"Pour Le Monde" Lyrics

makes me cry

This was a tough one, all right! Here's what I heard differently.

Stanza 1: "As the angel ascending"

Stanzas 4 and 7: I too heard "listen for good," but I'm not sure of it. In stanza 7, I wasn't sure about "In" vs. "And the hope that comes to nothing," but I think your "In" probably makes better sense.

Stanza 6: I heard "in the Nightclub Indigo," but who knows? I suppose it could be a reference to "Mood Indigo," but I'm probably just mishearing.

I remember hearing that Neil had originally written more of the song in French, but retreated from that in embarrassment after singing it for a French person who couldn't understand a word. I wonder what those French lyrics were. I'm also struck by "tied up to the chair." It's probably just coincidence, but in French "chair" means "flesh."

See here for pour le monde tab. I'll probably start a new thread and put all the new song tabs in that.

I heard Nightclub Indigo too... I remember wondering if this was a real place and what it's meaning was...

quote:

Originally posted by Evvie:
I remember hearing that Neil had originally written more of the song in French, but retreated from that in embarrassment after singing it for a French person who couldn't understand a word. I wonder what those French lyrics were. I'm also struck by "tied up to the chair." It's probably just coincidence, but in French "chair" means "flesh."

It's too bad to have change some lyrics to English. Who is this french guy who couln't understand a word ?
I'm also interesting to have these French lyrics.

When Neil said it was originally all written in french, it sounded to me like he was joking.

I don't know if it was a joke but this french guy is stupid !
Does everybody always hear the same thing when it's written in english ? No and this topic about "Pour le monde" lyrics is a good example.

Will try and drag some of the french lyrics from the Bath gig clips I took. May take a while as I wasn't sure what he was singing half the time - but then I'm not french Key difference was that most of Bath's song was in French, not English. I actually preferred the Thekla gig version (haven't seen the webcast yet).

On the guitar this can be played (chords) by putting a capo on 5 and playing:

Verse

Am F C
Am F C
Em Am G

...and then I don't know (if anyone could I would be greatful)

-M

Matt it can easily be played without a capo on guitar, or otherwise transpose from F major to C if you want to play with capo on 5. See my post further up for the link to the chords.

quote:

Originally posted by Evvie:
Stanza 1: "As the angel ascending"
Stanza 6: "in the Nightclub Indigo"

I agree with both comments.

Great to see a song on the new album featuring francais!!!
At least he got his genders right this time (unlike Italian Plastic ).

Yeah, but Neil neither wrote nor sang lead on that song. I think he's excused.


As for this one... I *love* it. It's just grabbed hold of my ear and doesn't want to let go. There are other songs that are good songs. We've come to expect that. But I like this one, and I'd sure like to hear the more French version just for the fun of more French. I'm impressed with Neil for doing even that.

Agreeing with you again aikakone

Running through the lyrics in my head Romer... I have been singing and hearing (though I have been known to be wrong )...

He imagines the world/As the angel ascending
instead of
He imagines the world/As the angels sending

And "But" instead of "That" for "he is not a dog"... really gets me does that line....

I'm still not sure which I'm hearing, but it doesn't make much sense to me unless it's either:

As the angel's ascending / or
As the angel ascended

The line, "And I wake up blind/Like my dreams were too bright" is brilliant, so simple but loaded with depth of meaning. The more I hear the new songs, the more I'm hearing other lines jump out at me like that.

Several posts up, I agreed with "as the angel ascending" and still believe it's probably correct (or that something similar might be, such as "as the angels ascending", etc.).

The issue with transcribing lyrics for shows prior to the CD release is that you don't necessarily know when Neil has flubbed a line or not! Sometimes a line doesn't make sense because he's started out with one of the lines and ended with another after realizing he'd begun with the wrong one.

Anyway, it was interesting to hear the various songs from Largo to the webcast to Thekla to Coachella for differences in the lyrics. In a couple more months, we'll hopefully have the answers as to the definitive versions.

