Christmas Past / Après Noël
Christmas Past: a recollection of happy moments with a childhood friend during the Christmas holidays, as so many children experience. These moments were nothing exceptional, except perhaps the one when one child innocently confessed their love to the other... words which continue to resonate very strongly, in adulthood, for one, but seem completely forgotten by the other.
Après Noël (after Christmas) : I imagined other memories of snowy holidays, of children's games. But I followed as closely as possible the unfolding of the song, the "ordinary" memories taking on unexpected weight with the mention of a childish “I love you” that still resonates in an adult’s heart.
Christmas Past
Written by
Mick Flannery
Snowmen in the field I see / Ride the coal-bags down the hill with me / Hey look you've got Rudolf's nose oh-oh / Put my hat on you'll get cold oh-oh
Let's have a snowball fight / I always want you on my side / Come sit by the fire with me / Let’s try and climb the Christmas Tree
And you and I alone will go / And I'll walk you all the way back home / And we'll talk about our school and things / And I'll see you, yes, tomorrow please
Oh yeah I forgot this part / This is where you break my heart / You told me that you love me then / Did you really mean it friend
Don't go telling me lies love / Tell me the truth love / Tell me the truth love / That way I won't have to know love / Won’t have to see love / Won’t have to ask / The ghost of Christmas Past
Après Noël
French kiss by
François Godin
C’était juste après Noël / On avait encore été choyés / On avait du ce qu’on demandait au ciel / Une belle bordée de neige mouillée
On va se faire un beau grand fort / Un igloo, on sait pas comment / Mais ça serait bien, dormir dehors / Tous les deux à l’abri du vent
J’ai grelotté dans la nuit / À t’attendre et puis tu es venu / Et l’un contre l’autre on s’est blottis / De tout ça, nos parents ont rien su
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Ah oui, aussi, ça me revient / T’as dit en me prenant la main / « T’es comme mon ami-amour / Je t’aime beaucoup et je t’aime tout court »
Dis-le moi droit dans les yeux / Que tu te rappelles plus / Que tu tombes des nues / Et aux hivers, aux neiges d’antan / Jamais plus, non, jamais plus / Je ne rêverai
Christmas Past
Translation of the
French adaptation
It was just after Christmas / We had been spoiled again / We had what we asked the heavens for / A beautiful blanket of wet snow
We're going to build a big fort / An igloo, we don't know how / But it would be nice to sleep outside / Both of us sheltered from the wind
I shivered in the night / Waiting for you and then you came / And we snuggled up together / Our parents didn’t know a thing about it
Oh, and I remember now too / You said, taking my hand / “You’re like my love-friend / I love you so much… I just love you”
Look me in the eyes / And tell me you no longer remember this part / Tell me that you’re left speechless / And of the winters, of the snows of yesteryear / I will never, no, I will never / Dream of them again
The voice/piano demos of the French versions were recorded for the strict purpose of presenting my adaptation work. No broadcasting or public sharing on social networks, media or any other platform is authorized.
Any recording or public presentation by third parties of the songs in their French version is subject to my authorization as well as that of the rights holders of the original song.
