Mistral Gagnant Lyrics in English Renaud

Home / Lyrics Translation / Renaud / Mistral Gagnant

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Mistral Gagnant by Renaud from French to English.

Sitting on a bench for five minutes with you

And watching people while there's some

Talking about the good times that're dead or that'll be back

While squeezing your little fingers in my hand

Then feeding stupid pigeons

Giving them pretend kicks

And hearing your laugh that cracks the walls

That above all heals my wounds

Telling you a bit how I was, kid

The fabulous candies we swiped from the shopkeeper

Car-en-sac and Mintho caramels for one franc

And the Mistral gagnants

Walking in the rain for five minutes with you

And watching life while there's still some

Telling you about the world while devouring you with my eyes

Talking about your mom a bit

And jumping in puddles to make her grumble

Trashing our shoes and laughing

And hearing your laugh like hearing the sea

Stopping, then going back again

Telling you mostly about the old Carambars and the coco-boers

And the real roudoudous that cut our lips

And f*cked up our teeth

And the Mistral gagnants

Sitting on a bench for five minutes with you

Watching the sun slip away

Talking about the good times that're dead and I don't care

Telling you the bad guys aren't us

That if I'm nuts it's only 'cause of your eyes

Because they've got the advantage of being two

And hearing your laugh soar just as high

As the birds' cries soar

Telling you at last we gotta love life and love it even if

Time's a killer and takes with it

Kids' laughs and the Mistral gagnants

And the Mistral gagnants

Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Did you like these lyrics?

SONG MEANING

Imagine sitting on a park bench for just five minutes, sharing pigeon-feeding mischief and splashy puddle jumps with a wide-eyed child. That is the scene Renaud paints in Mistral Gagnant: a father opening a time capsule of memories, from stolen Car-en-sac licorice to the long-gone fizzy sweets called Mistral gagnants that sometimes hid winning tickets. As he hears his child’s laughter crack open the city walls, he revisits his own carefree days when caramel-stained pockets and scuffed shoes were the biggest worries.

Beneath the playful snapshots runs a gentle reminder: these small moments are precious because time is a thief. The singer accepts that “le temps est assassin,” yet he urges his child—and us—to love life fiercely before the sun sets and the candies disappear. It is a tender lullaby to savoring now, brimming with nostalgia, humor, and unconditional love that lifts ordinary minutes into something unforgettable.

Did you know?

In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn French with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.

No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.

Renaud Mistral Gagnant Lyrics