Passager- song & lyrics discussion

[SusanT]

59 minutes ago, dcdeb said:

 

Yes, I think most songs have more than just guitar. Like the acoustic version of Overrated starts out with mostly guitar, but there's some piano in there, too. And Heroes starts with guitar, but then there's the chorus.

 

I'd forgotten about the guitar accompaniment in Heroes. And thanks for mentioning Mika's acoustic version of Overrated  (just checked it out) - it's beautiful!

[krysady]

I checked on YT and the last lyrics are missing  

[Presci1108]

I knew it since the snippets, but Passager is my favorite song from this album... ex aequo with Je sais que je t'aime. (I can't say which one I love the most, the two gives me goosebumps...) I find it so touching in its lyrics, so beautiful, this song is just perfect. 

 

36 minutes ago, krysady said:

I checked on YT and the last lyrics are missing  

 

That's true. Here they are : 

 

Et je pleure 

And I cry

De passage

In passing

Car j'ai peur

Because I'm afraid 

De passage

In passing

Que ma vie

That my life

De passage 

In passing

Puisse me dépasser 

Could pass me by

 

[krysady]

1 minute ago, Presci1108 said:

I knew it since the snippets, but Passager is my favorite song from this album... ex aequo with Je sais que je t'aime. (I can't say which one I love the most, the two gives me goosebumps...) I find it so touching in its lyrics, so beautiful, this song is just perfect. 

I can't stop playing this one, I love it more and more   

Thanks for the lyrics   Another beautiful and sad song... but so beautiful! 

[Kasia Mousa]

On 11/27/2023 at 11:47 AM, holdingyourdrink said:

When I read his answer about Passager I have the strong feeling he is now metabolizing this more negative feeling he used to have to a positive one. It’s like like a victory, coming to terms with yourself, making the best of your situation and embracing that part of you. 
 

I can strongly relate to the song, and now especially after this explanation. I am a citizen of the world like him, but I never felt that I belonged somewhere. However, the feeling of belonging is something you need to unlock in yourself and you make the very best of it wherever you are. I don’t concentrate anymore on what I am not, but what I can bring to the table. 
 

Maybe I’m projecting, but I think this is part of what he means. 

 

I love the way you’ve described it Michelle❤️ I pretty much feel the same but I’ve never seen it as a reason to be sad or had a feeling of not belonging. I think it’s a great thing and living in London - wow, everyone here is from everywhere and we all can bring in something different. 

[crazyaboutmika]

PASSAGER

Les lumières flashent la pluie fracassée 
Les couleurs passent si nuancées Et dehors le temps s'est figé 
Tout s'est arrêté

Baisers torrides, toujours mieux à deux 
Bonjour rapide et presque un adieu Et dehors le temps s'est figé 
Tout s'est arrêté

Pas ma place, 
Partout où je vais 
Je passe sans rester
Je me lasse
Je reprends ma route 
Comme un passager

Et je t'aime
De passage 
J'fais d'la peine
De passage
J'suis moi-même
De passage

Comme un passager 
Comme un lion
De passage 
Vagabond
 De passage 
Sans raison
De passage 
Comme un passager

Mais la vie passe 
Comme un train pressé 
Mon cœur s'agace
De ne pas se trouver 
Et dehors le temps s'est vanté
 De m'avoir doublé

Je parle français 
De passage 
Un anglais
De passage 
Immigré
De passage
Comme un passager
 Et je pleure
De passage 
Car j'ai peur
De passage 
Que ma vie
De passage
Puisse me dépasser

[kreacher]

At first all the songs on the album were pretty even as far as how I’d rank them (all so good!) but this song has emerged as the one I hate because it gives me all the feels and then I play it again

[Hero]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:26 PM, Presci1108 said:

Et je pleure 

And I cry

De passage

In passing

Car j'ai peur

Because I'm afraid 

De passage

In passing

Que ma vie

That my life

De passage 

In passing

Puisse me dépasser 

Could pass me by

 

[krysady]

3 minutes ago, Hero said:

 

Yes, I get the same vibe as from C'est la Vie 

[silver]

I'm the same as Prisca - this song and Je sais que je t'aime are my favourites

[crazyaboutmika]

My translation (full lyrics) 

PASSENGER

The lights are  flashing the rain is smashed 
The colors  fade away  so many shades
And outside time has frozen
Everything stopped

 Hot kisses, always better when (we're) two
Quick hello and almost a farewell
 And outside time has frozen
Everything stopped

Not my place, 
Everywhere I go
I'm passing by without staying
I get weary
I hit the road again
Like a passenger

And I love you
On my way/passing by
I spread sadness
On my way/passing by
I'm myself
On my way/passing by

Like a passenger
Like a lion
On my way/passing by
Vagabond
 On my way/passing by
Wantonly
On my way/passing by
Like a passenger

But life moves on
Like a hurried train
My heart is annoyed
Not to find itself
And outside time bragged about 
 Having passed me by

Not my place, 
Everywhere I go
I'm passing by without staying
I get weary
I hit the road again
Like a passenger

And I love you
On my way/passing by
I spread sadness
On my way/passing by
I'm myself
On my way/passing by
Like a passenger
Like a lion
On my way/passing by
Vagabond
 On my way/passing by
Wantonly
On my way/passing by
Like a passenger

I speak French
On my way/passing by
A British man
On my way/passing by
(A) migrant
On my way/passing by
Like a passenger
 And I cry
On my way/passing by
Cause I'm afraid
On my way/passing by
That my life
On my way/passing through

Might me pass me by

Edited December 12, 2023 by crazyaboutmika

[crazyaboutmika]

On 12/4/2023 at 9:29 PM, krysady said:

Yes, I get the same vibe as from C'est la Vie 

And from Je sais que je t'aime

I have started translating the all the happy sexy bouncy songs first because those three tend to make me cry so I needed more time to get into them..they are utterly beautiful but

[krysady]

9 minutes ago, crazyaboutmika said:

And from Je sais que je t'aime

Yes, these are some special and intense songs... not sure if it's because of the language, melody, his voice, or all of them together, but he did an excellent job with this album 

[silver]

Thanks for the translation Anne.  This song is so sad and so beautiful.

[silver]

Les lumières are  flashing the rain that is smashed 
The colors  fade away  so many shades

 

Les lumieres would just be "The lights" - I think in the whole phrase he means the way that lights are broken up by rain when you see them from a car or a train

 

So:

 

Reflections flash in broken rain

The colors are so nuanced

[holdingyourdrink]

This song is my favourite on the album. The last sentences break me 

[silver]

[crazyaboutmika]

58 minutes ago, silver said:

Les lumières are  flashing the rain that is smashed 
The colors  fade away  so many shades

 

Les lumieres would just be "The lights" - I think in the whole phrase he means the way that lights are broken up by rain when you see them from a car or a train

 

So:

 

Reflections flash in broken rain

The colors are so nuanced

For some reason I left les lumieres in French

I came back to edit that

 

[crazyaboutmika]

5 hours ago, krysady said:

Yes, these are some special and intense songs... not sure if it's because of the language, melody, his voice, or all of them together, but he did an excellent job with this album 

I agree

[crazyaboutmika]

5 hours ago, silver said:

Les lumières are  flashing the rain that is smashed 
The colors  fade away  so many shades

 

Les lumieres would just be "The lights" - I think in the whole phrase he means the way that lights are broken up by rain when you see them from a car or a train

 

So:

 

Reflections flash in broken rain

The colors are so nuanced

 

5 hours ago, silver said:

Les lumières are  flashing the rain that is smashed 
The colors  fade away  so many shades

 

Les lumieres would just be "The lights" - I think in the whole phrase he means the way that lights are broken up by rain when you see them from a car or a train

 

So:

 

Reflections flash in broken rain

The colors are so nuanced

I started a long post and it's gone  Instead of my post being saved only the quote was  

You put it very nicely in English

The truth about that album is that the lyrics are sort of destructured in French like group of words and images put together Mika did a great job at breaking French flat patterns so the words he sings bounce together and we get real pop. I am not much into songs in French because I find they lack rythm due to the language. I liked Serge Gainsbourg songs because he could also make French bouncy. Mika said in an interview that a song has to have a catchy tune and a part of mystery. And he is so good at doing that

Edited December 13, 2023 by crazyaboutmika

[silver]

I keep coming back to this song.  I think it is definitely my favourite.

[mellody]

From the moment I read the lyrics about the flashing lights, I felt reminded of a quote from this article from 2019 in Le Figaro,

https://www.mikafanclub.com/topic/34005-le-figaro-magazine-27-september-2019-letter-from-mika-to-michael

"La vie défile comme un paysage projeté en transparence derrière les vitres d'une voiture immobile dans un film en Technicolor"

("Life passes by like a landscape projected transparently behind the windows of a stationary car in a Technicolor film.")

 

I remember the whole article very well, because it was so new at the time, so many intimate thoughts he shared for the first time, speaking of his private life vs career life. And I remember wondering about this quote, not understanding what feeling he wanted to express with this. Now I understand it, he wrote a whole song about it, Passager. ❤️

[Paoletta]