Meanings of lyrics in "Lilly Town"

[user472884]

I need some help for a project:

"Ici pas de miss Hilton
Paris s'étonne"

This is referring to Paris Hilton right?

"Qu'on peut y voir Lucy
Qu'on peut y voir même si l'on veut
John au Gandhi
Ou l'on s'écrit des mots doux comme
Al et Simone"

Who are these people? Specifically all of them except Gandhi. What are their last names?

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I may add to this as my project develops

[Deepwaters]

Translations and commentary are available on the Translations forum, but here, I'll see what I can do.

Originally Posted by Jalen

"Ici pas de miss Hilton
Paris s'étonne"

This is referring to Paris Hilton right?

Yes, together with a pun. "Here is not Miss Hilton, Paris is amazed," but "Paris s'étonne" sounds much like "Paris Hilton."

"Qu'on peut y voir Lucy
Qu'on peut y voir même si l'on veut
John au Gandhi
Ou l'on s'écrit des mots doux comme
Al et Simone"

More '60s nostalgia. "Lucy" is from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," and most likely John is John Lennon. (I'll have to let someone else explain Al and Simone.)

[Pjoo]

I wonder what is the meaning of

À Lilly Town
Les enfants volent
Sur des vieux Motown
Au-dessus des ronces

"Above the brambles", seems quite odd... Could mean that people in Lilly Town have no problems? Or that entrance from/to Lilly Town is restricted(to, I quess, as the people inside are above the brambles)?


West Berlin comes into mind

[Chuck]

Hey guys. I 'd given this song a lot of thought, because it's got at least a dozen obscure literary references in it. (At least, they're pretty obscure for us, I don't know yet if the French just automatically "get it".) Somebody in France asked if I thought Alizee's newest music would appeal to American tastes, and I'm still working out my answer... It's gettin pretty anal. I mean, analytical.

Anyway, Al et Simone, by consensus appears to mean Camus and DeBeauvoir. Over the brambles, I think, probably connects to Uncle Remus' "Don't throw me in the brairpatch" story.

And I personally think the "Granny Pomme" thing refers to Rene Magritte's paintings, and the shape of Paris when viewed on a map... Although this forum had earlier decided the song's about NYC (the big apple), I disagree there.

[lefty12357]

You can also check this out: http://alizee-reflections.net/lilly_town.html

@Chuck, you have a good point and you may very well be right. I can see why Americans would be thinking “Big Apple” and it could also have some wishful thinking thrown in. But I think the reason people thought of New York is also because it is a place Alizée has said she loves. And it is the setting for “Fifty Sixty” and some of the other subject matter in the “Psych” album. Is it possible that it represents aspects of both Paris and New York, 2 cities that Alizée loves? I don’t know.
Double meanings have always been a part of the lyrics of Alizée songs, so it’s not always clear when a cigar is just a cigar sometimes.
Maybe the point is, as a listener, you can have it be whatever you want it to be.

I’ve always believed a song is never finished when released to the public. The writing continues in each listener’s head. Each listener creates imagery and meaning in their mind when they listen to the song. So you can end up with a million versions of the song living in a million different minds.

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by lefty12357

I’ve always believed a song is never finished when released to the public. The writing continues in each listener’s head. Each listener creates imagery and meaning in their mind when they listen to the song. So you can end up with a million versions of the song living in a million different minds.

That's so true, for a really good song. For something like an "Oops, I Did It Again"*, however, you don't have to think too hard.

...But even if Lilly did mean Paris, I see it as an idealized, alternative-universe version of it. Not the real city. Parisian kids can't really fly.

___
*(not a terrible song, one of Richard Thompson's "100 greatest songs of the millennium", just sayin that the lyrics aren't that complex)

[user472884]

Originally Posted by Chuck

Parisian kids can't really fly.

well you never know.....

[FireCanine]

This song has a resemblance to the song ''Shake it'' by Metro Station, talking rhythm wise