Elle fréquentait la rue Pigalle

She used to hang out on Pigalle Street
She felt the cheap thrill in the air
She was all wrapped up in sins
With a poor, pale face
Yet deep in her eyes
There was something miraculous
That seemed to bring a bit of blue sky
Into the dirty one of Pigalle.

He told her, "You’re beautiful."
And usually, in that neighborhood,
You never say things like that
To girls who do the same job as her;
And since she wanted to confess,
He covered her in kisses,
Saying, "Forget your past,
All I see is that you’re beautiful."

There are images that haunt you;
And when she was out with him,
From Barbès to Clichy
Her past would make faces at her.
And on the sidewalks full of memories,
She watched her love wither away,
So she asked him to leave,
And he took her to Montparnasse.

She thought she was starting her life anew,
But it was him who began to change,
He looked at her, all surprised,
Saying, "I thought you were prettier,
Here, the daylight shines too bright,
You can see your vices on the surface,
Maybe it’s better if you go back up there
And we each get back to our lives."

She went back to her Pigalle,
There’s no one left to pull her out,
She found all her sins again,
Her dark corners and dirty sidewalks.
But when she sees lovers
Walking up the street with joy,
Tears fill her big blue eyes
That run down her pale cheeks.