In 1975, American-French singer Joe Dassin released his most iconic songs. At the time, it was his biggest hit. These days, his “Les Champs-Élysées” is better known. It’s a standard at many Francophile wine bar sing-alongs.
Despite Dassin’s mark on this song, he didn’t write it. You can credit the French lyricists, but it was a direct cover of “Africa” by Italian singer Toto Cutugno’s band Albatros. French writers Claude Lemesle and Pierre Delanoë adapted it quickly, at the request of Dassin’s producer. Toto wasn’t happy. He’d initially promised the cover to another French singer. Years later, Cutugno himself would cover the French version in concert.
The song ceased to be about Africa. The lyricists adapted it to the singer, perhaps influenced by Dassin. The result moved it more toward the French chanson tradition. Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood covered it in 1976 and the lyrics were decimated. Do not listen to it, even for reference.
I couldn’t find a good English translation on the web, so here’s mine. For the audio, here is one of the better quality recordings I’ve found.
Some notes about this translation.
- The line ‘une aquarelle de Marie Laurencin’ was always under threat. It was considered too esoteric, but fortunately, the writers won out.
- The song’s direct translation of an Indian Summer, is “a season that exists only in North America,” but this is also a reference to the fact that it’s an American term.
- “Il y a un an, y a un siècle, y a une éternité.” And its reverse later in the song, was penned by Claude Lemesle (according to him). It’s understated, and a story unto itself. I absolutely adore it.
- One of the toughest sentences to translate is: “et l’on s’aimera encore, lorsque l’amour sera mort.” Literally: “and we will still love each other, when love is dead.” It has tense complications (like much of the song). It’s in future tense, implying when “love dies.” Perhaps just as importantly, “dead” can mean many things in French (like English). I have issues with “and we’ll still love each other, when love is dead” but I can’t find anything closer.
- French tenses employed here: le présent, l’imparfait, le futur simple, and le futur antérieur. So, there is an ambiguity about the narrator’s phrasing. It’s likely intentional. I’ve consulted native French speakers on this and no one agrees on the translation.
Original
Tu sais, je n’ai jamais été aussi heureux que ce matin-là.
Nous marchions sur une plage un peu comme celle-ci.
C’était l’automne, un automne où il faisait beau,
une saison qui n’existe que dans le Nord de l’Amérique.
Là -bas on l’appelle l’été indien
mais c’était tout simplement le nôtre.
Avec ta robe longue tu ressemblais
à une aquarelle de Marie Laurencin
et je me souviens, je me souviens très bien,
de ce que je t’ai dit ce matin-là.
Il y a un an, y a un siècle, y a une éternité.
On ira où tu voudras, quand tu voudras
et l’on s’aimera encore, lorsque l’amour sera mort.
Toute la vie sera pareille à ce matin
aux couleurs de l’été indien.
Aujourd’hui je suis très loin de ce matin d’automne
mais c’est comme si j’y étais,
je pense à toi. Où es tu? Que fais-tu?
Est-ce que j’existe encore pour toi?
Je regarde cette vague qui n’atteindra jamais la dune.
Tu vois, comme elle je reviens en arriere,
comme elle je me couche sur le sable.
Et je me souviens, je me souviens des marées hautes
du soleil et du bonheur qui passaient sur la mer.
Il y a une éternité, un siècle, il y a un an.
On ira où tu voudras, quand tu voudras
et on s’aimera encore, lorsque l’amour sera mort.
Toute la vie sera pareille à ce matin
aux couleurs de l’été indien.
Translation
You know, I have never been as happy as I was that morning.
We were walking on a beach, a bit like this one.
It was autumn, an autumn where the weather was beautiful.
A season that exists only in North America,
where they call it an Indian Summer, but it was simply ours.
With your long dress, you resembled a watercolor by Marie Laurencin.
And I remember, I remember very well, what I told you, that morning
It was a year ago, a decade, an eternity.
We’ll go wherever you want, whenever you want
and we’ll still love each other, when love is dead.
Our life will be like that morning,
the colors of that Indian Summer.
Today, I am very far from that autumn morning but it’s as if I was there.
I think of you.
Where are you?
What are you doing?
Do I still exist for you?
I watch this wave that never reaches the dune.
You see, like it, I am returning
Like it, I am laying down on the sand.
And I remember, I remember the high tides,
the sun, and the happiness that passed over the sea.
It was an eternity ago, a century, a year.
We’ll go wherever you want, whenever you want
and we’ll still love each other, when love is dead.
Our life will be like that morning,
the colors of that Indian Summer.