
Francis Cabrel
Gitans lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1985
- Genre
- French Pop
- Length
- 4:41
Quand t'es parti Gitan
When you left, Gitan
Tu as laissé seulement
You only left behind
Une voiture en morceaux
A car in pieces
T'as pris des chaises de bambou
You took bamboo chairs
Ta guitare de rien du tout
Your guitar that meant nothing
T'as mis le vent sous ta peau
You put the wind under your skin
T'as caressé les oiseaux
You caressed the birds
T'as caressé les oiseaux
You caressed the birds
T'as mis des pierres sur le feu
You put stones on the fire
Les femmes aux longs cheveux
The women with long hair
Ont tout lavé dans les seaux
They washed everything in the buckets
Séché le linge sur des buissons
Dried the laundry on the bushes
Rentré les gosses dans les camions
Brought the kids back into the trucks
Sur les paniers de roseaux
On the baskets made of reeds
Et caressé les oiseaux
And stroked the birds
Caressé les oiseaux
Stroked the birds
Où allais-tu?
Where were you going?
A part les flaques de boue
Aside from the puddles of mud
Et quelque traces de roues
And some marks from the wheels
Tu n'as rien voulu laisser
You didn't want to leave anything behind
T'as mis ta fierté Gitane
You've placed your Gypsy pride
Aux rideaux des caravanes
On the curtains of the caravans
Comme des drapeaux pliés
Like folded flags
T'as caressé les oiseaux
You've caressed the birds
T'as caressé les oiseaux
You've caressed the birds
Où allais-tu?
Where were you going?
J'ai peur des lumières des villes
I'm afraid of the city lights
Des grandes maisons immobiles
Of the grand, motionless houses
Des jardins bâtis tout autour
Of the gardens built all around
J'ai peur qu'on emmène d'office
I'm afraid they'll take me away by force
Au bout du fusil des milices
At the end of the rifle of the militias
Les enfants de notre amour
The children of our love
Ils traitent nos filles de voleuses
They call our girls thieves
Du fond de leur maisons peureuses
From the depths of their fearful homes
Pleines de chiens de combat
Full of fighting dogs
Ils attachent leurs volailles
They tie up their poultry
Ils surveillent leurs ferrailles
They keep an eye on their scrap metal
On ne se ressemble pas
We don't resemble each other
Y a des panneaux depuis
There are signs now
En placement interdit
In prohibited placement
Comme s'il y avait eu la peste
As if there had been the plague
T'as plus qu' chercher ailleurs
You've got to look elsewhere now
Des gens qui auront moins peur
For people who will fear less
En esprant qu'il en reste!
Hoping there's still some left!
Et caresser les oiseaux
And to caress the birds
Caresser les oiseaux
Caress the birds
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- amour
- loveA1
- bout
- endA1
- chiens
- dogsA1
- emmène
- takesA1
- enfants
- childrenA1
- filles
- girlsA1
- pleines
- fullA1
- plus
- moreA1
- rentré
- returnedA1
- ressemble
- resemblesA1
About this song
Francis Cabrel is a French singer-songwriter known for his French-language songwriting and major commercial success. He became a staple of French pop music with chart-topping albums and singles, including the hit “Je l’aime à mourir,” and is also noted for recording French-language covers of Bob Dylan.