Comme Les Pigeons D'argile Lyrics in English by Pierre Lapointe
Pigeons d'argile literally translates to "clay pigeons," referring to the fragile targets used in skeet shooting. It's a striking and somewhat unusual image to find in song lyrics.
In the context of the song, the phrase is used metaphorically: "Vole comme les pigeons d'argile / Efface de nos coeurs / Même les plus belles idylles" (Fly like clay pigeons / Erase from our hearts / Even the most beautiful idylls). It evokes a sense of fleetingness, fragility, and the way memories and beautiful moments can be shattered or disappear, much like clay pigeons are broken and vanish. This poetic and slightly melancholic imagery makes it a memorable and thought-provoking word choice.
Pierre Lapointe's "Comme Les Pigeons D'argile" [Like Clay Pigeons] is a really moving song about a son comforting his mother as she faces memory loss. It starts with this powerful image of their roles reversing: "Toi Qui pleures sur mon épaule C'est comme si s'inversaient les rôles" [You Crying on my shoulder It's as if the roles were reversed]. He struggles to find the right words, admitting, "Pas facile pour un fils De trouver les bons mots parfois" [Not easy for a son To find the right words sometimes].
The song reflects on how fragile memory is, like "pigeons d'argile" [clay pigeons] that fly away, erasing even the most beautiful memories. He wonders if his mother, as a young girl, would have made the same choices if she had known what the future held. The most heartbreaking part is his promise to her: "Je veux que tu saches Quand tes souvenirs Se seront tous envolés Que moi je serai là Pour te les raconter" [I want you to know When all your memories Have flown away That I will be there To tell them to you]. It's a beautiful and sad promise to keep her stories alive.
