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.
Quartier Latin
Charles Trenet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si Montparnasse est triste,
Si les Champs-Èlysées ne brillent plus la nuit,
Si, dans les bals musette, on n'voit plus de touristes,
Si, place de l'Opéra, on n'entend plus de bruit,
Si, Boul'vard Saint-Germain, il n'y a plus de douairières,
Si la fete à Neu-Neu n'vend plus de Berlingots,
Si la bourse n'est plus le centre des affaires,
Quartier latin, chez toi, rien n'a changé.
Quartier latin toujours aussi léger,
Quartier latin, pays de mes folles amours,
Quartier latin où j'ai connu mes meilleurs jours,
J'ai retrouvé ma chambre sous les toits
Dont je revais : j'étais heureux là-bas
Car je vivais amoureux, sans souci du lendemain,
Quartier latin, quartier latin !
Quand on quitt' sa province et qu'un jour on retrouve
Un Paris qui vivait à l'ombre des souv'nirs,
Quand on revoit la Sein', les Tuil'ries et le Louvre,
On sent au fond du cœur un frisson de plaisir.
Quand on r'voit le Chât'let où, pour vingt sous, mesdames,
On faisait tranquill'ment le tour du monde, assis,
Et la plac' Saint-Michel, le Boul'Mich', ô Paname,
Je suis à toi ce soir. Adieu tous mes soucis...
These lyrics, from Charles Trenet's song Quartier Latin, paint a nostalgic picture of the bohemian neighborhood in Paris known as the Latin Quarter. The song reflects on how the city has changed and lost some of its charm, with Montmartre feeling less youthful, Montparnasse seeming somber, and the Champs-Élysées no longer shining brightly at night. The musette dance halls, once popular among tourists, have become empty, and the noise is no longer heard around the Opéra. The women of high society, the douairières, are no longer seen on Boulevard Saint-Germain. The festive atmosphere at Neu-Neu, an annual fair, no longer attracts crowds. Even the stock exchange, once at the center of business, seems to have lost its significance. Amidst these changes, there is a corner of Paris that remains untouched: the Latin Quarter.
The Latin Quarter, depicted in the song, is described as unchanged and still light-hearted. It is a place where the singer has experienced wild and passionate love affairs and cherishes the memories of his best days. He remembers his room under the rooftops, a place he had dreamed of and where he found happiness. The carefree and amorous lifestyle of the Quartier Latin allowed him to live in the present without worrying about the future.
For someone who leaves their province and returns to a Paris that is full of memories, seeing the Seine, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Louvre brings a pleasurable shiver deep in their heart. The iconic landmarks, such as Châtelet with its affordable entertainment options and Place Saint-Michel, evoke a sense of belonging and attachment to the city. The singer declares himself to be dedicated to Paris in that moment, bidding farewell to all his worries and troubles.
Overall, these lyrics express a longing for a bygone era, acknowledging the changes taking place in the city but finding solace in the enduring character of the Quartier Latin. It highlights the sentimental attachment one can have to a place and how memories of a vibrant and carefree time can bring joy and comfort in the midst of a changing world.
Line by Line Meaning
Si Montmartre est moins jeune,
If Montmartre is no longer young,
Si Montparnasse est triste,
If Montparnasse is sad,
Si les Champs-Èlysées ne brillent plus la nuit,
If the Champs-Élysées no longer shine at night,
Si, dans les bals musette, on n'voit plus de touristes,
If, in the musette balls, tourists are no longer seen,
Si, place de l'Opéra, on n'entend plus de bruit,
If, at the Place de l'Opéra, no more noise is heard,
Si, Boul'vard Saint-Germain, il n'y a plus de douairières,
If, on Boulevard Saint-Germain, there are no more dowagers,
Si la fete à Neu-Neu n'vend plus de Berlingots,
If the Neu-Neu fair no longer sells Berlingots,
Si la bourse n'est plus le centre des affaires,
If the stock exchange is no longer the center of affairs,
Il nous reste pour nous un coin très Parigot :
We still have for us a very Parisian corner:
Quartier latin, chez toi, rien n'a changé.
Latin Quarter, at your place, nothing has changed.
Quartier latin toujours aussi léger,
Latin Quarter always so light,
Quartier latin, pays de mes folles amours,
Latin Quarter, land of my crazy loves,
Quartier latin où j'ai connu mes meilleurs jours,
Latin Quarter where I experienced my best days,
J'ai retrouvé ma chambre sous les toits
I found my attic room again
Dont je revais : j'étais heureux là-bas
I dreamt of it: I was happy there
Car je vivais amoureux, sans souci du lendemain,
Because I lived in love, without worry for tomorrow,
Quartier latin, quartier latin !
Latin Quarter, Latin Quarter!
Quand on quitt' sa province et qu'un jour on retrouve
When one leaves their province and one day finds again
Un Paris qui vivait à l'ombre des souv'nirs,
A Paris that lived in the shadow of memories,
Quand on revoit la Sein', les Tuil'ries et le Louvre,
When one sees again the Seine, the Tuileries, and the Louvre,
On sent au fond du cœur un frisson de plaisir.
One feels deep in the heart a shiver of pleasure.
Quand on r'voit le Chât'let où, pour vingt sous, mesdames,
When one sees again the Châtelet, where, for twenty sous, ladies,
On faisait tranquill'ment le tour du monde, assis,
Peacefully traveling around the world, sitting,
Et la plac' Saint-Michel, le Boul'Mich', ô Paname,
And Place Saint-Michel, the Boulevard Saint-Michel, oh Paname,
Je suis à toi ce soir. Adieu tous mes soucis...
I belong to you tonight. Goodbye all my worries...
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Leca Henry, Trenet Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind