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.
Mes emmerdes
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Des années
Sans répit
Jour et nuit
Pour réussir (ah oui)
Pour gravir (oh oui)
Les sommets
En oubliant (oubliant)
Ma course contre le temps
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
A corps perdu (à corps perdu)
J'ai couru (j'ai couru)
Assoiffé
Obstiné
Vers l'horizon (l'horizon)
L'illusion (l'illusion)
Vers l'abstrait (l'abstrait)
En sacrifiant
C'est navrant
Je m'en accuse à présent
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
Mes amis c'était tout en partage
Mes amours faisaient très bien l'amour (oh oui)
Mes emmerdes étaient ceux de notre âge (bien sur)
Où l'argent, c'est dommage
Éperonnait nos jours
Pour être fier (fier)
Je suis fier (fier)
Entre nous
Je l'avoue
J'ai fait ma vie
Mais il y a un mais
Je donnerai
Ce que j'ai (pas tout à fait)
Pour retrouver, je l'admets
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
Mes relations (ah mes relations), sont (vraiment sont)
Haut placées (très haut placées), décorées (très décorées)
Influents, (très influents)
Bedonnants (très bedonnants)
Des gens bien (très, très bien)
Ils sont sérieux (trop sérieux)
Mais près d'eux (tout près d'eux)
J'ai toujours le regret de
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
Mes amis étaient plein d'insouciance (oui)
Mes amours avaient le corps brûlant (oh oui)
Mes emmerdes aujourd'hui quand j'y pense (bah)
Avaient peu d'importance
Et c'était le bon temps
Les canulars
Les pétards
Les folies
Les orgies
Les jours du bac
Le cognac
Les refrains
Tout ce qui fait
Je le sais
Que je n'oublierai jamais
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
In Mes emmerdes, Charles Aznavour reflects on his life and the sacrifices he made to achieve success. The lyrics start with a confession that he worked tirelessly day and night for years to reach the top, ignoring his friends, loves, and troubles in the process. He sacrificed his relationships and missed out on the joys of life to climb the ladder of success. He admits to being proud of his achievements but also feels regret for what he gave up to get there. He dreams of going back to the good times where life was about practical jokes, parties, and love affairs. Aznavour also realizes that his current relationships with influential and decorated people are too serious and superficial, and he longs for the carefree days of his past.
This song is a poignant and honest look at the price of success and the importance of genuine human connections. Aznavour acknowledges that he has achieved material success, but he has paid a high price for it, leaving him with a longing for the carefree days of his past. The lyrics are powerful in conveying his message and are beautifully couched in his mellifluous voice.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai travaillé
I worked
Des années
For years
Sans répit
Without respite
Jour et nuit
Day and night
Pour réussir (ah oui)
To succeed (oh yes)
Pour gravir (oh oui)
To climb (oh yes)
Les sommets
The summits
En oubliant (oubliant)
Forgetting (forgetting)
Souvent dans (souvent dans)
Often in (often in)
Ma course contre le temps
My race against time
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
My friends, my loves, my shit
A corps perdu (à corps perdu)
Without reserve (without reserve)
J'ai couru (j'ai couru)
I ran (I ran)
Assoiffé
Thirsty
Obstiné
Determined
Vers l'horizon (l'horizon)
Towards the horizon (the horizon)
L'illusion (l'illusion)
The illusion (the illusion)
Vers l'abstrait (l'abstrait)
Towards the abstract (the abstract)
En sacrifiant
By sacrificing
C'est navrant
It's distressing
Je m'en accuse à présent
I accuse myself now
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
My friends, my loves, my shit
Mes amis c'était tout en partage
My friends were all about sharing
Mes amours faisaient très bien l'amour (oh oui)
My loves made love very well (oh yes)
Mes emmerdes étaient ceux de notre âge (bien sur)
My shit was that of our age (of course)
Où l'argent, c'est dommage
Where money is a shame
Éperonnait nos jours
Spurred on our days
Pour être fier (fier)
To be proud (proud)
Je suis fier (fier)
I am proud (proud)
Entre nous
Between us
Je l'avoue
I admit it
J'ai fait ma vie
I made my life
Mais il y a un mais
But there is a but
Je donnerai
I would give
Ce que j'ai (pas tout à fait)
What I have (not entirely)
Pour retrouver, je l'admets
To find again, I admit it
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
My friends, my loves, my shit
Mes relations (ah mes relations), sont (vraiment sont)
My relationships (ah my relationships), are (really are)
Haut placées (très haut placées), décorées (très décorées)
Highly placed (very highly placed), decorated (very decorated)
Influents, (très influents)
Influential, (very influential)
Bedonnants (très bedonnants)
Pot-bellied (very pot-bellied)
Des gens bien (très, très bien)
Good people (very, very good)
Ils sont sérieux (trop sérieux)
They are serious (too serious)
Mais près d'eux (tout près d'eux)
But close to them (very close to them)
J'ai toujours le regret de
I always regret
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
My friends, my loves, my shit
Mes amis étaient plein d'insouciance (oui)
My friends were full of recklessness (yes)
Mes amours avaient le corps brûlant (oh oui)
My loves had burning bodies (oh yes)
Mes emmerdes aujourd'hui quand j'y pense (bah)
My shit today when I think about it (bah)
Avaient peu d'importance
Were of little importance
Et c'était le bon temps
And that was the good times
Les canulars
The jokes
Les pétards
The firecrackers
Les folies
The follies
Les orgies
The orgies
Les jours du bac
The days of the baccalaureate exam
Le cognac
The cognac
Les refrains
The refrains
Tout ce qui fait
All that makes
Je le sais
I know it
Que je n'oublierai jamais
That I will never forget
Mes amis, mes amours mes emmerdes
My friends, my loves, my shit
Lyrics © EDITIONS MUSICALES DJANIK, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Charles Aznavour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marine.art.24
Paroles :
J'ai travaillé,
Des années
Sans répit,
Jour et nuit
Pour réussir,
Pour gravir
Les sommets
En oubliant
Souvent dans
Ma course contre le temps
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
À corps perdu J'ai couru Assoiffé
Obstiné
Vers l'horizon
L'illusion
Vers l'abstrait
En sacrifiant
C'est navrant
Je m'en accuse à présent
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes amis c'était tout en partage
Mes amours faisaient très bien l'amour
Mes emmerdes étaient ceux de mon âge
Où l'argent, c'est dommage
Éperonnait nos jours
Pour être fier
Je suis fier
Entre nous
Je l'avoue
J'ai fait ma vie
Mais il y
A un mais...
