails

His perfume, his white teeth, the smallest details

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

En prenant son verre auprès d'elle il se penche

Taking his glass near her, he leans over

Lui glisse à l'oreille en lui frôlant la hanche

Whispers in her ear while brushing her hip

Juste quatre mots, le trouble d'une vie

Just four words, the turmoil of a life

Juste quatre mots qu'aussitôt il oublie

Just four words that he immediately forgets

...

...

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, oh tournent et s'en vont

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, oh turning and gone

...

...

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

...

...

Elle y pense encore et encore et toujours

She still thinks about it again and again and always

...

...

Elle y pense encore et encore

She still thinks about it again and again

...

...

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, les violons

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, the violins

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

Lives are turning, oh the violins are turning

Tournent les vies, oh tournent les vies, les violons

Lives are turning, oh lives are turning, the violins

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fête /fɛt/ A2	noun - party, celebration
château /ʃɑto/ A2	noun - castle
beau /bo/ A2	adjective - handsome, beautiful
noble /nɔbl/ B1	adjective - noble noun - nobleman
sang /sɑ̃/ A1	noun - blood
dansant /dɑ̃sɑ̃/ A2	adjective - dancing verb - to dance (present participle)
vie /vi/ A1	noun - life
violon /vjɔlɔ̃/ A1	noun - violin
servante /sɛʁvɑ̃t/ B1	noun - maid, servant
mère /mɛʁ/ A1	noun - mother
plateau /pla.to/ A2	noun - tray
lourd /luʁ/ A2	adjective - heavy
enfant /ɑ̃fɑ̃/ A1	noun - child
uniforme /y.ni.fɔʁm/ B1	noun - uniform
lieutenant /ljø.tə.nɑ̃/ B1	noun - lieutenant

Key Grammar Structures

• Grande fête au château, il y a bien longtemps

  ➔ Use of 'il y a' to indicate a time in the past.

  ➔ The phrase "il y a" translates to "there is/are" but is used to mean "ago" in this context.

• Elle porte les plateaux lourds à ses mains d'enfant

  ➔ Use of the present tense to describe ongoing actions.

  ➔ The present tense "porte" indicates that she is currently carrying the heavy trays.

• Le bruit, les lumières, c'est lui qui s'avance

  ➔ Use of demonstrative pronoun 'c'est' to introduce a subject.

  ➔ The phrase "c'est lui" translates to "it is him", emphasizing the subject.

• Juste quatre mots, le trouble d'une vie

  ➔ Use of 'juste' to indicate a small quantity.

  ➔ The word "juste" means "just" or "only", emphasizing the simplicity of the phrase.

• Elle y pense encore et encore et toujours

  ➔ Use of repetition for emphasis.

  ➔ The repetition of "encore" emphasizes her continuous thoughts.

• Tournent les vies, oh tournent les violons

  ➔ Use of the present tense to express habitual actions.

  ➔ The phrase "tournent les vies" suggests that lives are continuously turning or changing.