Quand La Musique Est Bonne Lyrics in English Jean Jacques Goldman

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Quand La Musique Est Bonne by Jean Jacques Goldman from French to English.

I've bled too much

On the Gibsons

I've prowled too long on Tobacco Road

There's nothing left but the cases

That still ring in me

And when I split, I always ride for free

Cotton fields

In my memory

Three blues notes are a bit of dark love

When I'm too short

When I'm too late

It's a fallback for another story

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it doesn't cheat

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it guides my steps

I've got no love left

I don't have time

I've lost my humor

I don't know where the wind's coming from anymore

I've got just one nail left

A spark

Some lead stuff

That breaks my wings

A bit of swing

A bit of the King

Plenty of feeling and decibels

It's not the factory

It's not the mine

But it's enough to make a getaway

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it doesn't cheat

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it guides my steps

Ring, ring, ring

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it doesn't cheat

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it guides my steps

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

When the music rings, rings, rings

When it doesn't cheat

When the music's good

Good, good, good

When the music gives

Gives, gives, gives

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SONG MEANING

“Quand La Musique Est Bonne” is Jean-Jacques Goldman’s love letter to the raw, honest power of music. He starts by bleeding on his Gibson guitar, drifting through Tobacco Road and cotton fields, carrying only three blues notes and a pocketful of rock memories. Life on the road has drained his love, time and humor, yet a single riff can still spark an electric escape from heaviness that clips his wings.

The repeated chorus — “Quand la musique est bonne … quand elle ne triche pas” — drives home the message: when music is good, when it gives and never cheats, it becomes a compass that guides every step. A dash of swing, a hint of the King (Elvis), and a surge of feeling are all he needs to break free. In short, the song celebrates music as a truthful companion and a timeless remedy, reminding us that a sincere beat can lift us out of any slump and write a brand-new story.

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Jean Jacques Goldman Quand La Musique Est Bonne Lyrics