☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the power of music to evoke memories and emotions.
- The Gypsy guitars play an important role in evoking these emotional memories.
- The lyrics pose existential questions about the meaning of life.
- The singer longs for liberation and comfort in alcohol.
- The song reminds us to enjoy the precious moments in life, as life is short.
Interpretation
"Les deux guitares" by
Charles Aznavour is a melancholic song about the power of music to evoke memories and emotions. The lyrics tell the story of two gypsies who tirelessly play their guitars, thereby reviving the singer's memories. The music awakens his wild youth and makes him feel his past experiences.
The lines "Deux tziganes sans répit, Grattent leur guitare, Ranimant du fond des nuits, Toute ma mémoire" describe the effect of the music, which brings the singer's past back to life. The gypsies' guitars play an important role in evoking these emotional memories.
The lyrics also have a deeper meaning about human existence. Aznavour poses the question of why we live and what the purpose of life is. He sings: "Que vivons-nous? Pourquoi vivons-nous? Quelle est la raison d'être?" These questions reflect his thoughts on the transience of life.
The singer longs to forget his painful and worrisome past. He wants to laugh, sing, and numb his worries. He seeks liberation and comfort in alcohol: "Allez versez du vin fort, Car le vin délivre, Versez versez m'en encore, Pour que je m'enivre".
At the end of the song, the singer acknowledges his own mortality and accepts it. He says: "Quand je serai ivre-mort, Faible et lamentable, Et que vous verrez mon corps, Rouler sous la table". He urges the gypsies to keep playing until he is drunk under the table.
In summary, "Les deux guitares" is about the power of music to evoke memories and accept the transience of life. The song reminds us to enjoy the precious moments in life, as it is short.