There should be a musical genre called "cute girls singing folk rock with an acoustic guitar." Pascale Picard would belong to that genre. She's one of the few french Canadian artists that deliberately sings in English. The reasons she cited to do this, in interview are fascinating. She writes and interprets in English not because it's easier, but because she's too self-aware about what she writes and she felt it gave her a layer of camouflage. Most important, she's good at it. I'm not overly crazy about her catalog of songs, but I love SMILIN' because it narrated her difficulty to deal with the change that success brings and there is something so feminine about the way she words it. Anyway, I thought this would be a nice discovery for you guys this morning as the didn't make much noise south of the border and across the sea, yet. Enjoy!
I am not gonna make it
I can see the crowd around me
Is getting bigger, & as it is
I'm trying to figure out
Why I feel so isolated
I have my friends
But don't have much time for them
I have my house
A tiny pocket in my luggage
I have my boyfriend
But he's also so tired of listening to me
Every single day
Seems like a mountain to climb
Every single word
It takes all my strength to get it out
I'm tired of talking about me
But in fact, it's the only thing
I get a grip on
I feel like I'm not gonna make it
I really feel like I'm not gonna make it
But it might be the best thing
That ever happened to me. so now
Hey little girl keep on smiling:
Cause they don't want to hear you complaining
You're a lucky girl
Your life's so exciting
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause you think I'm strong
& it might be the way you like it
Oh how I need you to like me...
I have tried as hard as I can
I have tried to go through 9 to 5
was like a train
Between work and bars
Never found out what I was travelling for
Now I have my car
But I ain't got no safe place to go
I still hold my drink
But I'm not as thirsty as before
I have my voice
But I heard lately that people
Don't want to hear sad songs
Every single place
It's all the same to me
Every single face
I know it wine replaced
By another smiley one
Who will also be left soon
Somewhere behind
I feel like I'm not gonna make it
I really feel like I'm not gonna make it
But it might be the best thing
That ever happened to me, so now
Hey little girl keep on smiling
'Cause they dont want to hear you complaining
You're a lucky girl
Your life's so exciting
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause you think I'm strong
& it might be the way you like it
Oh how I need you to like me.
Please now just don't count on me
I can't handle it anymore
& don't ask me why
If you don't want me to lie
But dont be alarmed
Don't you see that I'm just down
Just dont worry soon
be back on the tracks
Smilin'.
'Cause I'll get tired of complaining
I'm a lucky girl
& I'm doing exactly what I wanted
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause I need to be strong
It might be my only chance to get out of it
& now I really need to make it !
& now I really need to make it!!
I can see the crowd around me
Is getting bigger, & as it is
I'm trying to figure out
Why I feel so isolated
I have my friends
But don't have much time for them
I have my house
A tiny pocket in my luggage
I have my boyfriend
But he's also so tired of listening to me
Every single day
Seems like a mountain to climb
Every single word
It takes all my strength to get it out
I'm tired of talking about me
But in fact, it's the only thing
I get a grip on
I feel like I'm not gonna make it
I really feel like I'm not gonna make it
But it might be the best thing
That ever happened to me. so now
Hey little girl keep on smiling:
Cause they don't want to hear you complaining
You're a lucky girl
Your life's so exciting
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause you think I'm strong
& it might be the way you like it
Oh how I need you to like me...
I have tried as hard as I can
I have tried to go through 9 to 5
was like a train
Between work and bars
Never found out what I was travelling for
Now I have my car
But I ain't got no safe place to go
I still hold my drink
But I'm not as thirsty as before
I have my voice
But I heard lately that people
Don't want to hear sad songs
Every single place
It's all the same to me
Every single face
I know it wine replaced
By another smiley one
Who will also be left soon
Somewhere behind
I feel like I'm not gonna make it
I really feel like I'm not gonna make it
But it might be the best thing
That ever happened to me, so now
Hey little girl keep on smiling
'Cause they dont want to hear you complaining
You're a lucky girl
Your life's so exciting
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause you think I'm strong
& it might be the way you like it
Oh how I need you to like me.
Please now just don't count on me
I can't handle it anymore
& don't ask me why
If you don't want me to lie
But dont be alarmed
Don't you see that I'm just down
Just dont worry soon
be back on the tracks
Smilin'.
'Cause I'll get tired of complaining
I'm a lucky girl
& I'm doing exactly what I wanted
So I'll keep on making bad jokes
'Cause I need to be strong
It might be my only chance to get out of it
& now I really need to make it !
& now I really need to make it!!