Between 1963 and 1964, Dutronc was the guitarist for a group called El Toro et les Cyclones who recorded several EPs. During this time he could frequently be seen on stage at the Golf Drouot as backing guitarist for stars like Eddy Mitchell. He then went and did his obligatory military service. After his return he landed a job as assistant at Vogue Records to Artistic Director Jacques Wolfsohn. In this capacity he arranged songs (there is no indication that he wrote the lyrics for any of these songs) for several lesser known artists like Zou Zou and CLeo. In 1966 (or maybe the end of 1965), he was teamed with writer Jacques Lanzmann, then director at Lui magazine, to create songs for artists who were arranged to be the next big thing. Benjamin was the first of these singers. But his first EP did horribly and he was unceremoniously booted from Vogue. One day after hearing the demos that Dutronc had made of a song, Wolfsohn declared that Jacques should do the record for release. "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was unleashed on the world in 1966 and overnight one of France's biggest stars was born.
With Lanzmann in charge of the lyrics and Dutronc taking care of the music, the two created some of the most lasting songs in French pop history. There is almost no French person alive who does not know "Et moi, et moi, et moi", "Les Playboys", and "Le cactus". Other great songs include "Mini, mini, mini", "Le responsable", "J'ai un tigre dans ma guitare", and "L'opportuniste". The music on most of these songs is a British garage sound and Dutronc has often been compared to Ray Davies of The Kinks, and that comparison works musically as well. What really set Dutronc apart from the other singers of the time was his parody. His songs are not celebrating the "youth generation" but mocking it. Dutronc's biggest hit was the beautiful "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'eveille", with the classical flute player Roger Bourdin (not as some had thought Jean-Pierre Rampal) performing an essential part. In this song, Dutronc manages to paint a remarkably correct picture of the French capital in the early morning hours in the late 1960's.
Dutronc's "La fille du père Noël" and David Bowie's "Jean Genie" share a riff likely derived from the Yardbirds' accelerated version of Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man." The Belgian singer Arno recorded a medley of the Dutronc and Bowie songs ("Jean Baltazaarr") with the American singer Beverly Jo Scott that makes clear their similarities.
In 1973, Dutronc began a second career as an actor in the film Antoine et Sébastien, directed by Jean-Marie Périer, a career that would afterward occupy the greater share of his attention. Directors for whom he has worked include Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch and Maurice Pialat. He has also returned to recording in recent years.
Also in 1973, "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was adapted with English lyrics by Ray Dorset, leader of Mungo Jerry. "Alright Alright Alright" became a UK No. 3 hit for the group.
Interestingly, the early Dutronc songs usually had a classic late-sixties freakbeat backing (provided by session musicians) that has managed to win Jacques Dutronc a new audience in the hip retro clubs of the UK and USA in the late 1990s, and this continues today. (Ironically, most of the people who will be dancing to the likes of "Le Cactus" will have no idea what the words actually mean). Because of this, he is celebrated in the 1997 Cornershop song "Brimful of Asha" thus: "Jacques Dutronc and the Bolan Boogie/The Heavy Hitters and the Chichi music."
He currently lives in the town of Monticello on the island of Corsica.
Et moi et moi et moi
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics
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Et moi, et moi, et moi
Avec ma vie, mon petit chez-moi
Mon mal de tête, mon point au foie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Quatre-vingt millions d'indonésiens
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Avec ma voiture et mon chien
Son Canigou quand il aboie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Trois ou quatre cent millions de noirs
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Qui vais au brunissoir
Au sauna pour perdre du poids
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Trois cent millions de soviétiques
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Avec mes manies et mes tics
Dans mon p'tit lit en plume d'oie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Cinquante millions de gens imparfaits
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Qui regarde Catherine Langeais
À la télévision chez moi
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Neuf cent millions de crève-la-faim
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Avec mon régime végétarien
Et tout le whisky que l'on s'envoie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Cinq cent millions de sud-américains
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Je suis tout nu dans mon bain
Avec une fille qui me nettoie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Cinquante millions de vietnamiens
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Le dimanche à la chasse au lapin
Avec mon fusil, je suis le roi
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
Cinq cent milliards de petits martiens
Et nous, et nous, et nous
Comme des cons de citoyens
On attend notre chèque de fin de mois
On y pense et on oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
On y pense et on oublie
C'est la vie, c'est la-
The lyrics of Jacques Dutronc's song Et moi et moi et moi describe the perspective of an individual who is self-absorbed and oblivious to the struggles and realities faced by the rest of the world. The song lists various populations, ranging from the Chinese and Indonesians to the Soviets and Vietnamese, and the singer dismisses their plight while focusing on their own trivial concerns: their house, their car, their dog, their diet, their television habits, and their daily routines.
