Valse De Melody Lyrics in English by Serge Gainsbourg

Labyrinthe translates directly to "labyrinth" or "maze." It's an evocative word that immediately brings to mind images of complexity, mystery, and perhaps a journey of discovery or confusion.

In "Valse De Melody," the lyrics mention "Les murs d'enceinte du labyrinthe s'entrouvrent sur l'infini" (The surrounding walls of the labyrinth open onto infinity). This suggests that Melody has the power to transform a confining or confusing situation into one of boundless possibility, making the word central to the song's theme of liberation and wonder.

This waltz is one of the shortest tracks on Histoire de Melody Nelson, Gainsbourg's 1971 concept album built around a single encounter rather than a set of singles. It opens on a complaint — 'Le soleil est rare' [The sun is rare], 'Et le bonheur aussi' [And happiness too] — before the orchestra takes over for most of the song's ninety seconds, with the same two verses framing a long instrumental turn.

The second verse answers the first. 'Mais tout bouge au bras de Melody' [But everything moves on Melody's arm] turns the opening complaint around, and the song closes on an image rather than a resolution: 'Les murs d'enceinte' [The surrounding walls], 'Du labyrinthe' [From the labyrinth], 'S'entrouvrent sur' [Ajar on], 'L'infini' [Infinity] — a small, enclosed space giving way to something vast, which is exactly the arc of the album this track sits inside.