Aznavour has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
C
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et ne peux m'empêcher de penser à demain
Qui s'annonce déjà comme un mauvais orage
Qui lavera nos rires à l'eau de mon chagrin
J'ai le cœur déchiré
Et j'ai mal de comprendre
Que les mots que tu dis veulent tous dire adieu
Le chagrin me surprend debout, silencieux
Je rêve du passé quand le présent t'emporte
Il ne me reste plus qu'à te serrer la main
Je voudrais la garder, mais nos amours sont mortes
À deux pas de mon cœur tu es déjà si loin
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
Se peut-il qu'un bonheur qui tenait tant de place
Et donnait tant de joie disparaisse à jamais
Effaçant de ta vie même jusqu'à la trace
Du moindre souvenir que l'amour nous a fait?
Je ne sais comment faire, et je ne sais que dire
Je veux paraître fort une dernière fois
Les larmes aux coins des yeux, je me force à sourire
D'un sourire forcé qui ne te trompe pas
Trop lâche pour mourir, bien qu'effrayé de vivre
Je compte sur l'oubli pour trouver le repos
Il faudra m'habituer dans les années à suivre
À des jours sans ta voix, à des nuits sans ta peau
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
C'est fini, fini, fini
Fini, fini, fini, fini
In Charles Aznavour's song "C'est Fini," the singer is unable to take his eyes off his lover's face, but he can't shake off the feeling that tomorrow will bring bad weather that will wash away their laughter with the water of his grief. His heart is torn apart, and he's in pain as he realizes that his lover's words are all saying goodbye. The singer watches and hears without really seeing or hearing anything, and he's surprised when sorrow silently takes over. He dreams of when the past carried his love, but the present is taking it away. He wants to grasp his lover's hand and keep it, but their love has died, and she's already so far away from his heart.
The singer wonders how happiness that occupied such an important place in his life and brought him so much joy, can disappear forever, erasing even the slightest memory of their love. He's at a loss for words, and he wants to appear strong one last time, forcing a smile despite the tears in his eyes. He's too scared to die and hopes that time will heal his pain. In the years to come, he must get used to days without her voice and nights without her skin.
"C'est Fini" is a song about a relationship that has come to an end. The singer is going through a rollercoaster of emotions, including heartache, surprise, and fear. He's wondering how something that occupied so much of his life could just disappear, leaving him with nothing but memories of a love that once was. The song's melody is gentle, somber, and melancholic, matching the lyrics' mood.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne peux détacher mes yeux de ton visage
I can't take my eyes off of your face
Et ne peux m'empêcher de penser à demain
And can't help but think about tomorrow
Qui s'annonce déjà comme un mauvais orage
Which already looks like a terrible storm
Qui lavera nos rires à l'eau de mon chagrin
That will wash away our laughter with my tears
J'ai le cœur déchiré
My heart is torn apart
Et j'ai mal de comprendre
And it hurts to understand
Que les mots que tu dis veulent tous dire adieu
That all the words you say mean goodbye
Je regarde sans voir, j'écoute sans entendre
I look without seeing, I listen without hearing
Le chagrin me surprend debout, silencieux
Grief catches me standing there, silent
Je rêve du passé quand le présent t'emporte
I dream of the past while the present takes you away
Il ne me reste plus qu'à te serrer la main
All that's left is to shake your hand
Je voudrais la garder, mais nos amours sont mortes
I want to hold on, but our love is dead
À deux pas de mon cœur tu es déjà si loin
You are already so far away, just two steps from my heart
Se peut-il qu'un bonheur qui tenait tant de place
Is it possible that a happiness that took up so much space
Et donnait tant de joie disparaisse à jamais
And brought so much joy, disappears forever
Effaçant de ta vie même jusqu'à la trace
Erasing even the smallest trace of love from your life
Du moindre souvenir que l'amour nous a fait?
Of any memory that our love ever existed?
Je ne sais comment faire, et je ne sais que dire
I don't know what to do, and I don't know what to say
Je veux paraître fort une dernière fois
I want to appear strong one last time
Les larmes aux coins des yeux, je me force à sourire
With tears in my eyes, I force a smile
D'un sourire forcé qui ne te trompe pas
A forced smile that won't deceive you
Trop lâche pour mourir, bien qu'effrayé de vivre
Too cowardly to die, although scared to live
Je compte sur l'oubli pour trouver le repos
I rely on forgetting to find peace
Il faudra m'habituer dans les années à suivre
I'll have to get used to it in the years to come
À des jours sans ta voix, à des nuits sans ta peau
To days without your voice, to nights without your touch
C'est fini, fini, fini
It's over, over, over
Fini, fini, fini, fini
over, over, over, over
C'est fini, fini, fini
It's over, over, over
Fini, fini, fini, fini
over, over, over, over
C'est fini, fini, fini
It's over, over, over
Fini, fini, fini, fini
over, over, over, over
C'est fini, fini, fini
It's over, over, over
Fini, fini, fini, fini
over, over, over, over
Lyrics © EDITIONS MUSICALES DJANIK, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Charles Aznavour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Delfin
Que c'est triste Venise au temps des amours mortes
Que c'est triste Venise quand on ne s'aime plus
On cherche encore des mots, mais l'ennui les emporte
On voudrait bien pleurer, mais on ne le peut plus
Que c'est triste Venise lorsque les barcarolles
Ne viennent souligner que les silences creux
Et que le cœur se serre en voyant les gondoles
Abriter le bonheur des couples amoureux
Que c'est triste Venise au temps des amours mortes
Que c'est triste Venise quand on ne s'aime plus
Les musées, les églises ouvrent en vain leurs portes
Inutile beauté devant nos yeux déçus
Que c'est triste Venise, le soir sur la lagune
Quand on cherche une main que l'on ne vous tend pas
Et que l'on ironise devant le clair de lune
Pour tenter d'oublier ce qu'on ne se dit pas
Adieu tous les pigeons qui nous ont fait escorte
Adieu Pont des Soupirs, adieu rêves perdus
C'est trop triste Venise au temps des amours mortes
C'est trop triste Venise quand on ne s'aime plus
Athanase Yombele
Nous sommes très tristes depuis que tu n'es plus là pour nous bercer avec tes fabuleuses chansons !
Très cher Charles, repose en paix.
Rildo Rocha
Não consigo decifrar, os sentimentos e pensamentos passados na mente e no coração, quando escuto esta maravilha da música global..... Só sei que, me faz voar alto e indescritível.🇧🇷
Franco Bressan
Muito talento esse cara
Tanguera Olivera
Que c’est triste Venise depuis que tu n’es plus là pour la chanter, repose en paix Aznavour et merci pour les chansons que tu nous laisses ❤️❤️❤️
Rita Matos
Agente voa com os anjos ao ouvir está canção maravilhosa ,sem palavras .Desejo tudo de maravilhoso a família desse ser maravilhoso q foi habitar com anjos .Com certeza está brilhando no céu .⭐🌟🌟🌟🌟❣️❤️❤️❤️🌟🌟
Osmsts
Quand j'entends cette chanson, je me souviens de mon frère qui n'est plus parmi nous aujourd'hui. Il a beaucoup aimé écouter cette chanson. Il me manque beaucoup.
julien sanchez
pareil pour mon papa
Abdallah Laoubi
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
Rabah Ouzia
Patrick. Fiori
Fabien Bianco
Respect a eux qui repose en paix