The repetition of "et moi, et moi, et moi" (which translates to "and me, and me, and me") emphasizes the self-centered attitude of the singer, who is more concerned with their own immediate problems than with the larger issues facing humanity. The refrain "J'y pense et puis j'oublie, c'est la vie, c'est la vie" (which translates to "I think about it and then I forget, that's life, that's life") suggests a lack of empathy or concern for others, and a resignation to the fact that there will always be suffering in the world.
Ultimately, the song can be seen as a critique of Western individualism and consumer culture, which encourages people to focus on their own desires and possessions while ignoring the broader social and political context in which they live. Through its catchy melody and ironic lyrics, Et moi et moi et moi invites listeners to reflect on their own attitudes and priorities, and to consider the consequences of their choices on others.
Line by Line Meaning
Sept cent millions de chinois
There are 700 million Chinese people in the world
Et moi, et moi, et moi
But I only ever really think about myself
Avec ma vie, mon petit chez-moi
I'm content with my comfortable life
Mon mal de tête, mon point au foie
But sometimes I have minor health issues
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think about it briefly, then forget and move on
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how life is
Quatre-vingt millions d'indonésiens
There are 80 million Indonesians in the world
Avec ma voiture et mon chien
I have a car and a dog
Son Canigou quand il aboi
I enjoy my dog's barking
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't think about it for long
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how life goes
Trois ou quatre cent millions de noirs
There are 300-400 million black people in the world
Qui vais au brunissoir
I go to the tanning salon
Au sauna pour perdre du poids
I go to the sauna to try and lose weight
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
It's not a huge concern for me
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how things are
Trois cent millions de soviétiques
There are 300 million Soviets in the world
Avec mes manies et mes tics
I have my quirks and my habits
Dans mon p'tit lit en plume d'oie
I sleep in a comfortable bed
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't dwell on it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just the way life is
Cinquante millions de gens imparfaits
There are 50 million imperfect people in the world
Qui regarde Catherine Langeais
I watch Catherine Langeais on TV
À la télévision chez moi
I watch her on TV at home
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't think about it much afterwards
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how it goes
Neuf cent millions de crève-la-faim
There are 900 million starving people in the world
Avec mon régime végétarien
I follow a vegetarian diet
Et tout le whisky que l'on s'envoie
And all the whiskey that we drink
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't think about the starving people for long
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how life is
Cinq cent millions de sud-américains
There are 500 million South Americans in the world
Je suis tout nu dans mon bain
I bathe naked
Avec une fille qui me nettoie
With a woman helping me wash
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't dwell on it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how it goes
Cinquante millions de vietnamiens
There are 50 million Vietnamese people in the world
Le dimanche à la chasse au lapin
On Sundays, I go rabbit hunting
Avec mon fusil, je suis le roi
With my rifle, I feel like a king
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I don't think about it for long
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how life goes
Cinq cent milliards de petits martiens
There are 500 billion little Martians in the world
Et nous, et nous, et nous
And us, we're just ordinary citizens
Comme des cons de citoyens
We're like fools amongst society
On attend notre chèque de fin de mois
We're waiting for our paycheck at the end of the month
On y pense et on oublie
We think about it briefly, then forget
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how it goes
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think about it briefly, then forget
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how it goes
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's just how life goes
On y pense et on oublie
We think about it briefly then forget
C'est la vie, c'est la-
That's just the way things are
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Lanzmann, Jacques Dutronc
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind