Ma Jeunesse - Lyrics/Discussion

Yesterday at Montreal, some lucky fans heard Mika performing a new song, so feel free to bring all your discussions about it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J51X-QEcJ5E

Lyrics:

Elle était brune aux yeux noirs
On a grandi ensemble
Je la snobais dans le miroir
Je n'aimais pas qu'on se ressemble

Elle m'ennuyait avec sa gueule
De petite fille insolente
Je la laissais traîner toute seule
J'avais honte qu'elle me colle autant (?)

Je la vois qui s'en va comme une enfant sage
Qui ne fait qu'obéir et tourner les pages
Maintenant j'aurais bien tout mon temps pour elle
Moi qui ne l'ai jamais trouvé aussi belle

Pour faire plus vieux qu'elle
Je changeais ma voix
C'est vrai je la trouvais
Trop jeune pour moi
Sans un mot comme ça
Elle change d'adresse
Et voilà qu'elle s'en va
Ma jeunesse

Avec un autre que moi
Et plus jeune évidemment
Elle se fait la malle encore une fois
Il ne la gardera pas longtemps

Je la vois qui s'en va comme une enfant sage
Qui ne fait qu'obéir et tourner les pages
Maintenant j'aurais bien tout mon temps pour elle
Moi qui ne l'ai jamais trouvé aussi belle

Pour faire plus vieux qu'elle
Je changeais ma voix
C'est vrai je la trouvais
Trop jeune pour moi
Sans un mot comme ça
Elle change d'adresse
Et voilà qu'elle s'en va
Ma jeunesse (x2)


Translation:

She was brown haired with black eyes
We grew up together
I was avoiding to look at her in the mirror
I didn t like that we looked alike

She annoyed me with her playful face
I let her hang around on her own
I was ashamed to she stuck to me that much

Now I see her leaving
Like a well behaved child
Who only obeys and turns the pages
Now that I would take my time for her
I have never found her as beautiful as now

So I would seem older than her
I changed my voice
It s true I found her too young for me

Without a word just like that
She changes her address
And she goes away
My youth
With another one than me
And a younger one of course
She s going away once again
But he won t keep her for long

I see her leaving
Like a well behaved child
Who only obeys and turns the pages
Now that I would take all my time for her
I have never found her as beautiful as now

So I would seem older
I changed my voice
It s true
I found her too young for me
Without a word just like that
She changes her address
And she goes away
My youth
My youth

I'm immensely touched by the lyrics. For me - it is the most personal thing I've ever heard (I'm not even talking about Mika, I mean when we listen to the lyrics we are looking for close things, that matter to us, that resonate). I've never felt it so deeply.

Each time I listen to it, I melt. It's a wonderful song. The melody and the verses are perfect.

Each time I listen to it, I melt. It's a wonderful song. The melody and the verses are perfect.

Yes, and it's been stuck in my head since last night. Isn't the sign of a great song?

I think he should sell it for the great amount of money to some famous older french singer. :naughty:It's not a bad song, but not good enough for Mika.

It's too chansonesque (I don't know if such word exists).

It could be an intro song for some tv series.

SELL IT MIKA!

I think he should sell it for the great amount of money to some famous older french singer. :naughty:It's not a bad song, but not good enough for Mika.

 

It's too chansonesque (I don't know if such word exists).

 

It could be an intro song for some tv series.

 

SELL IT MIKA!

I can't agree. Mika is different, and it is great! I adore Soleil, I can listen to it for hours - so that's why this one song is like a gift for me.

The utter interlacement of lyrics and music make this song even more perfect.

After hearing this song I look at him with the new eyes, I respect him even more, he is so genuine and right!

I need to listen to it a few more times to be sure, but I think I like it!

I think he should sell it for the great amount of money to some famous older french singer. :naughty:It's not a bad song, but not good enough for Mika.

I totally agree. The lyrics sound lovely but the song itself is a real snoozer.

I don't think he's going to do anything with these "new" songs he's touring with now. I think he's just trying to mix it up and add something different. It sounds like everyone in Montreal enjoyed it but I really hope he's going back to Century Man when he gets to the states again.

Dreamy Queen, I agree with you about Soleil, this song is wonderful.

He could do a new album with only such French songs i think only me and a few other crazy old fashioned French fans would buy it

Yes, and it's been stuck in my head since last night. Isn't the sign of a great song?

I love when he both speaks and sings in french - because it's such a beautiful language. And this new song is just so unbelivably good - I think I'll love it as much as "Karen" and I do hope you are aware of how lucky you were last night!

Love,love

me

I can't agree. Mika is different, and it is great! I adore Soleil, I can listen to it for hours - so that's why this one song is like a gift for me.

