Aznavour has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
Je m'voyais déjà
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bien décidé empoigner la vie
Le coeur léger et le bagage mince
J'étais certain de conquérir Paris
Chez le tailleur le plus chic, j'ai fait faire
Ce complet bleu qui était du dernier cri
Les photos, les chansons et les orchestrations
Ont eus raison de mes économies
Je me voyais déjà en haut de l'affiche
En dix fois plus gros que n'importe qui mon nom s'étalait
Je me voyais déjà adulé et riche
Signant mes photos aux admirateurs qui se bousculaient
J'étais le plus grand, des grands fantaisistes
Faisant un succès si fort que les gens m'acclamaient debout
Je me voyais déjà, cherchant dans la liste
Celle qui le soir pourrait par faveur se pendre mon cou
Mes trais ont vieillis bien sur, sous mon maquillage
Mais la voix est là, le geste est précis et j'ai du ressort
Mon coeur c'est aigri un peu en prenant de l'age
Mais j'ai des idées, je connais mon métier, j'y crois encore
Rien que sous mes pieds de sentir la scène
De voir devant moi un public assis, j'ai le coeur battant
On m'a pas aidé, je n'ai pas eu de veine
Mais au fond de moi, je suis sur au moins que j'ai du talent
Mon complet bleu, y'a 30 ans que je le porte
Et mes chansons ne font rire que moi
Je coure le cachet, je fait du porte porte
Pour subsister, je fait n'importe quoi
Je n'ai connu que des succès faciles
Des trains de nuits et des filles soldats
Les minables cachets, les valises porter
Les petits meublés et les maigres repas
Je me voyais déjà, en photographie
Au bras d'une star, l'hivers la neige et l'été au soleil
Je me voyais déjà, racontant ma vie
L'air désabusé, des débutants friands de conseils
J'ouvrais calmement, les soirs de première
Mille télégrammes de ce tout Paris qui nous fait si peur
Et mourant de trac, devant ce parterre
Entrer sur la scène, sous les ovations et les projecteurs
J'ai tout essayé pourtant, pour sortir du nombre
J'ai chanté l'amour, j'ai fait du comique et de la fantaisie
Si tout a raté pour moi, si je suis dans l'ombre
Ce n'est pas ma faute mais celle du public qui n'a rien compris
On ne m'a jamais accordé ma chance
D'autres ont réussi avec peu de voix et beaucoup d'argent
Moi j'étais trop pur ou trop en avance
Mais un jour viendra où je leur montrerai que j'ai du talent
The song Je m'voyais déjà by Charles Aznavour is a reflection on a young man's dreams of conquering Paris as a performer. At 18 years old, he left his province with the belief that he could make it big in the city of lights. He had a new suit made, complete with photos, songs, and orchestrations, and was convinced that he was destined for stardom. He saw himself on top of the world, with a huge name in lights, adoring fans waiting for his autograph, and a long list of beautiful women pining for him. However, as the years passed, his dreams remained unfulfilled. He became bitter and disillusioned, feeling that he had been denied his chance to shine, despite his undeniable talent.
