Besoin de personne – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Véronique Sanson, Christophe Maé
• Album: Duos Volatils

Lyrics & Translation

Discover "Besoin de personne," a timeless French chanson by Véronique Sanson that celebrates independence. Learn about its powerful message of self-reliance and its enduring appeal, beautifully re-recorded with Christophe Maé.

[English]

I didn't need anyone

To meet him one day

Nor for anyone to reason with me

To help me see love

Need no one

When I made my own law

Need no one

When she came to me

To me

But I conquered him all by myself

He offered me his whole life

I think I said yes, yes

And I conquered him all by myself

He offered me all his nights

I think I took it all

That I took it all

Need no one

To choose the path of my life

Need no one

To cry when she denies me

Need no one

When I made my own law

Need no one

When she came to me

To me

But I conquered him all by myself

He offered me his whole life

Oh, I think I said yes, yes

I conquered him all by myself

He offered me all his nights

I think I took it all

That I took it all

...

Need no one

To meet him one day

Nor for anyone to reason with me

To help me see love

...

[French]

Je n'ai eu besoin de personne

Pour le rencontrer un jour

Ni qu'on me raisonne

Pour m'aider à voir l'amour

Besoin de personne

Quand je me suis fait ma loi

Besoin de personne

Quand elle est venue vers moi

Vers moi

Mais je l'ai conquis toute seule

Il m'a offert toute sa vie

Je crois que j'ai dit oui, oui

Et je l'ai conquis toute seule

Il m'a offert toutes ses nuits

Je crois que j'ai tout pris

Que j'ai tout pris

Besoin de personne

Pour choisir le chemin de ma vie

Besoin de personne

Pour pleurer quand elle me renie

Besoin de personne

Quand je me suis fait ma loi

Besoin de personne

Quand elle est venue vers moi

Vers moi

Mais je l'ai conquis toute seule

Il m'a offert toute sa vie

Oh, je crois que j'ai dit oui, oui

Je l'ai conquis toute seule

Il m'a offert toutes ses nuits

Je crois que j'ai tout pris

Que j'ai tout pris

Besoin de personne

Pour le rencontrer un jour

Ni qu'on me raisonne

Pour m'aider à voir l'amour

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
besoin /bə.zwɛ̃/ A2	noun - need
rencontrer /ʁɑ̃.kɔ̃.tʁe/ A2	verb - to meet
aider /ɛ.de/ A2	verb - to help
voir /vwaʁ/ A1	verb - to see
amour /a.muʁ/ A2	noun - love
loi /lwa/ B1	noun - law
choisir /ʃwa.ziʁ/ B1	verb - to choose
pleurer /plœ.ʁe/ B1	verb - to cry
conquérir /kɔ̃.ke.ʁiʁ/ B2	verb - to conquer
offrir /ɔ.fʁiʁ/ B1	verb - to offer
vie /vi/ A1	noun - life
nuit /nɥi/ A1	noun - night
tout /tu/ A1	adjective - all
choix /ʃwa/ B1	noun - choice

Key Grammar Structures

• Je n'ai eu besoin de personne

  ➔ Negation with 'ne... personne' to express 'no one'.

  ➔ The phrase "n'ai eu besoin" indicates a past action of not needing anyone.

• Quand je me suis fait ma loi

  ➔ Reflexive verbs to indicate actions done to oneself.

  ➔ The phrase "me suis fait" indicates that the speaker has established their own rules.

• Il m'a offert toute sa vie

  ➔ Use of the past tense to describe completed actions.

  ➔ The phrase "m'a offert" indicates that he offered his entire life to the speaker.

• Je crois que j'ai dit oui

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive mood to express doubt or belief.

  ➔ The phrase "je crois que" indicates the speaker's belief about a past event.

• Pour pleurer quand elle me renie

  ➔ Infinitive constructions to express purpose.

  ➔ The phrase "pour pleurer" indicates the purpose of crying when she denies the speaker.

• Quand elle est venue vers moi

  ➔ Use of the passé composé to describe actions that have occurred.

  ➔ The phrase "est venue" indicates that she came towards the speaker in the past.

• Il m'a offert toutes ses nuits

  ➔ Use of the past tense with direct object pronouns.

  ➔ The phrase "m'a offert" indicates that he offered all his nights to the speaker.