In the 1960's, Arno travelled to Asia and made the ritual visit to Kathmandu. We also caught a glimpse of him singing in St. Tropez, on the Greek islands, or in Amsterdam. Undeniably turned onto music, he sang for the first time on stage during a summer music festival in Ostend in 1969. Following this he began his career in bands, among them FreckleFace between '72 and '75. He played the harmonica. After a unique album which they produced themselves, Arno left the group for another, Tjens Couter. It was in fact a duo with Paul Decouter. Like FreckleFace their repertoire was mostly rhythm 'n'blues and in any case, very Anglo-Saxon.
Around 1977, Arno and Decouter formed TC Bland with Ferre Baelen and Rudy Cloet. The group had a certain fame and toured around Europe a lot. But in '80, joined by Serge Feys on keyboards this group became TC Matic, one of the most innovative European rock groups of the period. Quickly Decouter was replaced by Jean-Marie Aerts, who would remain one of Arno's travelling buddies. Europeans, they were indeed that. Their tours took them regularly across Scandinavia, England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. During the summer of 1981, their first namesake album was released. Then, on EMI records, they recorded several albums, among them "L'Apache" in 1982. Some of their songs like "Elle adore le noir" or "Putain Putain" are still considered today as pillar compositions of that time.
In 1985, they were the opening act for the Simple Minds during their European tour. But '85 also marked the end of TC Matic who would forever cease to exist in '86.
Arno set out on a solo career with his first namesake album as early as '86. Recorded on a bet with the musicians from TC Matic and entirely composed by Arno, the album was primarily in English. One French song came out of the lot "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" whose only words are… "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" repeated a good forty times.
During the years spent with different groups, Arno made himself a solid name in the music scene. His talent as an artist is widely recognised. As for his wild personality full of ups and downs, it puts him among the most noticed of the rock scene. In his new solo life, Arno didn't have much difficulty asserting his talent on the music scene.
In 1988 he released a second album "Charlatan" which was still primarily in English. We found however "Le Bon Dieu" a sublime cover of the most famous Belgian singers Jacques Brel. Two years later, set up in Paris, he released "Ratata". From this record written almost entirely with Jean-Marie Aerts, we recall "Lonesome Zorro" and its heady melody maintained by its chorist Beverly Brown. On June 26, 1990, Arno went on the Parisian stage at the Cigale.
In '91, Arno works on his companion Marie-Laure Beraud's album. At the same time on his solo route he didn't look down upon the idea of doing some group work. So, in 1991, he found himself with Charles et les Lulus for an eponymous album. Surrounded by Roland Van Campenhout and Adriano Cominotto, he redid some blues classics by Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Rufus Thomas. From the blues he went straight to Nashville to record a new album in 1993 "Idiots Savants". After Brel, Arno borrowed "Les Filles du bord de mer" from another famous Belgian singer Adamo. This new cover confirmed his undeniable talent to give new life to old songs. This latest remains one of his flagship songs.
On February 16th, 1994 Arno stopped off at l'Elysee Montmartre in Paris.
After Charles et les Lulus, came a new group digression with Arno et les Subrovnicks in '94. Joined by old friends Adriano Cominotto (ex-Lulu), Rudy Cloet (ex-TC Matic) and Geoffrey Burton and Francois Garny, Arno recorded the album "Water" in the South West of France.
Still in '94 Arno got started in cinema soundtracks with "Personne ne m'aime" by Frenchwoman Marion Vernoux. The cinema milieu wasn't unknown to him because in '78 in Belgium he wrote the music for the film "Le Concert d'un homme seul".
After a 20-year career primarily in English, Arno released his first album fully recorded in French in 1995. Thirteen tracks co-written with Jean-Marie Aerts or Adriano Cominotto. We find the cover of Brel's "le Bon Dieu" as well as two new songs "Elle pense à lui" by Charlélie Couture and particularly "Comme à Ostende" written by Léo Ferré and Jean-Roger Caussimon. Arno reached the top of the charts with "Les Yeux de ma mere". The album favoured the mix of genres, from tango to jazz to blues to which Arno's voice always gives a special texture.
December 13th, Arno played the Bataclan in Paris before starting off his tour around France and Switzerland and before he took off for the United States where he sang in New York and Austin, Texas.
The following year we found Arno in the cinema world but this time as an actor. He played the homosexual swimming instructor in "Camping Cosmos" by Belgian director Jan Bucquoy who also directed "La vie sexuelle des Belges" which attracted a lot of attention. Back on stage in October '96 with an evening at the Olympia on the 7th. A live album was released the following year, "Arno (en concert à la Française)" which took the best moments from his tours. An album in English was also released in '97 "Give me the gift" but it was only destined for the American market. Finally in '97, French actor Michel Piccoli gave him a role in "Alors Voilà". Arno also wrote the soundtrack.
After Charles et les Lulus, Arno went to Charles and the White Trash Blues in 1998. Within this new occasional group, where we find guitarist Geoffrey Burton he gives us an album between blues and rock and whose covers, now part of his repertoire, go from the Kinks to Nina Simone. In '99 it's again with a cover song that we find him. But this time it's as a guest on the album by American Beverly Jo Scott, who lives in Belgium. Together they did an entertaining track which is a synthesis of "la Fille du Père Noël" by Dutronc and "Jean Genie" by Bowie.
Arno returned to the music news in August '99 with a new album entitled "A Poil Commercial". Recorded in Arno's habitual blues-rock vein, "A Poil Commercial" brought the singer's husky "whisky-and-cigarettes" vocals even further to the fore.
The singer followed on with a tour spread over the year 2000 and including 170 concerts. And, after a last concert in Prague, the Parisian Cité de la Musique gave him carte blanche to put on a show of his own choice. Alone on stage with his usual band, he gave a very warm and tasteful 'bal rock', which was grandly applauded by a public of loving fans. A month later a compilation summarising his 30-year career was released.
Arno stormed back into the music news on 26 February 2002 with an album full of tender rock ballads entitled "Arno Charles Ernest" (the singer's real name). The 15 tracks on the album, recorded in a more acoustic vein than usual, included a duet with Jane Birkin ("Elisa") and a cover of the Rolling Stones classic "Mother's Little Helper". Shortly after the album release Arno kicked off a new tour with a concert at the Olympia in Paris on 8 March 2002.
Arno, the insatiable wordsmith, was back at the forefront of the music scene in May 2004 with a second album written entirely in French. The album, entitled French Bazaar, was the 26th of his career. Shot through with the lucidity and acerbic wit with which Arno has made his name, French Bazaar proves that the Flemish singer – who has just turned 55 – is still full of life and vitality.
Je Veux Nager
Arno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu penses que mon nez est pas trop grand
Tu penses que je suis intelligent
Tu penses que je pense
Et moi je veux nager
Encore une fois avec toi
Et moi je veux nager
J'suis pas James Bond
Tu penses que je peux être une star
Tu penses que je suis assez beau
Tu penses que j'ai une tête de veau
Et moi je veux nager
Encore une fois avec toi
Et moi je veux nager
Ma femme n'est pas là
Tu penses que je suis pas trop petit
Tu penses que je peux être heureux
Tu penses que je vais mourir
Tu penses que je dis des conneries
Et moi je veux nager
Encore une fois avec toi
Et moi je veux nager
Ma femme n'est pas là
Moi j'aime Dieu
Moi je fais ce que je veux
J'adore Hollywood
J'aime l'été à St Tropez
Et moi je veux nager
Encore une fois avec toi
Et moi je veux nager
Ma femme n'est pas là
I wanna swim with you
In the moonlight
Je veux nager, nager avec toi
In the moonlight...
