Pascal Danel - Les neiges du Kilimanjaro - original release1966
Live dans Les Années Bonheur - 2011https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nvrZgbXoEgLyrics:
l n'ira pas beaucoup plus loin
La nuit viendra bientôt
Il voit là-bas dans le lointain
Les neiges du Kilimandjaro
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir, dormir, dormir
Dans son délire il lui revient
La fille qu'il aimait
Ils s'en allaient main dans la main
Il la revoit quand elle riait
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir, dormir, dormir
Voilà sans doute à quoi il pense
Il va mourir bientôt
Elles n'ont jamais été si blanches
Les neiges du Kilimandjaro
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir
Elles te feront un blanc manteau
Où tu pourras dormir, dormir, bientôtContext:
The Final Journey and the Snows of Kilimanjaro
The song 'Kilimandjaro' by Danel Pascal is a poetic reflection on the imminence of death and the search for peace and rest. The lyrics describe a character who is aware that his life is coming to an end, and he finds solace in the vision of the snows of Kilimanjaro, which symbolize a white blanket where he can finally rest. The image of Kilimanjaro's eternal snows serves as a metaphor for the purity and tranquility he hopes to find in death.
The character, in his delirium, remembers happy moments from his past, especially the figure of a woman he loved. These flashbacks are a reminder that despite his proximity to death, he had moments of joy and love. The repetition of the phrase 'Elles te feront un blanc manteau / Où tu pourras som' reinforces the idea that death, although inevitable can be a relief, a place of rest after a life of struggles and challenges.
The song also addresses accepting death as a natural part of life. The reference to the snows of Kilimanjaro, which 'have never been so white', suggests that, in the final moment, there is a clarity and purity that reveals itself. The lyrics convey a sense of serenity and resignation, showing that the character is ready for his final journey, finding comfort in the idea of eternal rest in the immaculate snows of Kilimanjaro.
