Ici Et Là Lyrics in English Alain Souchon

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Ici Et Là by Alain Souchon from French to English.

Here the Ralph Lauren girls in an Austin

Cruise along the Seine and wave at us

There the hoodies sway in the malls

Dreaming of big German limos

Even if it's the same sun

It's not at all, at all the same

Here and there, here and there

Here and there

You jump the beltway, come on

I shot the sheriff, Bob Marley

Here and there

Here Khâgne Hypokhâgne climbs to Normal Sup'

There the escalator's down, we roam the projects

Fantin-Latour and Degas, go on, hit the museum

At the foot of the tower there's two guys, go have fun

Even if it's the same sun

It's not at all, at all the same

Here and there, here and there

Here and there

You jump the beltway, come on

I shot the sheriff, Bob Marley

Here and there, here and there

Here and there

The look we cast on this chance

Those 40 meters of asphalt that split us

You jump the beltway, come on

I shot the sheriff

Here and there, here and there

Here and there

You jump the beltway, come on

I shot the sheriff, Bob Marley

Here and there

Here and there, here and there

Here and there

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SONG MEANING

Ici et Là is Alain Souchon’s witty city-scape, a musical stroll that keeps hopping over Paris’s périphérique ring road like a game of lyrical hopscotch. With every leap he toggles between two universes: “Ici” where preppy kids in Ralph Lauren cruise beside the Seine, quote Bob Marley, and prepare for elite schools, and “Là” where hooded teens wander malfunctioning mall escalators dreaming of shiny German limousines. The carefree reggae shout-out “I shot the sheriff” adds a splash of global pop culture, hinting that even the coolest anthem cannot hide the social rift.

Souchon’s refrain reminds us that the same sun shines on both sides, yet life feels “pas du tout pareil”. In just forty meters of asphalt lies a world of contrast: masterpieces by Fantin-Latour and Degas up in the museum, while two lads hang out at the tower’s foot looking for fun. The song is a playful but poignant snapshot of inequality, urging listeners to notice the invisible wall that separates privilege from struggle—and maybe to keep jumping the curb until Ici and Là feel a little closer.

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Alain Souchon Ici Et Là Lyrics