In the song "Je Veux Nager" by Arno, the singer is responding to someone who is making assumptions about him. It seems as if this person is describing the singer in a positive light - they believe that women love him, he is intelligent, handsome, and can be a star. However, the singer is dismissive of these ideas and instead expresses his desire to swim with someone. He repeats the phrase "Et moi je veux nager" (And I want to swim) several times throughout the song, emphasizing his desire to escape and connect with someone in a more simple, natural way.
The repeated refrain "Ma femme n'est pas là" (My wife is not here) adds an additional layer to the song. It's possible that the singer is trying to escape his troubles or responsibilities, including his marriage. He mentions liking Hollywood and summers in St. Tropez, implying a desire to live a glamorous and carefree lifestyle. However, the simple pleasure of swimming with this unnamed person seems to be enough for him.
Overall, "Je Veux Nager" is a song about seeking connection and simplicity in a world that can often be overwhelming and complicated. The singer is rejecting the idea that he needs to be successful or admired, instead prioritizing the experience of being with someone and enjoying the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu penses que les femmes m'adorent
You think that women adore me
Tu penses que mon nez est pas trop grand
You think that my nose is not too big
Tu penses que je suis intelligent
You think that I am intelligent
Tu penses que je pense
You think that I think
Et moi je veux nager
And I want to swim
Encore une fois avec toi
Once again with you
Ma femme n'est pas là
My wife is not here
J'suis pas James Bond
I'm not James Bond
Tu penses que je peux être une star
You think that I can be a star
Tu penses que je suis assez beau
You think that I am handsome enough
Tu penses que j'ai une tête de veau
You think that I have a calf's head
Tu penses que je suis pas trop petit
You think that I'm not too small
Tu penses que je peux être heureux
You think that I can be happy
Tu penses que je vais mourir
You think that I am going to die
Tu penses que je dis des conneries
You think that I talk nonsense
Moi j'aime Dieu
I love God
Moi je fais ce que je veux
I do what I want
J'adore Hollywood
I love Hollywood
J'aime l'été à St Tropez
I love summer in St. Tropez
Je veux nager, nager avec toi
I want to swim, swim with you
In the moonlight...
In the moonlight...
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@marietheresebiliczki8529
Superbe toujours. Danser aussi. Pas que nager
.arno
Est aussi un bon
Danseur.je l ai vus à ostende..danser avec une fille .une élégance incroyable
.c etait beau
A regarder.a 70 ans
A son anniversaire au casino d ostende.apres cela
..ds la nuit il se relaxait
..abec un petit verre
De vin
..souvenir a vie.pour moi.💛👍👍👍💛💛💛🎶🎵🎼🎙👏
@jocelynemillet996
Très bonne chanson musique texte, comme dab,merci encore une fois Arno(❤️,au revoir à jamais une étoile de plus brille au ciel )❤️😔😥
@marietheresebiliczki8529
Oui une étoile 🌟libre.a jamais .il nage.libre.
@landealain9392
Chanson culte. Vivement les prochains concerts ♥
@bauchmicu
mille bravos Monsieur Arno..... continuez comme cela !
@philippedascotte233
Encore une fois avec toi mon ami. R.I.P.
@isabellemartinelli7459
Extraordinaire !
@caroleblin10
A écouter avec du volume!!!
@didierbarnet4301
En live, le morceau est encore plus puissant, yes, à fond les watts 👏
@arnoldcharlesernesthintjen5093
Salut chère merci bien pour vos doux et magnifiques messages ... vue cet amour que portez à ma musique et à moi j’ai du créé un groupe pour mes fan et mes super fan alors si vous voulez en faire partie laissez moi un message à ce mail pour être ajouter:
Arnoldcharlesernesthintjens1@gmail.com
@arnoldcharlesernesthintjen5093
Salut chère merci bien pour vos doux et magnifiques🥰 messages ... vue cet amour que portez à ma musique et à moi j’ai du créé un groupe pour mes fan et mes super fan alors si vous voulez en faire partie laissez moi un message à ce mail pour être ajouter:
Arnoldcharlesernesthintjens1@gmail.com