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.
Tu t'laisses aller
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
T'es là, t'attends, tu fais la tête
Et moi j'ai envie d'rigoler
C'est l'alcool qui monte en ma tête
Tout l'alcool que j'ai pris ce soir
Afin d'y puiser le courage
De t'avouer que j'en ai marre
De toi et de tes commérages
Et qui m'enlève tout espoir
J'en ai assez faut bien qu'j'te l'dise
Tu m'exaspères, tu m'tyrannises
Je subis ton sale caractère
Sans oser dire que t'exagères
Oui t'exagères, tu l'sais maintenant
Parfois je voudrais t'étrangler
Dieu que t'as changé en cinq ans
Tu l'laisses aller, tu l'laisses aller
Tu es belle à regarder
Tes bas tombant sur tes chaussures
Et ton vieux peignoir mal fermé
Et tes bigoudis quelle allure
Je me demande chaque jour
Comment as-tu fait pour me plaire?
Comment ai-je pu te faire la cour
Et t'aliéner ma vie entière?
Comme ça tu ressembles à ta mère
Qu'a rien pour inspirer l'amour
Devant mes amis quelle catastrophe
Tu m'contredis, tu m'apostrophes
Avec ton venin et ta hargne
Tu ferais battre des montagnes
Ah! J'ai décroché le gros lot
Le jour où je t'ai rencontrée
Si tu t'taisais, ce s'rait trop beau non
Tu l'laisses aller, Tu l'laisses aller
Tu es une brute et un tyran
Tu n'as pas de cœur et pas d'âme
Pourtant je pense bien souvent
Que malgré tout tu es ma femme
Si tu voulais faire un effort
Tout pourrait reprendre sa place
Pour maigrir, fais un peu de sport
Arrange-toi devant ta glace
Accroche un sourire à ta face
Maquille ton cœur et ton corps
Au lieu d'penser que j'te déteste
Et de me fuir comme la peste
Essaie de te montrer gentille
Redeviens la petite fille
Qui m'a donné tant de bonheur
Et parfois comme par le passé
J'aimerais que tout contre mon cœur
Tu l'laisses aller, tu l'laisses aller
In Charles Aznavour's song Tu t'laisses aller (You're Letting Yourself Go), the singer expresses his frustration with his partner's behavior and appearance. He admits that he has been drinking to gather the courage to tell her that he is tired of her gossip and her body that makes him feel restrained. He accuses her of being a tyrant and contradicts him in front of his friends. He reflects on how he was initially attracted to her, but now she reminds him of her unattractive mother. Despite his criticism, the singer still acknowledges his love for her and suggests that if she makes an effort, things could improve between them. He asks her to be gentler and try to return to the sweet girl he fell in love with. He ends the song by pleading with her to let herself go, and let him love her again.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est drôle c'que t'es drôle à regarder
It's funny how funny you look
T'es là, t'attends, tu fais la tête
You're here, waiting, pouting
Et moi j'ai envie d'rigoler
And I feel like laughing
C'est l'alcool qui monte en ma tête
It's the alcohol getting to my head
Tout l'alcool que j'ai pris ce soir
All the alcohol I've had tonight
Afin d'y puiser le courage
To find the courage
De t'avouer que j'en ai marre
To confess that I'm tired of you
De toi et de tes commérages
Of you and your gossip
De ton corps qui me laisse sage
Of your body that makes me behave
Et qui m'enlève tout espoir
And takes away all my hope
J'en ai assez faut bien qu'j'te l'dise
I've had enough, I have to tell you
Tu m'exaspères, tu m'tyrannises
You exasperate me, you tyrannize me
Je subis ton sale caractère
I endure your nasty character
Sans oser dire que t'exagères
Without daring to say that you exaggerate
Oui t'exagères, tu l'sais maintenant
Yes, you exaggerate, you know it now
Parfois je voudrais t'étrangler
Sometimes I want to strangle you
Dieu que t'as changé en cinq ans
God, how you've changed in five years
Tu l'laisses aller, tu l'laisses aller
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
Tu es belle à regarder
You're beautiful to look at
Tes bas tombant sur tes chaussures
Your stockings falling on your shoes
Et ton vieux peignoir mal fermé
And your old bathrobe poorly closed
Et tes bigoudis quelle allure
And your curlers, what a sight
Je me demande chaque jour
I wonder every day
Comment as-tu fait pour me plaire?
How did you manage to attract me?
Comment ai-je pu te faire la cour
How did I court you
Et t'aliéner ma vie entière?
And tie up my entire life with you?
