Musical Structure
The words and style of "Michelle" have their origins in the popularity of Parisian Left Bank culture during McCartney's Liverpool days. In his description, "it was at the time of people like Juliette Greco, the French bohemian thing." McCartney had gone to a party of art students where a student with a goatee and a striped T-shirt was singing a French song. He soon wrote a farcical imitation to entertain his friends that involved French-sounding groaning instead of real words. The song remained a party piece until 1965, when John Lennon suggested he rework it into a proper song for inclusion on Rubber Soul.
McCartney asked Jan Vaughan, a French teacher and the wife of his old friend Ivan Vaughan, to come up with a French name and a phrase that rhymed with it. McCartney said: "It was because I'd always thought that the song sounded French that I stuck with it. I can't speak French properly so that's why I needed help in sorting out the actual words."
Vaughan came up with "Michelle, ma belle", and a few days later McCartney asked for a translation of "these are words that go together well", rendered, for scansion, as sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble ("are words that go very well together"). When McCartney played the song for Lennon, Lennon suggested the "I love you" bridge. Lennon was inspired by a song he heard the previous evening, Nina Simone's version of "I Put a Spell on You", which used the same phrase but with the emphasis on the last word, "I love you".
George Martin, the Beatles' producer, recalled that he composed the melody of the guitar solo, which is heard midway through the song and again during the fadeout. He showed George Harrison the notes during the recording session and then accompanied the guitarist (on piano, out of microphone range) when the solos were overdubbed.
Michelle
Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These are words that go together well
My Michelle
Michelle, ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I love you, I love you, I love you
That's all I want to say
I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
Michelle, ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I need to, I need to, I need to
I need to make you see
Oh, what you mean to me
Until I do, I'm hoping you will know what I mean
I love you...
I want you, I want you, I want you
I think you know by now
I'll get to you somehow
Until I do, I'm telling you so you'll understand
Michelle, ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
And I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
My Michelle
The Beatles' "Michelle" is a love song about a man expressing his love and devotion to a woman named Michelle. The song is composed in both English and French, with the French lyrics translated to mean "Michelle, my beautiful one, these are words that go together well, very well together."
The song opens with the phrase "Michelle, ma belle," which is a term of endearment in French that translates to 'Michelle, my beautiful.' The singer then goes on to express his love for Michelle, with the repetition of "I love you" and "I need to make you see, oh what you mean to me." He is hopeful that Michelle will understand his feelings, even if he can't find the right words.
Overall, the song is a sweet and romantic tribute to a loved one, with lyrics that showcase the Beatles' ability to write catchy and heartfelt melodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Michelle, ma belle
Oh my beautiful Michelle
These are words that go together well
These words match so perfectly
My Michelle
You belong to me, My Michelle
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Are the words that fit together so well
Tres bien ensemble
So perfectly together
I love you, I love you, I love you
I truly am in love with you
That's all I want to say
These three simple words are what I want you to know
Until I find a way
Until I express my love in a way that you'll understand, I'll keep saying it
I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
My love is so pure, I'll only say these words because they convey the intensity of my feelings for you
I need to, I need to, I need to
I have to tell you
I need to make you see
I need to make you understand my feelings
Oh, what you mean to me
You are everything to me
Until I do, I'm hoping you will know what I mean
I hope you'll understand without me having to fully express myself
I want you, I want you, I want you
I desire you, I want to be with you
I think you know by now
I believe you already realize how much I love you
I'll get to you somehow
I'll do whatever it takes to be with you
And I will say the only words I know that you'll understand
Once again, I'll express my love in the only words I can
My Michelle
You are my love, My Michelle
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
Are the words that fit together so well
Tres bien ensemble
So perfectly together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind