Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a glamorous, almost surreal encounter with a Parisian woman named Mary. The opening "Bonjour Japon" repeated with "sparkling" and "into love" sets a tone of exotic, idealized romance, a stark contrast to the mundane. The narrator describes her as a "Parisian" who meets him in "the best attire," smoking a "slightly long cigarette" with "mysterious lips." This isn't just a casual meeting; it's a carefully constructed, almost theatrical rendezvous. The core of the song seems to be the narrator's infatuation and the disorienting effect Mary has on him. He calls their interactions a "brilliant love" that will "ruin" him with "dizziness and obsession." Her "troubling surrealness" and "careless looseness" are described as "cute," making him "a fool for you baby." This suggests a dynamic where Mary's allure is both captivating and potentially destructive, leaving the narrator utterly smitten and off-balance. The repeated refrain, "Kiss Mary's tempting hair," is a central, sensual image. The act of kissing her hair, sometimes "long and deep," is juxtaposed with the idea of a "wounded world." This contrast between intimate tenderness and a damaged reality elevates the kiss from a simple gesture to a desperate act of solace or escape. The image of "chocolate on your cheek" being wiped by her lips, followed by the promise "I'll be there," adds a layer of tender intimacy to the otherwise dazzling, almost unattainable figure of Mary. Ultimately, the lyrics capture the intoxicating feeling of being swept away by an idealized romance. The repeated "Bonjour Japon" acts as a recurring motif, framing this fantastical encounter. The narrator is drawn into a "seven-colored night and panorama of light," where "pigeons of happiness fly," suggesting that Mary, or the love she represents, offers a vibrant, almost magical escape from a less perfect reality. The repeated calls to "Come on, come on, my sweetest Mary" underscore his yearning and desire to fully immerse himself in this captivating, albeit disorienting, love.