The lyrics of the song serve as a cautionary tale of sorts, warning young dreamers about the harsh realities of the entertainment industry. While it's important to have ambition and drive, it's also important to be realistic about one's chances of success. Charles Aznavour's own experiences as a struggling artist in Paris likely informed the writing of this song, and his raw emotional delivery of the lyrics only adds to the poignancy of the message. Despite the sadness and frustration expressed in the words, there is also a sense of determination and resilience permeating throughout the song - the singer may not have achieved all of his dreams, but he still believes in himself and his ability to leave a mark on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
À 18 ans j'ai quitté ma province
At the age of 18, I left my hometown ready to take on all that life had to offer
Bien décidé empoigner la vie
With confidence and determination, I was ready to seize life
Le coeur léger et le bagage mince
With a light heart and just a few belongings, I set out on my adventure
J'étais certain de conquérir Paris
I was convinced that I would conquer Paris
Chez le tailleur le plus chic, j'ai fait faire
At the most fashionable tailor's, I had my blue suit made
Ce complet bleu qui était du dernier cri
This blue suit that was the latest fashion trend
Les photos, les chansons et les orchestrations
Photos, songs, and orchestrations
Ont eus raison de mes économies
Drained all of my savings
Je me voyais déjà en haut de l'affiche
I already saw myself at the top of the billboards
En dix fois plus gros que n'importe qui mon nom s'étalait
My name appeared ten times bigger than anyone else's on the billboards
Je me voyais déjà adulé et riche
I already saw myself adored and rich
Signant mes photos aux admirateurs qui se bousculaient
Signing autographs for the crowded fans
J'étais le plus grand, des grands fantaisistes
I was the greatest of the great fantasists
Faisant un succès si fort que les gens m'acclamaient debout
Creating such a strong success that people cheered me standing up
Je me voyais déjà, cherchant dans la liste
I already saw myself looking for a name from the list
Celle qui le soir pourrait par faveur se pendre mon cou
A woman who would be willing to hang on my neck by the evening
Mes trais ont vieillis bien sur, sous mon maquillage
My features have aged, of course, under my makeup
Mais la voix est là, le geste est précis et j'ai du ressort
But my voice is here, the gesture is precise, and I still have energy
Mon coeur c'est aigri un peu en prenant de l'age
My heart has become a little bitter with age
Mais j'ai des idées, je connais mon métier, j'y crois encore
But I have ideas, I know my craft, and I still believe in myself
Rien que sous mes pieds de sentir la scène
Just feeling the stage under my feet
De voir devant moi un public assis, j'ai le coeur battant
Seeing a seated audience in front of me makes my heart race
On m'a pas aidé, je n'ai pas eu de veine
I was not helped, and I did not have good luck
Mais au fond de moi, je suis sur au moins que j'ai du talent
But deep down, I am sure that I have talent
Mon complet bleu, y'a 30 ans que je le porte
I've been wearing this blue suit for 30 years
Et mes chansons ne font rire que moi
And my songs make only me laugh
Je coure le cachet, je fait du porte porte
I go after gigs, and I do door-to-door work
Pour subsister, je fait n'importe quoi
To survive, I do anything
Je n'ai connu que des succès faciles
I have only known easy successes
Des trains de nuits et des filles soldats
Night trains and soldier girls
Les minables cachets, les valises porter
Bad pay and carrying suitcases
Les petits meublés et les maigres repas
Small rented flats and meager meals
Je me voyais déjà, en photographie
I already saw myself in photographs
Au bras d'une star, l'hivers la neige et l'été au soleil
With a star on my arm, in the winter and in the snow or in the summer in the sun
Je me voyais déjà, racontant ma vie
I already saw myself telling my life story
L'air désabusé, des débutants friands de conseils
With a disillusioned air, eager advice seekers
J'ouvrais calmement, les soirs de première
I calmly opened on premiere nights
Mille télégrammes de ce tout Paris qui nous fait si peur
Thousands of telegrams from all of Paris that scares us so much
Et mourant de trac, devant ce parterre
Nervous and scared in front of the audience
Entrer sur la scène, sous les ovations et les projecteurs
Enter the stage with applause and spotlight
J'ai tout essayé pourtant, pour sortir du nombre
But I've tried everything to stand out from the crowd
J'ai chanté l'amour, j'ai fait du comique et de la fantaisie
I sang about love, I did comedy and fantasy
Si tout a raté pour moi, si je suis dans l'ombre
If everything failed for me, if I am in the shadows
Ce n'est pas ma faute mais celle du public qui n'a rien compris
It's not my fault but the audience's who didn't understand anything
On ne m'a jamais accordé ma chance
I was never given a chance
D'autres ont réussi avec peu de voix et beaucoup d'argent
Others have succeeded with little voice and a lot of money
Moi j'étais trop pur ou trop en avance
But for me, I was either too pure or ahead of my time
Mais un jour viendra où je leur montrerai que j'ai du talent
But one day, I will show them that I have talent
Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Charles Aznavour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind