Charles Trenet (May 18, 1913, Narbonne, France – February 19, 2001, Créteil… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Trenet (May 18, 1913, Narbonne, France – February 19, 2001, Créteil, France) was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s through the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s. In an era in which it was exceptional for a singer to write his or her own material, Trenet wrote prolifically and preferred to record his own songs.

Some of his best known songs include "Boum...!", "Y'A D'La Joie", "Que Reste-T-Il De Nos Amours?", "Ménilmontant", and "Douce France". His catalog of songs is enormous, numbering close to a thousand. While many of his songs mined relatively conventional topics such as love, Paris, and nostalgia for his younger days, what set Trenet's songs apart were their personal, poetic, sometimes quite eccentric qualities, often infused with a warm wit. Some of his songs had unconventional subject matter, with whimsical imagery bordering on the surreal. "Y'A D'La Joie" evokes "joy" through a series of disconnected (though all vaguely phallic) images, including that of a subway car shooting out of its tunnel into the air, the Eiffel Tower crossing the street and a baker making excellent bread. The lovers engaged in a minuet in "La Polka Du Roi" reveal themselves at length to be "no longer human": they are made of wax and trapped in the Musée Grévin. Many of his hits from the 1930s and 1940s effectively combine the melodic and verbal nuance of French song with American swing rhythms.

Other artists have had hits with some of Trenet's songs, such as the American Bobby Darin's success with "Beyond the Sea" ("La Mer"). Darin's version preserved the charming chording of Trenet's original which the author dashed off in about an hour in 1946 as an homage to the French coastline, once again free of battleships and the scars of World War II.

Other Trenet songs were recorded by such popular French singers as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon, and Frehel.

Le Dernier Troubadour
Charles Trenet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

C'est le dernier troubadour
C'est le dernier cœur bohème
Celui qui chante le jour
Et puis dont on rêve souvent la nuit
Quand il vient et vous dit, "Je t'aime
Embrasse-moi, chérie"
Comment ne pas être troublée
Par ce chant si doux, bien-aimée?

C'est le dernier troubadour
Et je crois à son histoire
Comment mesdames ne pas y croire?
Comment mesdames ne pas y croire?
Quand il vous dit des mots d'amour?
C'est le dernier troubadour

C'est le dernier troubadour
C'est le dernier cœur bohème
Celui qui chante le jour
Et puis dont on rêve souvent la nuit
Quand il vient et vous dit, "Je t'aime
Embrasse-moi, chérie"
Comment ne pas être troublée
Par ce chant si doux, bien-aimée?
C'est le dernier troubadour
Et je crois à son histoire
Comment mesdames ne pas y croire
Comment mesdames ne pas y croire
Quand il vous dit des mots d'amour?

C'est le dernier troubadour
C'est le dernier troubadour

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Charles Trenet's song "Le dernier troubadour" describe the last troubadour, the last bohemian heart. The troubadour sings during the day and is often the subject of nocturnal dreams. When he arrives, he tells the listener "Je t'aime" (I love you), and asks for a kiss, causing a feeling of unease and excitement. The singer believes in the troubadour's story, and questions how the ladies can resist believing in his words of love.

The song portrays the troubadour as a romantic figure, representing a free spirit and a lover of music and poetry. The troubadour's presence brings a sense of enchantment and longing, and his words of love have the power to captivate and intrigue. The singer urges the ladies to believe in him, as his words carry a sense of authenticity and passion.

The song's lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era and celebrate the enduring appeal of the troubadour archetype. It conveys the enduring belief in the power of love and the desire for connection and romance. Through its gentle melody and heartfelt lyrics, "Le dernier troubadour" invites listeners to embrace the charm and enchantment of the troubadour's story.

Line by Line Meaning

C'est le dernier troubadour
He is the last troubadour

C'est le dernier cœur bohème
He is the last Bohemian heart

Celui qui chante le jour
The one who sings during the day

Et puis dont on rêve souvent la nuit
And who we often dream about at night

Quand il vient et vous dit, "Je t'aime
When he comes and tells you, "I love you

Embrasse-moi, chérie"
Kiss me, darling"

Comment ne pas être troublée
How can one not be troubled

Par ce chant si doux, bien-aimée?
By this sweet song, beloved?

C'est le dernier troubadour
He is the last troubadour

Et je crois à son histoire
And I believe in his story

Comment mesdames ne pas y croire?
How can ladies not believe in it?