Montreal singer-songwriter Eli Rose has released her catchy new single “Tôt ou tard” (which translates to “Sooner or Later.”) The song features the Francophone pop-artist’s radiant voice on a cool sounding, electronica instrumental. You can check the music video out here:
The song is in French, but if you don’t speak it, don’t fret – we’ve transcribed and translated the lyrics below. The lyrics will be stuck in your head all day – now you’ll know what they mean!
Verse #1
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Par où commencer? |
Where to start? |
Analysis: Eli is unsure of how to begin expressing her feelings. The person she’s talking about has made her lose her train of thought and haunts her dreams. That person is (or has) a secret that she kept. Mysterious!
Verse #2
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Il suffsait d’y croire |
It was enough to believe |
Analysis: Here Eli is dwelling on what she believed her and the person she is talking about could have been. She sings that this person was her “light” in the dark – a bright spot in bleak moments.
Pre-Chorus
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Comme la lune sur l’océan |
Like the moon on the ocean Who disappears and follows the wind You are beauty, evil at the same time But you saved me from harm at the same time |
Analysis: Using vivid imagery, she illustrates that the person she is talking about is paradoxical; beautiful and evil at the same time, all while saving her from harm.
Chorus
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Tôt ou tard, je pose plus les questions |
Sooner or later, I’ll ask more questions |
Analysis: Eventually, Eli will ask pressing questions to the person she is singing about. After the questions are asked, Eli and this person will act as if it never happened.
Verse #3
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Un pari que je perds |
A bet that I lose |
Analysis: Eli is betting that she’ll lose this internal battle, because the person that she is singing about is in control. It (perhaps the idea of a relationship with this person) is a short-lived dream, and this person holds the reins.
Verse #4
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Il suffisait d’y croire |
It was enough to believe |
Analysis: Eli is laying down in a “collapsing castle”, perhaps a metaphor for her relationship with the person she is singing about. While she is trapped and abandoned under the weight of the pain caused by her and this person not being together (“the rubble”), the other person doesn’t suffer; for them, it is “only a goodbye.”
Refrain
| French / Original | English Translation |
|
Rien n’est prévu |
Nothing is planned |
Analysis: Singing about her relationship with this person, Eli is saying that she can “see the end” before the beginning – meaning that she needs to end her affliction with this mysterious person before she can finally move on.
If you enjoyed this song, you won’t have to wait too much longer for more. Eli is planning on releasing her next LP sometime in 2019. Until then, make sure you’re follow Eli Rose on Instagram and Facebook.
What are your thoughts on “Tôt ou tard?” Let us know on twitter @umusic!