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.
I'll be there
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must bring salvation back,
Where there is love, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll have faith in all you do.
Just call my name and I'll be there (I'll be there)
Build my world of dreams around you,
I'm so glad that I found you.
I'll be there with a love that's strong,
I'll be your strength,
I'll keep holdin' on (Holdin' on)
Yes I will, yes I will
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter,
Togetherness, girl, is all I'm after,
Whenever you need me, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll be there to protect you, (yeah baby)
With unselfish love that respects you.
Just call my name, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll be there to comfort you,
Build my world of dreams around you,
I'm so glad that I found you.
I'll be there with a love that's strong,
I'll be your strength,
I'll keep holdin' on.
Ooh ooh ooh
Yes I will (Holdin' on, holdin' on)
Yes I will
If you should ever find someone new
I know he better be good to you
'Cause if he doesn't
I'll be there (I'll be there)
Don't you know baby I'll be there
I'll be there I'll be there
Just call my name, I'll be there (I'll be there)
Just look over your shoulders honey, ooh!
I'll be there, I'll be there,
Whenever you need me, I'll be there (I'll be there)
Don't you know baby,
I'll be there, I'll be there
Just call my name, I'll be there (I'll be there)
Oh oh oh oh I'll be there, I'll be there
The song "I'll be there" by Charles Aznavour is about a commitment to love and support someone through all of life's ups and downs. The first two lines of the song set the tone that there needs to be a pact between the two people in the relationship to bring salvation back. This salvation can be interpreted to mean both emotional and spiritual salvation. Aznavour's commitment is so dedicated that he is willing to build his world of dreams around his loved one.
The lyrics convey that the singer is willing to be his loved one's strength and will hold on to their relationship through thick and thin. He wants to fill his partner's heart with joy and laughter and be there for them whenever they need him. The song's chorus is all about assuring his partner that he will always be there for them, with his love strong enough to protect and respect them.
In the final stanza, the singer recognizes the reality that the person he loves might find someone else. He tells them that if they do, he hopes that person will be good to them, but if not, he will always be there for them when they need him. He is saying that his commitment to love and support his partner is unwavering and will never change.
Overall, "I'll Be There" is a beautiful love song that speaks to the heart and soul of the listener. The song's message is that of dedication and a commitment to be there for one another through thick and thin.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I must make a pact
We must come to an agreement on something important
We must bring salvation back,
We need to restore something to its former state
Where there is love, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll always be present wherever there is love
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll offer support and assistance
I'll have faith in all you do.
I believe in your abilities and actions.
Just call my name and I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll respond whenever you need me
I'll be there to comfort you,
I'll be there to provide emotional support
Build my world of dreams around you,
I'll create a vision of positivity exclusively for you
I'm so glad that I found you.
I'm happy to have met you
I'll be there with a love that's strong,
I'll show you a love that is powerful and unwavering
I'll be your strength,
I'll be your source of support
I'll keep holdin' on (Holdin' on)
I'll persist through trying times
Yes I will, yes I will
I promise to do all of the above
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter,
I want to bring you happiness and positivity
Togetherness, girl, is all I'm after,
I desire unity above all else
Whenever you need me, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll always be available to help you
I'll be there to protect you, (yeah baby)
I'll defend and safeguard you
With unselfish love that respects you.
I'll show you love that is selfless and reverent
I'll be there to comfort you,
I'll be there to provide emotional support
Build my world of dreams around you,
I'll create a vision of positivity exclusively for you
I'm so glad that I found you.
I'm happy to have met you
I'll be there with a love that's strong,
I'll show you a love that is powerful and unwavering
I'll be your strength,
I'll be your source of support
I'll keep holdin' on.
I'll persist through trying times
Ooh ooh ooh
Yes I will (Holdin' on, holdin' on)
I promise to persist and not quit
Yes I will
I promise once more
If you should ever find someone new
In the event that you find someone else
I know he better be good to you
I hope that person treats you well
Cause if he doesn't
If they fail in that regard
I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll be there for you
Don't you know baby I'll be there
I'm telling you that I'll be there
I'll be there I'll be there
Reiterating that I'll be there for you
Just call my name, I'll be there (I'll be there)
Simply request my assistance and I'll arrive
Just look over your shoulders honey, ooh!
Even when you're not expecting me, I'll be there for you
Whenever you need me, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll always be available to help you
Don't you know baby,
I'm telling you
I'll be there, I'll be there
I'll be there for you
Just call my name, I'll be there (I'll be there)
Simply request my assistance and I'll arrive
Oh oh oh oh I'll be there, I'll be there
Reiterating once more that I'll be there for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Berry Gordy Jr, Bob West, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind