He was born in Pézenas, in the Hérault département of France. A brilliant scholar, he prepared for the entrance exam to the Centrale (engineering school) and Sup-Aero at Montpellier, but was conscripted into the Youth Building Projects in 1942 and sent to Germany in 1943 for compulsory work service. He escaped the same year, and found work as a diver in La Ciotat, a suburb of Marseilles, in 1944.
In 1946, he married Colette Maclaud. They had two children, Ticha (born 1948) and Jacky (1950).
His first published work, Les douze chants d'un imbecile, appeared in 1951. He moved to Paris and opened a fashion and baby clothes shop, still writing and producing plays. Later, he switched to being a fitter of TV aerials and began singing.
In the 1960s, Boby Lapointe started an actor’s career and acted in films by some of the greatest French directors, among which François Truffaut and Claude Sautet.
His fame grew when the actor Bourvil sang Lapointe's song Aragon et Castille in the 1954 film Poisson d'avril. In 1960, film director François Truffaut offered him a part in Tirez sur le Pianiste in which he played Framboise, accompanied by Charles Aznavour on piano. This marked the start of a career that saw Lapointe perform at major venues throughout France. His joyful character led him to build friendships with French stars Anne Sylvestre, Raymond Devos, Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens.
Lapointe was also a mathematician, and developed the bi-bi-binary system (also known as the bibi system) in 1971.
Bobo Léon
Boby Lapointe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il porte un bandeau Léon
Il a do bobo Léon
Oh, pauvre Léon
D'abord il ne s'appelle pas Léon
Mais je ne me souviens plus de son nom
J'peux pourtant pas l'appeler Hortense
Il a do bobo Léon
Il va peut-être canner Léon
Il a do bobo Léon
Oh, pauvre Léon
On l'a mené à l'hôpital
Pour le soigner où il avait mal
Il s'était fait mal dans la rue
Mais on l'a soigné autre part
Et il est mort !...
The song "Bobo Léon" by Boby Lapointe tells the story of a man named Léon, who is suffering from an injury and wears a bandage. However, the singer reveals that Léon is not actually his name, but the singer cannot remember his real name. The song expresses pity for Léon's condition and suggests that he may die from his injury.
The lyrics use a playful and slightly absurd tone to convey deeper themes of memory, identity and mortality. The fact that the singer cannot remember Léon's name highlights the transient nature of memory and its role in constructing our sense of self. The use of a silly name like "Hortense" emphasizes the arbitrary nature of labels and categories. Meanwhile, the repeated refrain of "Oh, pauvre Léon" emphasizes the human response to suffering and the inevitability of death.
Overall, "Bobo Léon" combines humor and pathos to explore existential themes in a playful way. It highlights the complexities and challenges of human experience, while also suggesting the possibility of finding joy and meaning in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Il a do bobo Léon
Poor Leon is in pain
Il porte un bandeau Léon
Leon wears a headband
Il a do bobo Léon
Leon is still in pain
Oh, pauvre Léon
Oh, poor Leon
D'abord il ne s'appelle pas Léon
Firstly, his name is not Leon
Mais je ne me souviens plus de son nom
But I cannot remember his name
J'peux pourtant pas l'appeler Hortense
I cannot call him Hortense, though
Et puis ça n'a pas d'importance
And it doesn't matter
Il a do bobo Léon
Leon is still in pain
Il va peut-être canner Léon
He may die soon
Il a do bobo Léon
Leon is still in pain
Oh, pauvre Léon
Oh, poor Leon
On l'a mené à l'hôpital
We took him to the hospital
Pour le soigner où il avait mal
To treat him where he was hurt
Il s'était fait mal dans la rue
He got hurt in the street
Mais on l'a soigné autre part
But they treated him somewhere else
Et il est mort !...
And he died!...
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT JEAN FRANCOIS JOSEPH LAPOINTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nemo
Hommage à ce génie, j'ai assisté ce soir à un spectacle retraçant sa carrière et ses textes merveilleux. Pézenas, décidément, fait à la langue de beaux hommages qui sont morts hélas. De Poquelain Jean-Baptiste à Bobby l'artiste les siècles n'entament pas d'un pas les dix stances qui les séparent en France.
Christine Salles
"On l'a amené à l'hôpital
Pour le soigner là où il avait mal
Mais il s'était fait mal dans la rue
Et on l'a soigné autre part...
Et il est mort !"
Tout simplement génial 👍😂 Merci monsieur Lapointe 🙏
Bri
Magnifique chanson, triste et belle. Ah! Boby Lapointe magnifique. Un plaisir de l’écouter.❤️❤️❤️
thierry villette
Quel plaisir d'écouter le grand Boby
c2lh
La fin est vrmt géniale! Avec le zoom de la caméra haha
c2lh
ok
Pokemon Bite-Bite-Bite-Bite
oui
Pr. GAUDIUS
Si un jour, on fait un film ou un téléfilm sur Boby Lapointe, je verrais bien Régis Laspalès dans le rôle principal. Il a déjà le phrasé et la binette.
ET .G
+madrigal1956 comment tu à rekt Laspalès ! Je suis mort X'D
madrigal1956
mais il n'est pas drôle