Oops, sorry Romer... re-read the lyrics at the top and the most recent post but not the stuff in between - sorry for repeating what you already said!!


Yep - I too am looking forward to the definitive version of lyrics on the album! Bless Neil and his flubbed lines

I may be barking up the wrong tree here but when I listen to this song I feel Neil is talking about life without Crowded House and the whole thing of getting back together. Not all the lyrics fit in with this but some do like....


"And I wake up blind
Like my dreams were too bright
And I lost my regard
For the good things that I had
And the radio was sad"

and..."Perform for you in the stadium
For the world, not for the war"

Just my take on it but I suppose everyone has their own interpretaion.

um, so what does "Pour le monde, pas pour la guerre" mean?

Pour Le Monde, pas pour la guerre = For the World not for the war

If my slightly dodgy French is anything to go by... as in:

quote:

Perform for you in the stadium
For the world, not for the war

(Actually, that's how I realised what Neil was singing when he said "guerre"... never really sussed the pronounciation of that word!!)


Yes, Kerouac, I agree with you there... I viewed it more as about Paul than Crowded House as such, but I think it's intertwined... like memories of when he was there I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by Alx:
Pour Le Monde, pas pour la guerre = For the World not for the war

If my slightly dodgy French is anything to go by... as in:

quote:

Perform for you in the stadium
For the world, not for the war

(Actually, that's how I realised what Neil was singing when he said "guerre"... never really sussed the pronounciation of that word!!)


Yes, Kerouac, I agree with you there... I viewed it more as about Paul than Crowded House as such, but I think it's intertwined... like memories of when he was there I guess.

Yes having just reread the lyrics it could be more about Paul than Neil himself but I think we are in right ballpark.

Actually I just had a brain wave.....wasn't Paul the "angel ascending" on the cover of the first album? Could be a big clue there. Feels quite eerie now when you look at Paul in that picture.

One of the things I like about Neil's songwriting is how it is open to interpretation. Things he writes can mean one thing to him but they are valid in meaning other things to other people. For some reason, when I read the lyrics in this thread, it reminded *me* of assassinated journalist Daniel Pearl. It's doubtful Neil is singing about that, but that's okay. This song, for me, has emotional weight I can feel (unlike "Silent House").

Here's my latest shot based on the studio version of the song:

Pour Le Monde

He imagines the world
As the angel ascending
Like the ghost of a man
Who is tied up to the chair

And he tries to believe
That his life has a meaning
With his hand on his heart
Pour le monde, pas pour la guerre

And I wake up blind
Like my dreams were too bright
And I lost my regard
For the good things that I had
And the radio was sad

When you listen for good
In a hold that comes to nothing
‘Cause the liars moved in
And they believe their own
Dark medicine

You act so nonchalant
But he is not a dog
Perform for you in the stadium
For the world, not for the war

And he won’t hesitate
Though it might lead to heartache
In the nightclub indigo
For the world, not for the war
Pour le monde, pas pour la guerre

When you listen for good
In a hope that comes to nothing
‘Cause the liars moved in
And they believe their own
Dark medicine

Believing it’s good
Behind their jaded eyes
A dilemma

He’s the best
You ever had
He’s so low
You’ll never know

(He’s the best
You’ve ever had)
You’ll ever know

(He’s so low)
He’s so low
(You’ll never know)
You’ll never know

(He’s so low
You’ll never know)
You’ll never know

(He’s the best)
Here we go

quote:

Originally posted by KEROUAC:

Yes having just reread the lyrics it could be more about Paul than Neil himself but I think we are in right ballpark.

Actually I just had a brain wave.....wasn't Paul the "angel ascending" on the cover of the first album? Could be a big clue there. Feels quite eerie now when you look at Paul in that picture.

Anyone else feel there could be something to this or am I getting carried away?

Closed my eyes and listened. Pour le Monde is just so beautifully crafted even in the raw web cast version. Just love, love, love the ending, especially those last chords. Wrenches tears from my eyes,it's so beautiful. Juxtapose it to what my personal interpretation is:

My mind saw 1936 Olympics, Berlin. Black athletes were fearful of competing there.
A Delusional leader - 'He's the best you've ever had, he's so low, you'll never know.' And equally delusional followers 'And he tries to believe That his life has a meaning
With his hand on his heart...'
The Athletes in a stadium performing for the 'world not for the war'.
'When you listen for good
In a hope that comes to nothing
‘Cause the liars moved in
And they believe their own
Dark medicine' A poisonous political party with an insanely attractive hype...

Love that about Neil. He can evoke so very much speculation, so many far flung ideas in so few pointed yet ambiguous lyrics. Wish he were a college music professor...I'd be a perpetual student!

DaFINNitive girl, yes, I'm feeling the same as you...that it is about average folks who do their best and try to believe in good but the liars move in and intentionally confuse good and evil, belief and delusion...makes people disconnect from their own senses of value, e.g. "loses his regard for the good things that he had"

For me, the ghost of a man tied to the chair conjures up Abu Ghraib and those horrific, unforgettable hoods...he/we wants/want to believe in angels that look *somewhat* like that same shape, but the significance is completely different...

and he won't hesitate
though it might lead to heartache
in the night-club indigo
for the world not for the war
pour le monde pas pour la guerre

The more I listen to this song, the more I love it.

Just beautiful!

gryph, why did you quote those lines? They've been sticking in my mind and then I see you've quoted them specifically.

I adore this song. It's a classic for the ages...

quote:

Originally posted by justacat:
gryph, why did you quote those lines? They've been sticking in my mind and then I see you've quoted them specifically.

I adore this song. It's a classic for the ages...

Ditto from me, gryph. Was looking online for 'club Indigo' for some further explanation. Whadayouknow? Whadayouknow? I could not escape...oops! wrong song

Last attempt without aid of lyric sheet:

Pour Le Monde

He imagines the world
As the angel ascending
Like the ghost of a man
Who is tied up to the chair

And he tries to believe
That his life has a meaning
With his hand on his heart
Pour le monde, pas pour la guerre

And I wake up blind
Like my dreams were too bright
And I lost my regard
For the good things that I had
And the radio was sad

When you listen for good
In a hold that comes to nothing
‘Cause the liars moved in
And they believe their own
Dark medicine

You act so nonchalant
But he is not a dog
Perform for you in the stadium
For the world, not for the war

And he won’t hesitate
Though it might lead to heartache
In the Nightclub Indigo
For the world, not for the war
Pour le monde, pas pour la guerre

When you listen for good
In a hope that comes to nothing
‘Cause the liars moved in
And they believe their own
Dark medicine

Believing it’s good
Behind their jaded eyes
A dilemma

He’s the best
You ever had
He’s so low
You’ll never know

(He’s the best
You’ve ever had)
You’ll ever know

(He’s so low)
He’s so low
(You’ll never know)
You’ll never know

(He’s so low
You’ll never know)
You’ll never know

(He’s the best)
Here we go

On the bonus interview DVD with the special edition of Time on Earth, Neil & Nick say the song was inspired by the anti-iraq war demos in france where the slogan was "pour le monde, pas pour le guerre". Like others we definitely saw political overtones here. Totally agree "Tied up in a chair" could apply to Daniel Pearl & references to "stadium" could mean the Berlin Olympics, but we also got a strong sense that Neil's talking about Blair here - delusional leader thinking he's acting in the world's interests, "he's the best you've ever had, he's so low you'll never know", "the liars moved in", "believed their own dark medicine" & "he is not a dog", referring to the "Bush's poodle" jibes. The only bit that dosen't sit right is the reference to the "nightclub indigo" cos don't know where that is - something to do with the Paris demos perhaps?

'My moment of the night. The venue was called The Indig02 due to 02 owning the Dome now. Pour Le Monde contains the line '..in the nightclub indigo..' which Neil was quick to point out at various points in the set, before they actually sang it near the end. He changed the words to "perform for you in the nightclub Indigo" which i though was a great touch. They did perform for us and they did it beautifully. It was a perfect set, in a perfect new venue, a perfect night and they are the perfect band'
Quote found on web.

At the Chicago House of Blues show on August 18th, Neil sang "pour le monde, contra la guerre" (for the world, against the war). I loved the subtle racheting up of the political statement behind this song. Not sure how many others picked up on this, as he really didn't make a big deal of it. Anyway, you can check it out when the MSNinconcert footage is made available on August 27th.

The more I hear this song, the more I'm convinced that this is as good as any song Crowded House has come out with.

I love the new cd, but this is clearly the standout track and I'm not sure it's close. It's friggin brilliant.

I was at the HOB show on the 18th...didn't notice that Neil said it that way. I'm so geeked that they're reairing the concert. I can't imagine a more perfect setlist. I'm hoping someone will capture the audio (if not the video too). That's definitely a show I want in my collection.

OK here’s my take on it:
There’s this suicide bomber who imagines the world as the angel ascending to paradise. Like the ghost of a martyr who has been tortured and tied to the chair, made to perform like a dog on a lead in Abu Grahib stadium and then murdered. He likes to think his suicide won’t be for nothing but there’s a meaning to his life. And I wake up blind as I can’t see the good things I had as a westerner. And the radio is full of sad news about innocent people being killed when we’re listening for news that the terrorists have been killed and it will all be OK. But it’s hope that comes to nothing ‘cos the liars have moved into the country where the were supposed to be nukes and they’ve administered their own brand of cure for the fascist regime.
They act so apathetically to the innocent loss of life but this bomber is not a dog who will perform for them in Abu Grahib and he won’t hesitate to blow himself up in the nightclub Indigo as it’s for the world and he’ll be a martyr. When you listen for good news that they’ve caught the bombers the hope comes to nothing ‘cos the liars have moved in to blame AL Qaeda and they brew their own cure believing it’s what we want to hear but secretly the have a problem: the bomber is the family’s best son as he’s left them lots of money and become a martyr and they don’t see that he’s such a low life killing more innocent people.

OK maybe it’s just my take on it but that’s what’s such fun! Any advances?

Neil sang "pour le monde, contra la guerre" in Manchester too. On Radio 2 on sunday afternoon, Neil told Johnny Walker that Pour Le Monde is a load of images he put to together and got some guy to translate - this is very vague as i was listening whilst doing other things but i have recorded it and will listen properly again - i dont remember him mentioning anything about war or politics. I think the show is available online if ayone wants to listen again.

mentalnotes, that sounds like a very logical explanation of the song, you've basically taken the lines at face value and literally moulded them into a story

but wait a minute? logical... face value... literal... story... this isn't Neil Finn's style!! it's far too sensible and co-ordinated!

if it were anyone else, you would've had me sold...

quote:

Originally posted by dream dream dream...:
mentalnotes, that sounds like a very logical explanation of the song, you've basically taken the lines at face value and literally moulded them into a story

but wait a minute? logical... face value... literal... story... this isn't Neil Finn's style!! it's far too sensible and co-ordinated!

if it were anyone else, you would've had me sold...

I'd have to agree with you there, not his usual style - for me it's a collection of impressions/images he has of the war and politics surrounding it. Neil dedicated this to Tony Blair when it was played at The Outsider Festival and again on one of the BBC Radio recordings, can't remember the exact words but his sentiment was clear - well said Neil.

Have to mention also, I now adore this song - would have loved to see it chart better here in the UK but really pleased to be hearing it regularly played on BBC Radio 2.