Listen #
Intro #
I went apple picking this October 2024. That along with other things going on in my life reminded me of this song. I’ve always admired Les Cowboys Fringants for singing about stories that aren’t obviously singable. I would, at least, guess that the story told in this song is based on someone’s real life.
Favorite Lyrics #
You were the good apple
Amongst the whole bunch
The independent little girl
surrounded by the lost
Dad was always ready to
have a cup of wine
And mom got lost
in her wonderland
The start of the song sets the stage for a girl growing up with two parents that abandon her. As the song progresses it builds on this scenario and adds years of pain, suffering, and responsibility to the little girl.
Sometimes you cry
When it comes to mind
This pain you have
You hold it silently
One day they’ll all come out
Those words you’re holding back
And your tears will stop
Finally
Holding in this sort of pain is more painful than the pain itself.
What is it that will cause the release of that pain?
What is it that will finally cause the tears to stop?
I don’t know.
When will the little girl, that grows into a woman, finally be able to stop crying from all the pain within?
You were the good apple
That fell from tree
And myself, I’m the man
Picked you from the leaves
I’ll be there by your side
If you want to talk
of the bruises
beneath your apple skin
The offer of companionship is really heartfelt for me. I’m not sure if it will be accepted since the song doesn’t say, but it’s great to have the singer offer a space to someone that has not had space offered to them throughout most of their life.
It reminds me of this excerpt from a poem I’ve read.
But this bridge will only take you halfway there-
The last few steps you’ll have to take alone.
– The Bridge by Shel Silverstein (click for original)
The offer of help might be there, but in the end the help must be accepted for it to be of any use.
Lyrics #
T’étais la bonne pomme
Au milieu du panier
La p’tite fille autonome
Chez les égarés
You were the good apple
Amongst the whole bunch
The independent little girl
surrounded by the lost
Papa était assidu
A la dive bouteille
Maman perdue
Au pays des merveilles
Dad was always ready to
have a cup of wine
And mom got lost
in her wonderland
Pour ces gens pas très drôles
Tu es devenue
Une mère, une épaule
Un point de salut
For these unlaughing people
you were to become
A mother, a shoulder
A safe space of one
Pendant qu’ils s’entretuaient
À longueur de semaines
Ils ignoraient
L’étendue de ta peine
While they fought amongst themselves
for all those endless weeks
They didn’t know
How much you were suffering
{Refrain:}
Parfois tu pleures
Quand tu y repenses
Cette douleur
Tu la vis en silence
Un jour ils sortiront
Ces mots que tu retiens
Et tes larmes cesseront
Enfin
{Chorus:}
Sometimes you cry
When it comes to mind
This pain you have
You hold it silently
One day they’ll all come out
Those words you’re holding back
And your tears will stop
Finally
T’étais la bonne pomme
Au milieu du panier
L’adolescente autonome
Chez les naufragés
You were the good apple
Amongst the whole bunch
The independent teenager
surrounded by failures
Papa était bien assis
À la brasserie du coin
Maman partie
Un nouveau conjoint
Dad was sitting on the stool
At the brewery up the block
Mom she left
With a new lover
Toi qui t’étais élevée
Seule comme une grande
Dans ce monde fermé
Sombre et sans guirlandes
You’re the one who raised yourself
Alone like an adult
In your dark
Lonely world without hope of sun
Tu avais vite compris
A force d’encaisser
Que par survie
Il faudrait t’en aller
You picked up pretty fast
after being beat
that to survive
you’d have to one day leave
{au Refrain}
Parfois tu pleures
Quand tu y repenses
Cette douleur
Tu la vis en silence
Un jour ils sortiront
Ces mots que tu retiens
Et tes larmes cesseront
Enfin
{Chorus:}
Sometimes you cry
When it comes to mind
This pain you have
You hold it silently
One day they’ll all come out
Those words you’re holding back
And your tears will stop
Finally
T’étais la bonne pomme
Au milieu du panier
La jeune femme qui en somme
S’en est bien tirée
Partie étudier très loin
Pour ne plus revenir
Dans ton patelin
Aux tristes souvenirs
You were the good apple
Amongst the whole bunch
The young woman that at last
was able to get out
Off to study far away
never to come back
to your hometown
of depressing memories
Quand les pommes pourries
Te font des reproches
Ton coeur de pomme se durcit
Et devient une roche
Tu as coupé tes racines
Avec le vieux panier
Une orpheline
Tu as toujours été
When all those bad apples
critique who you are
Your apple heart starts to harden
and turns into stone
You cut all the ties you had
with that crazy bunch
An orphan girl
Is what you’ve always been
{au Refrain}
Parfois tu pleures
Quand tu y repenses
Cette douleur
Tu la vis en silence
Un jour ils sortiront
Ces mots que tu retiens
Et tes larmes cesseront
Enfin
{Chorus:}
Sometimes you cry
When it comes to mind
This pain you have
You hold it silently
One day they’ll all come out
Those words you’re holding back
And your tears will stop
Finally
T’étais la bonne pomme
Tombée du panier
Et moi, je suis cet homme
Qui t’a ramassée
Je s’rai là à tes côtés
Si tu veux me parler
Des meurtrissures
Cachées sous ta pelure
You were the good apple
That fell from tree
And myself, I’m the man
Picked you from the leaves
I’ll be there by your side
If you want to talk
of the bruises
beneath your apple skin