The utter interlacement of lyrics and music make this song even more perfect.

 

After hearing this song I look at him with the new eyes, I respect him even more, he is so genuine and right!

These are two completely different songs to me. Soleil has the movie atmosphere, it's imaginative and magical and this one sounds to me a bit pathetic and too direct. I hope this doesn't sound rude. It wasn't my intention. I can't explain my thoughts better in English.

I totally agree. The lyrics sound lovely but the song itself is a real snoozer.

 

I don't think he's going to do anything with these "new" songs he's touring with now. I think he's just trying to mix it up and add something different. It sounds like everyone in Montreal enjoyed it but I really hope he's going back to Century Man when he gets to the states again.

I'm sure everyone enjoyed it. It's a catchy song. But I don't like when it's catchy like this one. It's too predictable.

But I like that he didn't stop writing while he is on tour. That's great!

Dreamy Queen, I agree with you about Soleil, this song is wonderful.

He could do a new album with only such French songs i think only me and a few other crazy old fashioned French fans would buy it

I'm not french, but I would buy it if I had some money x)

These are two completely different songs to me. Soleil has the movie atmosphere, it's imaginative and magical and this one sounds to me a bit pathetic and too direct. I hope this doesn't sound rude. It wasn't my intention. I can't explain my thoughts better in English.

I think we agree on this. I would say Un Soleil sounds heartfelt and this one sounds contrived. It reminds me of the songs they write for American Idol contestant winners to sing during the finale.

I never thought about looking on here and my boyfriend transcribed it for me and I put it through Google Translate

I'm too tired right now to compare it the one posted to his but hopefully it might be of some use, if not just ignore it!

Dreamy Queen, I agree with you about Soleil, this song is wonderful.

He could do a new album with only such French songs i think only me and a few other crazy old fashioned French fans would buy it

I'm not french, but I would buy it if I had some money x)

As Bia I'm not french and I love all his french songs and I wouldn't mind to buy a whole CD in french even I understand almost nothing

What i like with Soleil in French is that the lyrics have different levels: you can really have fun trying to interpret the song in different ways, and there are many "jeux de mots" (words games"? ). That's what makes it so special for me.

I worked on Soleil with my students (I'm a teacher of French as a foreign language) and they had fun discovering the many differents meanings of a sentence (and in shock when I told them the singer was Mika )

i don't like une soleil mal lune that much, definitely prefer this one! well, and karen is my fave anyway of his french songs.

re. what has been discussed in the gig thread, about the lyrics to ma jeunesse being personal or not: at first i thought they were quite personal, but looking more closely, it's basically what every teenager thinks. i remember it very well from my own youth, at the time when you're stuck somewhere between child and adult. you finally want to be grown up, to be able to drive a car, to get into clubs (that's why you hate looking young), and to be old enough to make your own decisions instead of having to listen to your parents. i like those lyrics, they tell the truth and express a certain regret that many might have from time to time, in certain moments, like "oh, if i had only known back then..." - but i'm pretty sure mika doesn't cry into his pillow every night about his lost youth.

Well I see that a lot (than I think they are going to be) of us who dont enjoy the song and all of his song in french ... personaly me I really like them as much as the english one x) the lyrics of this one are really nice

Ma jeunesse is a deeply moving song. It sounds honest, personal, poetic, incredibly melodic and sooo beautiful. Absolutely adore this song!!! Really hope I get to listen to it live at some point:wub2:

He could do a new album with only such French songs i think only me and a few other crazy old fashioned French fans would buy it

An album like that would be a dream come true for me:wub2:

Dreamy Queen, I agree with you about Soleil, this song is wonderful.

He could do a new album with only such French songs i think only me and a few other crazy old fashioned French fans would buy it

I wouldn't say old-fashioned, I can listen to Beyonce and other modern music. So I definitely will buy this album, if any!!! Love love love it!

Ma jeunesse is a deeply moving song. It sounds honest, personal, poetic, incredibly melodic and sooo beautiful. Absolutely adore this song!!! Really hope I get to listen to it live at some point:wub2:

 

 

 

An album like that would be a dream come true for me:wub2:

Totally agree!

Moi je l'es trouver Magnifique cette chanson! Elle ma tout de suite tres emeue et il devrait la garder pour lui! Tres belle chanson Mika!

So now we can tell Mika he must do this French album : we would be 6 to buy it, what a success!

Aww I love this song! (though I don't understand a word ) It sounds so delicate, exactly like him!

So now we can tell Mika he must do this French album : we would be 6 to buy it, what a success!

The whole country will buy it, even François Hollande would do it, don't you think?