Ce soir-là

Ce soir-là
General Information
Performed by	François Deguelt
Composer(s)	Hubert Giraud
Lyricist(s)	Pierre Dorsey
Language(s)	French
Eurovision
Year	1960
Country	Monaco
Conductor	Raymond Lefèvre
Final Position	3rd
Final Points	15
Preceding and Following Songs
Preceding	Mon ami Pierrot
Following	Allons, allons les enfants

Ce soir-là was the Monegasque entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 in London performed by François Deguelt.

The song is in the chanson style popular in the early years of the Contest. Deguelt describes the first night he spent with his lover and explains to her that he realised then that "Life would never have attraction for me/Far from you". It appears from the lyrics, however, that his lover has left him since then, which has resulted in his perpetual waiting for her return in order to relive "that night".

The song was performed eighth on the night following Austria and preceding Switzerland. At the close of voting, it finished in 3rd place with 15 points.

Lyrics

• French
• Translation

Ce soir-là tu n’avais que tes vingt ans
À m’offrir comme un bouquet de printemps
À l’amour qui m’avait souvent déçu
Je ne croyais plus, mais quand je t’ai vue

Ce soir-là j’aurais voulu inventor
Des mots qui n’avaient jamais existé
Des mots d’amour en habit de gala
Pour ce soir-là

Dans tes bras, j’ai compris dès ce soir-là
Que jamais la vie n’aurait d’attrait pour moi
Loin de toi

Mon amour, je t’ai donné le meilleur
Le meilleur du plus profond de mon cœur
De mon cœur qui garde encore la douceur
De ce soir-là

Ce soir-là, mais à quoi bon revenir?
Tout cela n’est pour moi qu’un souvenir
Mais je n’ai jamais pu me délivrer du rêve insensé
Que j’avais bercé

Je t’avais donné bien plus que ma vie
Mais peut-être n’avais-tu pas compris
Que tu déchirais mon rêve d’enfant
En me quittant

Et pourtant si tu me reviens un jour
Dans mon cœur, je garde comme au premier jour
Tant d’amour

Tant d’amour toujours pour toi que j’attends
Que j’attends comme on attend le printemps
Le printemps, les bras chargés de lilas
Pour ce soir-là

Mon amour, je t’attendrai chaque jour
Tant que je vivrai, je serai là
Ce soir-là

That night you only had your youth
To offer me like a bouquet of spring
In the love that often disappointed me
I didn’t believe anymore, but when I saw you

That night I wanted to invent
Words that had never existed
Words of love in full dress
For that night

In your arms, I understood that from that night
Life would never have attraction for me
Far from you

My love, I have given you the best
The best of the deepest of my heart
Of my heart that is still saving the tenderness
Of that night

That night, but what good is returning?
All that is for me only a memory
But I’ve never been able to free myself from a crazy dream
That I cherished

I had given you much more than my life
But maybe you didn’t understand
That you tore my childhood dream
By leaving me

And still if you come back to me one day
In my heart, I save like the first day
So much love

So much love always for you who I’m waiting for
Who I’m waiting for like someone waiting for spring
Spring, my arms full of lilacs
For that night

My love, I’ll wait for you every day
As long as I live, I’ll be there
That night

Videos

ESC 1960 08 - Monaco - François Deguelt - Ce Soir-Là