Comme ça tu ressembles à ta mère
Like this, you resemble your mother
Qu'a rien pour inspirer l'amour
Who has nothing to inspire love
Devant mes amis quelle catastrophe
What a disaster in front of my friends
Tu m'contredis, tu m'apostrophes
You contradict me, you address me rudely
Avec ton venin et ta hargne
With your venom and your anger
Tu ferais battre des montagnes
You could make mountains shake
Ah! J'ai décroché le gros lot
Ah! I've won the jackpot
Le jour où je t'ai rencontrée
The day I met you
Si tu t'taisais, ce s'rait trop beau non
If you could just shut up, wouldn't that be nice
Tu l'laisses aller, Tu l'laisses aller
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
Tu es une brute et un tyran
You are a brute and a tyrant
Tu n'as pas de cœur et pas d'âme
You have no heart and no soul
Pourtant je pense bien souvent
Yet I think quite often
Que malgré tout tu es ma femme
That despite all, you are my wife
Si tu voulais faire un effort
If you would make an effort
Tout pourrait reprendre sa place
Everything could fall back into place
Pour maigrir, fais un peu de sport
To lose weight, do a bit of exercise
Arrange-toi devant ta glace
Fix yourself up in front of the mirror
Accroche un sourire à ta face
Put a smile on your face
Maquille ton cœur et ton corps
Make up your heart and your body
Au lieu d'penser que j'te déteste
Instead of thinking that I hate you
Et de me fuir comme la peste
And avoiding me like the plague
Essaie de te montrer gentille
Try to show yourself kind
Redeviens la petite fille
Become again the little girl
Qui m'a donné tant de bonheur
Who gave me so much happiness
Et parfois comme par le passé
And sometimes like in the past
J'aimerais que tout contre mon cœur
I'd like you to be close to my heart
Tu l'laisses aller, tu l'laisses aller
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS
Written by: Charles Aznavour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@noabaak
여자가 변해가는 모습을 꼬집는 남자의 우스꽝스러운 가사,
제목은, 넌 너 자신을 놔버렸어 (You let youself go).
“내 몸을 순결하게 하고,(생각나지 않게)
산들로 싸우게 한다 (말다툼을 일으킨다).”
마지막 구절,
“내가 당신을 경멸하고
당신이 날 병균 취급하기보다
다시 어린 소녀로 돌아가는 게 어떠한가,
날 사랑하던 사람으로.”
어린 여자에게서 느끼는 남자의 감정은,
여자가 어린 남자에게서 느끼는 감정도,
육체적인 것과는 별개의 처음과 닿아있다.
It’s funny how funny you are to look at
You’re there, you wait, you're sulking
And I feel like sneering
It’s the alcohol that gets to my head
All the alcohol that I took this evening
So that I could draw the courage
To admit that I have had it
with you and your old wives’ tales
with your body that leaves me virtuous
and takes away all of my hopes
I’ve had enough I have to tell you
You irritate me, you tyrannize me
I endure your dirty character
I don't dare to tell you you exaggerate
Yes, you exaggerate, you know it now
At times, I would strangle you
God you have changed in five years
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
Ah! you're beautiful to look at
your sagged stockings on your shoes
With your old nightgown badly closed
And your curling pins what an elegance
I ask myself every day
How did you do to please me
How could I ever made love to you
Give up my whole life for you
That way you look like your mother
Who has nothing to inspire love
In front of my friends what a disaster
You contradict me, cut me short
With your venom and your petulance
You’d make the mountains fight
Ah! I drew the first prize
The day that I met you
If you kept quiet, ‘t would be too nice
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
You are a brute and a tyrant
You have no heart and no soul
Nevertheless I often think
That in spite of everything you’re still my wife
If you would make an effort
Everything could fall back into place
To slim down practice some sport
Make yourself up in the mirror
Put a smile on your face
Make up your heart and your body
Instead of thinking how I detest you
And avoiding me like the plague
Try to be nice
Become that little girl again
Who gave me so much happiness
And sometimes like in the past
I would love that close to my heart
You let yourself go, you let yourself go
4 pm. 1/10/2022, nyc.
@neiljouini8232
Seul ceux qui savent, comprendront, magnifique chanson à pleins d'égards
@CARALU3344
Charles Aznavour ... pour moi c'est cette chanson que papa me passait dans la voiture en allant au lycée pour me faire passer un message au sujet de maman, cela me fait mal à chaque fois que je l'entend. Mes parents sont morts à 45 et 46 ans de maladie, à un an et une semaine d'intervalle.
@somelady3012
"ton corps qui me laisse sage", "tu me fais penser à ta mère, car rien pour inspirer l'amour". haha cette chanson m'amuse, et pis j'adore sa manière de clasher violemment avec finesse et élégance, sans avoir recours aux insultes ni tomber dans la vulgarité. Magnifique.
@roseandreeclenard5944
Oui il a tout dit avec pudeur et elegance.
@davidr.5789
Chanson magnifique et magistralement interpretée, évidemment...
Le texte est monstrueux et beaucoup plus subtile qu'il n'y paraît.
@GeniousGirl66
C'est une chanson qui date du début des années 70 on ne pourrait plus écrire ça aujourd'hui..
@wallersayn7975
Non, années 1960
@carmenxxx
Thanks Anna Karina, im listening Mr.Aznavour right now. Such a legend... Lots of love from Turkey 🤍
@loopingswoop4862
je viens de perdre ma maman et mon père m'as dit que ma mère adorait cette chanson il l'embêtait avec celle la il lui disait tjrs ca me fait pensée à nous repose en paix maman je t'aime
@magicsenna3455
je suis terriblement confus..recevez mes plus affectueuses pensées..