Mon Vieux – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Daniel Guichard

Lyrics & Translation

Experience the timeless French chanson "Mon Vieux" by Daniel Guichard. This emotionally resonant song explores the complex relationship between a father and son, filled with nostalgia and heartfelt regret. Through its evocative lyrics and Guichard's sincere delivery, "Mon Vieux" offers a powerful reflection on family bonds and the importance of cherishing moments with loved ones, making it a perfect entry point for appreciating the depth of French musical storytelling.

[English]

In his old tattered coat, he would go - winter, summer,

in the chilly early morning, my old man.

There was only one Sunday a week, the - other days it was just work,

that he would earn as best he could, my old man.

In summer we would go see the sea, - you see, it wasn't misery,

it wasn't paradise either, oh well, too bad.

In his old tattered coat, he took - the same suburban bus for years,

my old man.

In the evening coming home from work, he would sit - without saying a word,

he was the quiet type, my old man.

Sundays were monotonous, we never - had anyone over,

it didn't make him unhappy, - I believe, my old man.

In his old tattered coat, on payday when he came home,

you could hear him shout a bit, my old man.

We knew the song, it covered everything, - bourgeois, bosses, the left, the right,

even the Good Lord, with my old man.

At home, we didn't have a TV, - it was outside that I would seek,

for a few hours of escape, I know, - it's silly.

To think I spent years, next to - him without looking at him,

we barely opened our eyes, the two of us.

I could have, it wasn't smart, - walked a bit of the way with him,

it might have made him happy, - my old man.

But when you're just fifteen, you don't - have a heart big enough,

to hold all those things, you see.

Now that he is far from here, - thinking about all this, I tell myself,

I would really like him to be close to me,

Dad

[French]

Dans son vieux pardessus râpé, il s’en allait l’hiver, l’été,

dans le petit matin frileux, mon vieux.

Y’ avait qu’un dimanche par semaine, les autres jours c’était la graine,

qu’il allait gagner comme on peut, mon vieux.

L’été on allait voir la mer, tu vois, c’était pas la misère,

c’était pas non plus l’paradis, eh oui, tant pis.

Dans son vieux pardessus râpé, il a pris pendant des années,

le même autobus de banlieue, mon vieux.

Le soir en rentrant du boulot, il s’asseyait sans dire un mot,

il était du genre silencieux, mon vieux.

Les dimanches étaient monotones, on n’ recevait jamais personne,

ça n’ le rendait pas malheureux, je crois, mon vieux.

Dans son vieux pardessus râpé, les jours de paie quand il rentrait,

on l’entendait gueuler un peu, mon vieux.

Nous, on connaissait la chanson, tout y passait, bourgeois, patrons, la gauche, la droite,

même le Bon Dieu, avec mon vieux.

Chez nous, y’ avait pas la télé, c’est dehors que j’allais chercher,

pendant quelques heures l’évasion, je sais, c’est con.

Dire que j’ai passé des années, à côté d’ lui sans le r’garder,

on a à peine ouvert les yeux, nous deux.

J’aurais pu, c’était pas malin, faire avec lui un bout d’ chemin,

ça l’aurait p’t’ être rendu heureux, mon vieux.

Mais quand on a juste quinze ans, on n’a pas le cœur assez grand,

pour y loger toutes ces choses-là, tu vois.

Maintenant qu’il est loin d’ici, en pensant à tout ça, j’ me dis,

j’aimerais bien qu’il soit près de moi,

Papa

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
vieux /vjø/ A1	adjective - old noun - old man
hiver /ivɛʁ/ A1	noun - winter
été /ete/ A1	noun - summer
matin /matɛ̃/ A1	noun - morning
jours /ʒuʁ/ A1	noun - days
mer /mɛʁ/ A1	noun - sea
ans /ɑ̃/ A1	noun - years
soir /swaʁ/ A1	noun - evening
dire /diːʁ/ A1	verb - to say
cœur /kœʁ/ A2	noun - heart
papa /papa/ A1	noun - dad
aller /ale/ A1	verb - to go
rentrer /ʁɑ̃tʁe/ A2	verb - to return (home)
loin /lwɛ̃/ A2	adjective - far adverb - far away
heureux /œʁø/ A2	adjective - happy

Key Grammar Structures

• Dans son vieux pardessus râpé, il s’en allait l’hiver, l’été

  ➔ Reflexive verb with 's'en aller' indicating habitual or repeated action in the past. Imparfait tense.

  ➔ The phrase "il s'en allait" means "he would go away/leave" or "he used to go away/leave". The imparfait tense (s'en allait) is used to describe a recurring action in the past. "L'hiver, l'été" further emphasizes this habitual action occurring across seasons.

• Y’ avait qu’un dimanche par semaine, les autres jours c’était la graine

  ➔ Use of 'il y avait' (impersonal) to indicate existence in the past. Use of 'c'était' with 'la graine' (informal) implying hard work.

  ➔ "Y'avait qu'un dimanche par semaine" means "There was only one Sunday per week". "Les autres jours c'était la graine" implies that the other days were about hard work. The informal expression 'la graine' here is a figurative way of saying the other days were spent struggling to earn a living.

• L’été on allait voir la mer, tu vois, c’était pas la misère,

  ➔ Imparfait tense ('on allait') indicating repeated action. Use of 'tu vois' as a discourse marker. 'C'était pas' + noun.

  ➔ "On allait voir la mer" - "We used to go see the sea". "On" here is used informally instead of "nous". The imparfait describes a recurring action. "Tu vois" is a common filler phrase meaning "you see". "C'était pas la misère" - "It wasn't misery", indicating that while not luxurious, their life wasn't terrible.

• Dans son vieux pardessus râpé, les jours de paie quand il rentrait,

  ➔ Subordinate clause introduced by 'quand' with imparfait tense 'rentrait' describing a recurring event.

  ➔ The 'quand' clause "quand il rentrait" describes a recurring event in the past: "when he came home". The use of imparfait ('rentrait') reinforces the habitual nature of this action.

• on l’entendait gueuler un peu, mon vieux.

  ➔ 'Entendre' + infinitive to indicate hearing someone do something. Imparfait tense.

  ➔ "On l'entendait gueuler un peu" translates to "We could hear him yelling a little". The structure 'entendre + infinitive' describes the action heard. Imparfait ('entendait') indicates it was a repeated occurrence.

• c’est dehors que j’allais chercher,

  ➔ Cleft sentence construction using 'c'est...que' to emphasize a specific element. Imparfait tense ('j'allais').

  ➔ This is a cleft sentence emphasizing 'dehors' (outside). It literally translates to "It's outside that I used to go search". The construction 'c'est...que' highlights the location where the narrator sought something.

• Dire que j’ai passé des années, à côté d’ lui sans le r’garder,

  ➔ Use of infinitive ('Dire') to express regret or realization. 'Sans' + infinitive ('sans le r'garder') to express an action done without another action.

  ➔ "Dire que j’ai passé des années..." expresses regret - "To think that I spent years...". "Sans le r'garder" means "without looking at him". 'Sans' followed by an infinitive describes doing something without another action occurring.