Je donnerais
Ce que j'ai
Pour retrouver, je l'admets
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes relations
Vraiment, sont
Haut placées
Décorées
Très influentes
Bedonnantes
Des gens bien
Ils sont sérieux
Mais près d'eux
J'ai toujours le regret de
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes amis étaient pleins d'insouciance
Mes amours avaient le corps brûlant
Mes emmerdes aujourd'hui quand j'y pense
Avaient peu d'importance
Et c'était le bon temps
Le temps des canulars
Des pétards
Des folies
Des orgies
Les jours du bac
Le cognac
Les refrains
Tout ce qui fait
Je le sais
Que je n'oublierai jamais
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Ohana_fps
English Lyrics :
I have worked
For years
Without respite
Day and night
To succeed
To climb
The summits
Forgetting
Often in
My race against time
My friends, my loves, my troubles
With lost body
I ran Thirsty
Obstinate
Towards the horizon
The illusion
Towards the abstract
By sacrificing
It is distressing
I blame myself now
My friends, my loves, my troubles
My friends were all in sharing
My loves made love very well (oh yes)
My troubles were those of our age (of course)
Where money, it's a shame
Spurred our days
To be proud
I am proud
Between us
I admit it
I made my life
But there is a but
I will give
What I have (not quite)
To get back, I admit it
My friends, my loves, my troubles
My relations (ah my relations), are
Highly placed (very high placed), decorated
Influential,
Bedonnants
Good people
They are serious
But close to them
I always regret
My friends, my loves, my troubles
My friends were carefree
My loves had a burning body
My troubles today when I think of them
Didn't matter much
And those were the days
The hoaxes
The firecrackers
The craziness
The orgies
The days of the ferry
The cognac
The refrains
All that makes
I know it
That I will never forget
My friends, my loves, my troubles
gregory daumet
Merveilleuse chanson elle me donne la pêche et me remonte le moral. Merci grand Charles!
Dadymilles
Superbes textes merci monsieur AZNAVOUR ; la classe ... .nostalgie. .mes tendres années +1 ;-) 👍👍❤💖
Jéssica Estelle
Primera vez que escucho esta hermosa canción de este Gran señor de voz inigualable, única, !! Sigue vivo, esa es la magia de la música eterniza la vida de los grandes artistas!!
Alicia Villagra
Que hermosa música 🎵❤️
De lo que se pierden los jóvenes de hoy!!!!
Marine.art.24
Paroles :
J'ai travaillé,
Des années
Sans répit,
Jour et nuit
Pour réussir,
Pour gravir
Les sommets
En oubliant
Souvent dans
Ma course contre le temps
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
À corps perdu J'ai couru Assoiffé
Obstiné
Vers l'horizon
L'illusion
Vers l'abstrait
En sacrifiant
C'est navrant
Je m'en accuse à présent
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes amis c'était tout en partage
Mes amours faisaient très bien l'amour
Mes emmerdes étaient ceux de mon âge
Où l'argent, c'est dommage
Éperonnait nos jours
Pour être fier
Je suis fier
Entre nous
Je l'avoue
J'ai fait ma vie
Mais il y
A un mais...
Je donnerais
Ce que j'ai
Pour retrouver, je l'admets
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes relations
Vraiment, sont
Haut placées
Décorées
Très influentes
Bedonnantes
Des gens bien
Ils sont sérieux
Mais près d'eux
J'ai toujours le regret de
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Mes amis étaient pleins d'insouciance
Mes amours avaient le corps brûlant
Mes emmerdes aujourd'hui quand j'y pense
Avaient peu d'importance
Et c'était le bon temps
Le temps des canulars
Des pétards
Des folies
Des orgies
Les jours du bac
Le cognac
Les refrains
Tout ce qui fait
Je le sais
Que je n'oublierai jamais
Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes
Dali Turletti
Tellement vraies et réalistes ces paroles ..que cette chanson restera immortelle ❤❤❤
Stéphanie De Monaco
Ses musiques seront toujours dans notre coeur j'ai peut-être que 13 ans mais au moins je suis pas comme les jeunes de mon entourage moi j'écoute de la VRAI musique
Repose en paix Charles Aznavour
Maurice Saucisse
J’ai le même âge que toi et je suis d’accord sauf pour une chose car certaine musique de nos jours sont encore poétiques bon après si t’écoute du kaaris ça sera pas pareil mais bon
Patrick Petit
C est de la baie !!!!!!
Patrick Petit
De la bale