you used to come over wearing my favorite scent
that black bottle of jean paul gaultier you had
a quiet gesture, maybe the only hint
that you might have cared

it wrapped around me, got under my skin
soaked into my sheets like you belonged there
even after you left, i could still feel you all day
your scent softly flowing everywhere
  
i would sleep as if i were holding you
hugging the traces of you left on my blanket
until one night, you lie down beside me again
if i would ever cross your mind by chance

somehow your smell disappeared day by day
replaced by vanilla-scented cigars instead
leaving me nothing to hold on when you are gone
except the ashes of you lying by my bed

rappelle-toi Barbara
ce nom qui résonne comme un chant lointain
un homme français t’a vue sous la pluie battante
et voilà qu’une rencontre fugace devient éternelle

il ne t’a jamais parlé
jamais touché
mais dans ses vers
tu es gravée

une passante
une silhouette éphémère
transformée en immortelle lumière

mais moi, je me demande
en silence et souvent
si mon existence s’efface

ils m'ont parlé
ils m'ont touchée
ils m'ont même embrassée
mais jamais ils ne m'ont écrite

pas un vers
pas une strophe
pas une empreinte dans leurs mots

je me retiens
je me cache
je me replie

rappele-moi Barbara
comment est-ce d'être aimée comme ça?

sous le ciel de paris, un mur disait
"Je t’aime comme un soir d’été"
mais c'était en décembre
et il pleuvait toute la journée

malgré le temps, un feu brûlait
au retour de « la butte aux cailles »
dans mon vieux cœur d'âme
comme celuie de Notre-Dame

sur le chemin du Sacré-Cœur, vers chez lui
mon feu s’est enflammé avec ses lèvres, tout éblouie
pendant que Chet Baker chantait, douce mélodie
j'ai peur, je tombe sûrement amoureuse trop vite

et si demain, tout disparaît?
un souvenir que je ne veux jamais perdre
"Je t’aime comme un soir d’été," disait le mur
mais moi, je t'aimerai comme une soirée d'éternité

how many days did you show up on my door?

how many times did we run each other's arms?

how many times did we meet on that same corner?

how many nights did you fall asleep holding me?

how many mornings did you wake up next to me?

how many times did we look into each other's eyes?

how many times did you play with my hair?

how many kisses did you leave on my body?

how many coffees we've grabbed?

how many movies we've watched?

how many songs we've listened?

how many bottles of wine we've drank?

how many times we've got drunk?

how many times we've laughed?

how many dreams we've shared?

how many days, how many moments,

how many lives could we have fit

into all of time we've spent?

let me save you the suspense,

countless times

but how many of these moments stayed with you?

in how many of them i truly mattered to you?

how many days did you greet me at your door?

none

not even once

of all the cafés and all the places in all the world
i've walked into this one
chet baker was playing on behind

of all the songs and all the melodies in all the world
he was singing this one
you used to sing to me in the past

of all the guys and all the lovers in all the world
only you've crossed my mind
as he sang...

i've called you on those lonely nights when i couldn't sleep

i've called you to fall asleep while you told fairy tales in greek

i've called you every time i got drunk to make you laugh

i've called you every time i felt like i needed someone to cry

i've called you to tell you something happened at school

i've called you to tell you something my mom said about us

i've called you just to show you one more song you'd like

i've called you the next day to hear you singing it on your guitar

i've called you to surprise you by playing "la la land" on my piano

i've called you so we could sing along to the song on the radio

i've called you to talk about my favourite poets and writers for hours

i've called you to listen to you talking about cars and video games nonstop

i've called you to say "i saw you in my dream last night"

i've called you just to hear the way you said my name one more time

i've called you every day, every night and in every chance

i've called you with every name except mine

keep pretending you love her
only i know the way you cried to me
while saying you're only with her
just to imagine as if you were with me