Son of an opera singer and an Italian piano teacher (Liette), he was raised by his grandparents in Toulouse, where he heard Glenn Miller, Édith Piaf and Louis Armstrong (among others) on the radio.
In 1947 he failed his baccalaureat and commenced a career in journalism, writing for various journals including Le Journal des Curistes at Vichy and L'Echo d'Alger. At the same time he wrote songs for Marcel Amont (Le barbier de Belleville, Le balayeur du roi) and Philippe Clay (Joseph, La sentinelle). He met Georges Brassens, who became his friend and mentor.
In 1949 he performed his military service in the foreign legion at Rabat, Morocco.
He sent his lyrics to Marguerite Monnot, Édith Piaf's songwriter, who put them to music. (Méphisto, Le Sentier de la guerre). He started to sing for a livelihood in 1959 in a Parisian cabaret in Montmartre, Le lapin agile.
In 1962, he decided to sing his works himself: Une petite fille and Cécile ma fille (dedicated to his daughter, born in 1962 to his wife Sylvie, whom he met at Le lapin agile). These songs made him immediately known to the larger public, which he had already started to penetrate by participating in the concerts of Dalida.
A car accident immobilised him for several months in 1963. The following year he travelled to Brazil, and sang in prestigious halls in Paris: the Olympia, the Palais, the Théâtre de la Ville.
Following the death of his friend Jacques Audiberti in 1965 he wrote, in homage, the song Chanson pour le maçon.
The events of May 1968 inspired him to the torrential Paris Mai, a plea for life, which would be banned from the airwaves. The same year he recorded his first live album at the Olympia: Une soirée avec Claude Nougaro.
His career continued normally punctuated with success: Le jazz et la java, Tu verras, Île de Ré, Armstrong, Toulouse, Petit taureau. But in 1984, his recording company did not renew his contract. Nougaro left for New York, seeking inspiration, and while there wrote and recorded a self-financed disc, Nougayork, whose resounding success was a surprise.
In 1988 Victoires de la musique rewarded him with best album and best artist, and between 1993 and 1997 he released three new albums.
His health deteriorated after 1995, when he underwent a heart operation. In 2003, his condition left him unable to appear at the festival du Verbe at Toulouse. From 1998 to 2004 he devoted himself more to concerts and festivals, apart from an album in aid of children suffering from AIDS. Having undergone further surgery in early 2004, he died of cancer in March, 74 years old.
His music drew inspiration, among other sources, from American jazz, from which he borrowed heavily (Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins), but also from Brazilian music (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell de Aquino, Chico Buarque).
Marguerite
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
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Marguerite
Entrez, c'est ici
Que j'habite
Ne regardez pas trop
Car ce n'est pas très beau
Et surtout
C'est si p'tit qu'il faudrait presque
Rester debout, en visite
Et je vous avoue
Marguerite
Que je n'osais pas
Vous emmener chez moi
Pourtant vous voilà
Mes voisins sont deux amoureux
Je suis entré chez eux
C'est merveilleux
Ici quand c'est gris et qu'il pleut
Chez eux c' n'est pas pareil
Il fait soleil
Et j'ai pensé que vous sauriez me dire comment
On invite
Un peu de printemps
Marguerite
Est-ce qu'on le retient
En vous prenant la main ?
Dans vos yeux, y a tant d'azur que les murs
Sont devenus bleus
Tout de suite
Reste encore un peu
Marguerite
Je t'attends depuis
Tant de jours, tant de nuits
Ne pars pas
Je t'aime tant que je crierai
De joie
Et tous les voisins viendront nous rendre visite
Marguerite
The song "Marguerite" by Claude Nougaro is a romantic ballad that begins with him inviting his lover, Marguerite, to his small and not-so-beautiful home. He admits that he was hesitant to bring her there but nevertheless, she has arrived. The singer then talks about his neighbors, who are a couple in love, and how their home is a stark contrast to his own, especially during gray and rainy days. He asks Marguerite for advice on how to bring some spring and joy into his home and wonders if holding her hand will do the trick. Her eyes are so blue that they seem to turn the walls blue, and he begs her to stay a little longer because he has been waiting for her for days and nights. The song ends with the singer expressing his love for Marguerite and hoping that their neighbors will come over to visit.
The lyrics paint a picture of a modest life and a love that brings light to it. The singer's home may be small and unimpressive, but it is made better with Marguerite's presence. His neighbors' love provides inspiration and hope for him, and he desires to create a similarly warm and inviting space for Marguerite. The song is a love letter to both Marguerite and the simplicity of life that can be just as beautiful with the right person.
Line by Line Meaning
Entrez, je vous prie
Please come in
Marguerite
Addressing the person by name
Entrez, c'est ici
Come in, this is where I live
Que j'habite
That I live in
Ne regardez pas trop
Don't look too closely
Car ce n'est pas très beau
Because it's not very beautiful
Et surtout
And above all
C'est si p'tit qu'il faudrait presque
It's so small that you almost have to
Rester debout, en visite
Stand up when visiting
Et je vous avoue
And I confess to you
Marguerite
Addressing the person by name
Que je n'osais pas
That I didn't dare
Vous emmener chez moi
Take you to my place
Pourtant vous voilà
Yet here you are
Mes voisins sont deux amoureux
My neighbors are two lovers
Je suis entré chez eux
I went into their place
C'est merveilleux
It's wonderful
Ici quand c'est gris et qu'il pleut
Here, when it's gray and raining
Chez eux c' n'est pas pareil
At their place it's not the same
Il fait soleil
It's sunny
Et j'ai pensé que vous sauriez me dire comment
And I thought that you could tell me how
On invite
To invite
Un peu de printemps
A little bit of spring
Marguerite
Addressing the person by name
Est-ce qu'on le retient
Can we hold onto it
En vous prenant la main ?
By taking your hand?
Dans vos yeux, y a tant d'azur que les murs
In your eyes, there is so much blue that the walls
Sont devenus bleus
Have become blue
Tout de suite
Right away
Reste encore un peu
Stay a little longer
Marguerite
Addressing the person by name
Je t'attends depuis
I have been waiting for you for
Tant de jours, tant de nuits
So many days, so many nights
Ne pars pas
Don't leave
Je t'aime tant que je crierai
I love you so much that I will scream
De joie
With joy
Et tous les voisins viendront nous rendre visite
And all the neighbors will come visit us
Marguerite
Addressing the person by name
Contributed by Sadie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.