Antoine Guigan‘s Seventeen is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the relentless pull of nostalgia. The song, both musically and lyrically, is an intimate confession – an aching desire to rewrite the past of a loved one, to shield them from pain, and to shoulder the weight of their burdens. From its first piano notes, Seventeen envelops us in an immersive reverie, where each hammered chord feels like an emotional plea, resonating with the profound weight of memory and regret. Antoine’s brooding baritone, reminiscent of Leonard Cohen’s profound delivery, serves as the song’s anchor, giving it an emotional gravity that’s impossible to ignore.
The lyrics tell a story of longing and love so deep it transcends time. The opening verse, “Sometimes I wish that I would be seventeen again / And I’d meet you in the park on a sunny morning”, immediately draws us into a wistful scenario. This yearning for a simpler, more innocent time mirrors the universality of wishing we could undo the pain of those we love, or perhaps protect them with the clarity we now possess as adults. The park, bathed in sunlight, symbolizes an idealized past untouched by the shadows of trauma, setting a nostalgic tone that carries through the song.
Each verse builds on this longing with a mix of tender vulnerability and fierce protectiveness. In the second verse, the singer imagines shielding their loved one from harm: “To shelter you from their lies and from their hate / And from the sad thoughts you had at night.” Here, the imagery is stark and deeply personal, painting a picture of someone desperately wanting to stand as a barrier against the world’s cruelty. The juxtaposition of tenderness (“shelter you”) and the dark realities of life (“their lies and from their hate”) creates a compelling tension.
The chorus, with its stark warning, “Cause sticks and stones can break your bones / And tear your heart to pieces”, resonates as both a literal and metaphorical reminder of pain’s duality. While physical wounds may heal, the emotional scars left by cruelty linger, a sentiment amplified by the haunting repetition of “And then burn your soul away.” The simplicity of the line feels deliberate, echoing the folk traditions of raw, unembellished storytelling that Antoine seems to channel.
In the third and fourth verses, the song reaches its emotional core, as the narrator imagines turning back time: “If I could turn the clock back, rewind the hands of time / I would be there on the days your thoughts went dark.” This line is as much a lament as it is a declaration of love, a willingness to step into the darkest moments of another’s life and replace despair with light. The vivid imagery of “lighten up your somber days with a smile” captures the transformative power of love, while the reference to a brighter future adds a glimmer of hope amidst the melancholy.
The bridge intensifies the song’s emotional weight: “I’d tear down every wall, fight every fear you have / To give you all of the love that is mine.” The idea of fighting against insurmountable odds for the sake of another evokes the timeless archetype of the protector. Here, Antoine’s delivery feels especially raw, as if the words themselves are a battle cry against the inevitability of suffering.
Musically, Seventeen thrives on its simplicity. The piano is sublime, its chords evoking a sense of depth that contrasts beautifully with the contemplative pace of the lyrics. This stark, stripped-down arrangement allows Antoine’s voice to take center stage. His deep baritone, much like Leonard Cohen’s, carries the weight of each lyric with a resonance that feels both intimate and universal. The absence of orchestral embellishments further underscores the sincerity of the song, drawing us into its emotional core without distraction.
Antoine’s comparison to Leonard Cohen is fitting not only for his vocal timbre but also for his ability to marry poetic lyricism with minimalist instrumentation. Like Cohen’s best work, Seventeen feels timeless, rooted in folk traditions yet resonating with contemporary listeners through its raw emotional honesty. There’s also a cinematic quality reminiscent of Tindersticks, as if the song could serve as the soundtrack to a deeply introspective moment in a film.
Ultimately, Seventeen is a masterclass in emotional storytelling. It captures the universal yearning to rewrite the past, not out of regret for one’s own choices but from a profound love that seeks to ease the pain of another. Antoine Guigan’s ability to channel such raw emotion into a single track reaffirms his place as a distinct voice in indie music, one capable of leaving an indelible mark on listeners. This is a conversation with the soul, one that lingers long after the final note fades. We have added the opus to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of the talented creator.