L’amour c’est comme une cigarette [English translation]

When your head is in the clouds,

Your ideas not working.

I’d like to have dark hair,

Just like a gypsy;

To slip between your fingers

And burn,

Burn for you,

To be only smoke!

When you’re in that world

Where your dreams lead you,

I’d like to be blonde

Like an American,

To be gentle and wise, or sweet,

To take you on my cloud of smoke!

Love is like a cigarette,

It burns and it goes to your head.

When you can’t do without it,

All that goes up in smoke.

Love is like a cigarette,

It blazes like a match,

It stings your eyes, it makes you cry

And it goes up in smoke!

I can be French

In a blue dress,

English,

If you so desire,

Or be mint-flavoured

With a golden ring;

Don’t think that I’m lying,

Everything is only smoke1!

Love is like a cigarette,

It blazes like a match,

It stings your eyes, it makes you cry

And it goes up in smoke!

People make a fuss about it

When love comes or goes away.

We’re the cigarettes

That it smokes2 when it wants to.

And I become smoke

To poison you

With me.

I’ll be for you

A blonde or a brunette.

Love is like a cigarette,

It burns and it goes to your head.

When you can’t do without it,

All that goes up in smoke.

Love is like a cigarette,

It blazes like a match,

It stings your eyes, it makes you cry

And it goes up in smoke!

Love is like a cigarette,

It blazes like a match,

It stings your eyes, it makes you cry

And it goes up in smoke!

1. Meaning that everything is blurry, a lie or an illusion.2. The verb ‘rouler’ means ‘to roll (a cigarette)’ or ‘to fool (someone)’.

• Artist:Sylvie Vartan
• Album:Ça va mal (1981)