Noir Et Blanc Lyrics in English by Bernard Lavilliers
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Noir Et Blanc by Bernard Lavilliers from French to English.
These English lyric translations are not yet verified.
C'est une ville que je connais
It's a city I know
Une chanson que je chantais
A song I used to sing
Y a du sang sur le trottoir
There's blood on the sidewalk
C'est sa voix, poussière brûlée
It's his voice, burnt dust
C'est ses ongles sur le blindé
It's his fingernails on the armored vehicle
Ils l'ont battu à mort, il a froid, il a peur
They beat him to death, he's cold, he's afraid
J'entends battre son cœur
I hear its heartbeat
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Il vivait avec des mots
He lived with words
Qu'on passait sous le manteau
Passed under the table
Qui brillaient comme des couteaux
That shone like knives
Il jouait d'la dérision
He wielded derision
Comme d'une arme de précision
Like a precision weapon
Il est sur le ciment, mais ses chansons maudites
He lies on the cement, but his cursed songs
On les connaît par cœur
We know them by heart
La musique parfois a des accords majeurs
Music sometimes has major chords
Qui font rire les enfants mais pas les dictateurs
That make children laugh but not dictators
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
Ça dépend des latitudes
It depends on the latitudes
Ça dépend d'ton attitude
It depends on your attitude
C'est cent ans de solitude
It's a hundred years of solitude
Y a du sang sur mon piano
There's blood on my piano
Y a des bottes sur mon tempo
There are boots on my Tempo
Au-dessous du volcan, je l'entends, je l'entends
Below the volcano, I hear it, I hear it
J'entends battre son cœur
I hear its heartbeat
La musique parfois a des accords mineurs
Music sometimes has minor chords
Qui font grincer les dents du grand libérateur
That make the great liberator's teeth grind
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
C'est une ville que je connais
It's a city I know
Une chanson que je chantais
A song I used to sing
Une chanson qui nous ressemble
A song that resembles us
Moti Kayé Astali Nini Penza
Moti Kayé Astali Nini Penza
C'est la voix de Mandela
It's the voice of Mandela
Le tempo docteur Fela
The tempo, Doctor Fela
Écoute chanter la foule avec tes mots qui roulent
Listen to the crowd singing with your rolling words
Et font battre son cœur
And making its heart beat
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
De n'importe quel pays, de n'importe quelle couleur
From any country, of any color
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
La musique est un cri qui vient de l'intérieur
Music is a cry that comes from within
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Po Na Ba Mboka Nionso Pe Na Pikolo Nionso
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Did you like this lyrics translation?
dérision — derision / mockery
Dérision translates to "derision" or "mockery". It's a sophisticated and less common word that stands out in the lyrics.
In the song, the line "Il jouait d'la dérision comme d'une arme de précision" (He played with derision like a precision weapon) paints a vivid picture of someone using wit and sarcasm as a powerful tool. This metaphorical use makes the word particularly engaging and memorable.
Did you know?
In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn French with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.
No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.
Rated 4.9 · Join 250,000+ learners
Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
MORE VERIFIED TRANSLATIONS
MORE BERNARD LAVILLIERS
Languages
Learn English with musicLearn Spanish with musicLearn French with musicLearn Portuguese with musicLearn Italian with musicLearn German with musicLearn Korean with musicLearn Russian with musicLearn Dutch with musicLearn Romanian with musicLearn Turkish with musicLearn Polish with musicLearn Swedish with musicLearn Finnish with music