A ma place

You know how once in a while you'll come upon a song that you really really really like?

I heard a bit of the song "A ma place" a long time ago in someone's car when it came on the radio. I had no idea who sang it but I instantly loved it. Months later I heard it again and this time I paid attention and caught the name of one of the singers... a little googling session later I had the name of the song.

A ma place, in French means "in my place" (as in what would you do if you were me? or in my place?)

I like the nostalgic message: two people that obviously love each other that feel the growing need to be their genuine selfs while at the same time fearing that the other will no longer love them if they are. It really moves me how they are both unconsiously saying the same thing and yet neither has the guts to say it directly to the other. All you can do is bear witness to the demise of their story all because they dont dare to admit how they truly feel.

I love the voices, I love the music and I love the words to this song.

The only thing I don't like that much is the video (which I am nontheless posting below). It's as if they made so it had nothing to do with the lyrics... on purpose.

A ma place
Alex Bauer and Zazie




Here's the translated lyrics to A ma place. I admit the translation might be a little offbase (hoepfully not by too much though!) but if you find any inaccuracies, do let me know!

in blue when he sings
in red when she sings
in bold when both sing together

A ma place
Alex Bauer and Zazie

Serait-elle à ma place plus forte qu'un homme
Au bout de ces impasses où elle m'abandonne ?
Vivre l'enfer mourir au combat
Faut-il pour lui plaire aller jusque là ?
Se peut-il que j'y parvienne ?
Se peut-il qu'on nous pardonne ?
Se peut-il qu'on nous aime ?
Pour ce que nous sommes ?

In my place, would she be stronger than a man
After all these trials when she is abandoning me?
Live in hell, die in combat
Must I go there in order to make her happy?
Am I capabable of doing it?
Can we be forgiven?
Is it possible to be loved
For who we are?

Se met-il à ma place quelquefois ?
Quand mes ailes se froissent
Et mes îles se noient
Je plie sous le poids
Plie sous le poids
De cette moitié de femme
Qu'il veut que je sois
Je veux bien faire la belle, mais pas dormir au bois
Je veux bien être reine, mais pas l'ombre du roi
Faut-il que je cède ?
Faut-il que je saigne
Pour qu'il m'aime aussi
Pour ce que je suis ?

Does he ever put himself in my place?
When my wings get wrinkled
And my islands drown
I bend from the weight
Bend from the weight
Of this half woman
That he wishes me to be
I agree to be beautiful but not to sleep in the woods (in reference to the french title of Sleeping Beauty)
I agree to be queen but not to be the shadow of the king
Must I give in?
Must I bleed?
For him to love me as well
For who I am?

Pourrait-il faire en sorte
Ferait-elle pour moi
Ouvrir un peu la porte ?
Ne serait-ce qu'un pas ?
Pourrait-il faire encore
Encore un effort
Un geste un pas ?
Un pas vers moi...

Could he do it?
Would she do it for me?
Open the door a little more?
Just one step?
Could he make just one more...
Just one more effort
one effort, just one step?
A step towards me?

Je n'attends pas de toi que tu sois la même
Je n'attends pas de toi que tu me comprennes
Seulement que tu m'aimes pour ce que je suis

I don’t expect you to be the same as me
I don’t expect you to understand me
I only want you to love me for who I am

Se met-elle à ma place quelquefois ?
Que faut-il que je fasse pour qu'elle me voie ?
Vivre l'enfer mourir au combat
Veux-tu faire de moi ce que je ne suis pas ?
Je veux bien tenter l'effort de regarder en face
Mais le silence est mort et le tien me glace
Mon âme sœur cherche l'erreur
Plus mon sang se vide et plus tu as peur

Does she ever put herself in my place?
What must I do for her to see me?
Live in hell, die in combat
Do you want to make of me someone I am not?
I’m willing to try to look directly ahead of me
But silence is dead and yours freezes me
My soul looks for the mistake
The more I bleed the more you are afraid

Faut-il que je t'apprenne ?
Je ne demande rien
Les eaux troubles où je traîne
Où tu vas d'où tu viens
Faut-il vraiment que tu saches
Tout ce que tu caches
Tout au fond de moi ?
Au fond de toi

Must I show you
I am not asking
The troubled waters I navigate in?
Where you are going, where do you come from
Must you really know
Everything you are hiding
Everything that’s at the bottom of my soul?
At the bottom of your soul?

Je n'attends pas de toi que tu sois la même
Je n'attends pas de toi que tu me comprennes
Mais seulement que tu m'aimes
Seulement que tu m'aimes
Pour ce que je suis

I don’t expect you to be the same as me
I don’t expect you to understand me
I only want you to love me
Only want you to love me
For who I am

Quand je doute
Quand je tombe
Et quand la route est trop longue
Quand parfois je ne suis pas
Ce que tu attends de moi
Que veux-tu qu'on y fasse ?
Qu'aurais-tu fait à ma place ?

When I doubt
When I fall
And when the road is too long
When sometimes I am not
That which you expect from me
What do you want us to do?
What would you have done in my place?


Fned.