Mistral Gagnant Lyrics in English Renaud

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Mistral Gagnant by Renaud from French to English.
Sitting on a bench for five minutes with you
And watching people while there's some
Talking about the good times that're dead or that'll be back
While squeezing your little fingers in my hand
Then feeding stupid pigeons
Giving them pretend kicks
And hearing your laugh that cracks the walls
That above all heals my wounds
Telling you a bit how I was, kid
The fabulous candies we swiped from the shopkeeper
Car-en-sac and Mintho caramels for one franc
And the Mistral gagnants
Walking in the rain for five minutes with you
And watching life while there's still some
Telling you about the world while devouring you with my eyes
Talking about your mom a bit
And jumping in puddles to make her grumble
Trashing our shoes and laughing
And hearing your laugh like hearing the sea
Stopping, then going back again
Telling you mostly about the old Carambars and the coco-boers
And the real roudoudous that cut our lips
And f*cked up our teeth
And the Mistral gagnants
Sitting on a bench for five minutes with you
Watching the sun slip away
Talking about the good times that're dead and I don't care
Telling you the bad guys aren't us
That if I'm nuts it's only 'cause of your eyes
Because they've got the advantage of being two
And hearing your laugh soar just as high
As the birds' cries soar
Telling you at last we gotta love life and love it even if
Time's a killer and takes with it
Kids' laughs and the Mistral gagnants
And the Mistral gagnants
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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SONG MEANING

Imagine sitting on a park bench for just five minutes, sharing pigeon-feeding mischief and splashy puddle jumps with a wide-eyed child. That is the scene Renaud paints in Mistral Gagnant: a father opening a time capsule of memories, from stolen Car-en-sac licorice to the long-gone fizzy sweets called Mistral gagnants that sometimes hid winning tickets. As he hears his child’s laughter crack open the city walls, he revisits his own carefree days when caramel-stained pockets and scuffed shoes were the biggest worries.

Beneath the playful snapshots runs a gentle reminder: these small moments are precious because time is a thief. The singer accepts that “le temps est assassin,” yet he urges his child—and us—to love life fiercely before the sun sets and the candies disappear. It is a tender lullaby to savoring now, brimming with nostalgia, humor, and unconditional love that lifts ordinary minutes into something unforgettable.

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