Encore une chanson d’amour

Song Meaning

Gilles Vigneault's "Encore une chanson d'amour" isn't just another love song; it's a defiant act of persistence. The recurring question, "Croyez-vous cette lampe éteinte?" (Do you believe this lamp is extinguished?), immediately throws down the gauntlet. It's a challenge to cynicism, to the jaded belief that love, like a flickering flame, must inevitably fade. Vigneault answers this challenge with the steadfast image of the same bell ringing in the ancient church tower, a symbol of enduring faith and unchanging tradition. The song meaning lies not in a naive belief in romance, but in a conscious choice to maintain hope. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of time's relentless march. He sings of snow piled high above houses, rains as deep as the bay, winds circling the globe countless times, and centuries of seasons polishing the earth. Despite this immense passage of time and the constant change it brings, his love remains steadfast: "Et mes amours sont demeurées les mêmes / Je l'aime" (And my loves have remained the same / I love her). This isn't a static love, but one that has weathered storms and adapted, yet fundamentally stayed true to its core. It's a love that has explored imagined lands and delved into the past, yet his word, his commitment, has not wavered: "Je t'aime" (I love you). Vigneault acknowledges the effort required to sustain such a love. He speaks of building boats and bridges with the "frileux mots de mille solitudes" (timid words of a thousand solitudes), forging gentle habits. He even touches upon the complexities of communication, noting that "le silence n'est pas toujours la trahison" (silence is not always betrayal). The essence of "Encore une chanson d'amour" is the quiet, unwavering commitment that transcends fleeting emotions. It's about finding solace and strength in the familiar, in the enduring power of connection, even as the world relentlessly spins forward. This is a love song for those who understand that true love is not a passive feeling, but an active choice, repeated day after day.