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.
Emmenez-Moi
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ils arrivent, le ventre alourdi de fruits, les bateaux
Ils viennent du bout du monde, apportant avec eux des idées vagabondes
Aux reflets de ciels bleus, de mirages
Traînant un parfum poivré de pays inconnus, et d'éternels étés
Où l'on vit presque nus sur les plages
J'aimerais débarbouiller ce gris en virant de bord
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles
Il me semble que la misère, serait moins pénible au soleil
Dans les bars à la tombée du jour avec les marins
Quand on parle de filles et d'amour, un verre à la main
Je perds la notion des choses, et soudain, ma pensée
M'enlève et me dépose un merveilleux été sur la grève
Où je vois, tendant les bras
L'amour, qui comme un fou, court au devant de moi
Et je me pends au cou de mon rêve
Quand les bars ferment, que les marins rejoignent leur bord
Moi, je rêve encore jusqu'au matin, debout sur le port
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles
Il me semble que la misère, serait moins pénible au soleil
Un beau jour sur un rafiot craquant, de la coque au pont
Pour partir, je travaillerais dans la soute à charbon
Prenant la route qui mène à mes rêves d'enfant
Sur des îles lointaines où rien n'est important que de vivre
Où les filles alanguies vous ravissent le cœur
En tressant m'a-t'on dit de ces colliers de fleurs qui enivrent
Je fuirais, laissant là, mon passé, sans aucun remords
Sans bagage, et le cœur libéré, en chantant très fort
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles
Il me semble que la misère, serait moins pénible au soleil
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles
Il me semble que la misère, serait moins pénible au soleil
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
The lyrics of Charles Aznavour’s “Emmenez-Moi” are about the singer’s longing to escape the monotony and grayness of his life in the north of France and venture out into the world. He envisions himself leaving with the ships that arrive at the docks, carrying exotic fruits and ideas from faraway lands. The singer dreams of finding a place where the sun shines all year long, where he can forget his troubles and indulge in life’s simple pleasures.
The bars at the dock become a refuge for the singer, where he can drink and talk with the sailors about women and love. In his drunken state, he escapes into his imagination and finds himself on a beautiful beach, embraced by his dream lover. As the night wears on, the singer still dreams of leaving his life behind and embarking on a ship that will take him to his paradise where he can live freely without any baggage.
Aznavour’s lyrics are a poetic evocation of wanderlust, capturing the romanticism of travel and the yearning for adventure. It also reflects the universal human desire to escape from routine and seek inspiration elsewhere.
Line by Line Meaning
Vers les docks où le poids et l'ennui Me courbent le dos Ils arrivent le ventre alourdi de fruits Les bateaux
I'm tired of my mundane life and want to escape. As I stand at the docks with a curved back, I see the boats come in with the weight of their fruits.
Ils viennent du bout du monde Apportant avec eux des idées vagabondes aux reflets de ciels bleus De mirages Traînant un parfum poivré de pays inconnus Et d'éternels étés où l'on vit presque nus Sur les plages
These boats come from faraway lands with a sense of wanderlust reflected in their blue skies. They have a spicy fragrance of unknown countries and warm summers where people almost live naked on the beaches.
Moi qui n'ai connu toute ma vie Que le ciel du nord J'aimerais débarbouiller ce gris En virant de bord
All my life, I have only known the grey skies of the north. I wish to escape my bleak surroundings and embrace a new world.
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre Emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles Il me semble que la misère Serait moins pénible au soleil
Take me to the edge of the earth and the land of wonders where poverty seems less painful in the sunshine.
Dans les bars à la tombée du jour Avec les marins Quand on parle de filles et d'amour, un verre à la main
At dusk, in the bars with sailors, we talk about women and love, with a drink in hand.
Je perds la notion des choses et soudain ma pensée M'enlève et me dépose, un merveilleux été Sur la grève
I lose all sense of reality, and my thoughts take me to a wonderful summer on the beach.
Où je vois tendant les bras l'amour qui comme un fou Court au devant de moi et je me pends au cou De mon rêve
There, I see love running towards me, and I embrace it as if it were a dream.
Quand les bars ferment, que les marins Rejoignent leur bord Moi je rêve encore jusqu'au matin Debout sur le port
When the bars close and the sailors return to their boats, I still dream, standing on the port until morning.
Un beau jour sur un rafiot craquant De la coque au pont Pour partir je travaillerais dans la soute à charbon
One fine day, I will work on a creaky boat from the hull to the deck, and even in the coal bunker, just to depart towards my dreams.
Prenant la route qui mène à mes rêves d'enfant Sur des îles lointaines où rien n'est important Que de vivre
I'll take the road that leads to my childhood dreams, to faraway islands where the only thing that matters is living.
Où les filles alanguies vous ravissent le cœur En tressant m'a-t'on dit de ces colliers de fleurs Qui enivrent
Where languid girls steal your heart by weaving intoxicating flower necklaces, or so I've been told.
Je fuirais, laissant là mon passé Sans aucun remords Sans bagage et le cœur libéré En chantant très fort
I will run away, leaving my past behind without any regrets or baggage, singing loudly with my liberated heart.
Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre Emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles Il me semble que la misère Serait moins pénible au soleil
Take me to the edge of the earth and the land of wonders where poverty seems less painful in the sunshine.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
This repetition of 'La' indicates a musical interlude where the character is lost in thought about his wanderlust and desire to escape his current life.
Lyrics © EDITIONS MUSICALES DJANIK, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Aznavour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SAMRAT_00001
ENGLISH VERSION
Take me
Towards the docks (the dockers are the men who work on the quay of the port) where the weight and the boredom
Make me bend the back
They arrive, their estomach wighed down (estomach of bote that mean ther hull)
By the fruits, the botes
They come from the end of the world
Bringing with them
roaming ideas
To the reflections of blue skies
Of mirages
Trailing a peppered perfume
By unknown countries
wher ther are a eternal summers
Where the peopel live almost naked On beaches
On the beaches
me who knew all my life
Only the sky of the North
I would like to wash this grey (it mean the gery of the skine, so wash this grey it mean make bronsage)
by turning of edge (edge of the bote)
Take me at the end of the earth(ground)
Take Me to the wonderland
It seems to me that the misery
Would be less painful with the sun
In the bars at nightfall
With the sailors
When we talke about girls and the love
and A glass (it mean a drink) in the hand
I lose the notion of the things
And sudden my thought
Remove me and deposits me
A marvellous summer
On the strike
Where I see tightening the arms
The love which like insane
Runs in front of me
I take myself by the neck
Of my dream
When bars close, when the sailors
Join their edge (edge of the bote)
Me I still dream until the morning
Upright on the port
Take me at the end of the earth(ground)
Take Me to the wonderland
It seems to me that the misery
Would be less painful with the sun
A beautiful day on a cracking rafiot (kind of bote)
Hull with the bridge
To leave i am ready to work even
in the coal bunker
Taking the road which carries me
To my childhood's dreams
On distant islands
Where nothing is important
Only to live
Where the faint girls ( it is a positif meaning, it mean girls who she hav a slim waist)
You charm the heart
As somone tould me, while she braiding,
with these garlands of flowers
who she make any one as a drunk
I would run away leaving my past
Without any remorse
Without luggage and the heart is freed (released)
whil singing very hardly
Take me at the end of the earth(ground)
Take Me to the wonderland
It seems to me that the misery
Would be less painful with the sun
@majdar1277
To the docks where weight and boredom
Bend my back,
They arrive with heavy bellies
Of fruits, the boats.
They come from the end of the world
bringing with them
Wandering ideas
In the reflections of blue skies
Of mirages,
Trailing a peppery scent
From unknown countries
And eternal summers
where we live almost naked
On the beaches.
I who haven't known all my life
Than the northern sky,
I would like to wash away this gray
By tacking.
Take me to the end of the earth,
take me to wonderland.
It seems to me that misery
Would be less painful in the sun.
In the bars at dusk
with the sailors
When we talk about girls and love
A glass in hand,
I lose track of things
And suddenly my thought
pick me up and put me down
A wonderful summer
on the strike,
Where I see reaching out
The love that like crazy
Run ahead of me
And I hang around my neck
Of my dream.
When the bars close, when the sailors
Reach their edge,
I still dream until the morning
Standing on the harbor.
Take me to the end of the earth,
take me to wonderland.
It seems to me that misery
Would be less painful in the sun.
A beautiful day on a creaky tub
From hull to deck
To leave I would work in
The coal bunker.
Taking the road that leads
To my childhood dreams
On distant islands
where nothing matters
Than to live,
Where the languid girls
You delight the heart
By braiding, they told me,
Of these flower necklaces
who intoxicate.
I would flee leaving my past there
Without any remorse,
Without luggage and the heart ur released
Singing very loud.
Take me to the end of the earth
take me to wonderland
It seems to me that misery
Would be less painful in the sun...
@user-uw1ix1vg7x
Qui est là en mars 2024 ?🎉
@monicareis8449
Yo ❤
@flobenk1672
Moi et j'en suis si fière ❤
@lynaletaief8595
Seuls les vrais sont ici en 2024
@Theo_Ferrando
Moi
@ZI0KXX
Ewe
@noamtoulliouperrin3205
De moins en moins de personnes c'est triste
@parcehugo9164
Ouais
@Elsnche
Présent
@mariem8628
nous ne sommes pas nombreux seuls les vrais ecoutent cette oeuvre dans un temps ou la vrai musique est une piece rare