Souchon signed his first contract in 1971, but had no success until he began to collaborate with composer/arranger Laurent Voulzy ; they would write together, but each released albums under his own name. Souchon's first hit was "J'ai 10 ans" (1974), from the album of the same name. Souchon's biggest hit was probably "Foule Sentimentale" from 1995's C'est Deja ca. His recent album is from 2005, called La Vie Theodore which features his song "Et si en plus, y'a personne" [What if, even more, there is no one], a song condemning religious intolerance.
He wrote the theme for François Truffaut's 1979 film Love on the Run (L'amour en fuite).
Menti
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vieux Scott Joplin maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
Caché dans les crinolines des autos Panhard
Tu disais l'industrie et l'agriculture
Tu disais la vieille Sissi sur la côte d'Azur
Et le tsarévitch Alexis
Tout tout était menti
Scott Joplin maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Vieux Fats Waller maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
Dans les mains d'Al Capone à Chicago le soir
Tu disais Métro Goldwyn les Dessoto les Packard
Lilly Palmer un jour j'aurai ma part
Armstrong et Stormy Weather aussi
Le charleston et Mussolini
Tout tout était menti
Fats Waller maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Vieux Bob Dylan maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
La révolution une forme d'art
Marianne Faithfull et ses jolies dents qui claquent
Enroulée dans l'anorak de Jack Kerouac
Katmandou et la mort à bas prix
Et les limousines hors de prix
Tout tout était menti
Bob Dylan maudit
C'était menti
Et toi tes mots d'amour au piano
Est-ce que c'était tout du pipeau?
Toi qui disais que tu m'aimais
Comment c'était?
The song "Menti" by Alain Souchon reflects a feeling of betrayal and deception from someone the singer has trusted. Throughout the song, the singer realizes that everything this person has ever told them was a lie. The song repeats the phrase "Tout ce que tu m'as dit, c'était menti" ("Everything you told me was a lie") multiple times, and incorporates references to three different American musicians: Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, and Bob Dylan.
In the first verse, the singer questions all the things this person has told them, including the idea that happiness is a "big bomb" hidden in the crinolines of Panhard cars, and references to the old empress Sissi on the French Riviera. These things are juxtaposed with references to Karl Marx and the tsarévitch Alexis, suggesting that this person is confusing or blurring fact and fiction. The reference to Scott Joplin, an American composer and pianist known for his ragtime music, may indicate that this person is trying to create a sense of nostalgia or comfort through their lies, but in reality, they are just manipulating the singer.
The second verse references Fats Waller, another American jazz musician, and suggests that this person continues to lie and deceive. They use glamorous and famous names like Al Capone, Lilly Palmer, and Armstrong and Stormy Weather to make their lies more believable, but in reality, they are all still lies. The final verse references Bob Dylan, an American folk singer and songwriter, and suggests that this person has even lied about serious things like revolution and mortality, indicating a complete disregard for truth.
The final lines of the song express the singer's doubt in the sincerity of the person's love, wondering if everything they ever said was just empty promises or "pipe dreams."
Line by Line Meaning
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Scott Joplin maudit
Old Scott Joplin damned
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness was a big firework
Caché dans les crinolines des autos Panhard
Hidden in the crinolines of Panhard cars
Tu disais l'industrie et l'agriculture
You said industry and agriculture
Tu disais la vieille Sissi sur la côte d'Azur
You said the old Sissi on the French Riviera
De Karl Marx la rêverie
The dream of Karl Marx
Et le tsarévitch Alexis
And Tsarevich Alexei
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Scott Joplin maudit
Damned Scott Joplin
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Fats Waller maudit
Old Fats Waller damned
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness was a big firework
Dans les mains d'Al Capone à Chicago le soir
In the hands of Al Capone in Chicago at night
Tu disais Métro Goldwyn les Dessoto les Packard
You said Metro Goldwyn, Dessoto, and Packard
Lilly Palmer un jour j'aurai ma part
Lilly Palmer, one day I'll have my share
Armstrong et Stormy Weather aussi
Armstrong and Stormy Weather too
Le charleston et Mussolini
The Charleston and Mussolini
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Fats Waller maudit
Damned Fats Waller
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Bob Dylan maudit
Old Bob Dylan damned
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness was a big firework
La révolution une forme d'art
The revolution as a form of art
Marianne Faithfull et ses jolies dents qui claquent
Marianne Faithfull and her pretty clicking teeth
Enroulée dans l'anorak de Jack Kerouac
Wrapped up in Jack Kerouac's anorak
Katmandou et la mort à bas prix
Katmandu and cheap death
Et les limousines hors de prix
And expensive limousines
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Bob Dylan maudit
Damned Bob Dylan
C'était menti
It was a lie
Et toi tes mots d'amour au piano
And you, your words of love on the piano
Est-ce que c'était tout du pipeau?
Was it all just a bunch of hot air?
Toi qui disais que tu m'aimais
You who said you loved me
Comment c'était?
How was it?
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Written by: Alain Souchon, Pierre Souchon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind