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.

Un rien me fait chanter
Charles Trenet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un rien me fait chanter
Un rien me fait danser
Un rien me fait trouver belle la vie
Un rien me fait plaisir
Un rêve, un petit désir
Un rien me fait sourire l'âme ravie
Quand le ciel est joyeux je me sens le cœur tout bleu
Mais quand hélas il pleut j'aime la pluie

J'aime mon père ma mère la France le bon Dieu
Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus

Venez avec moi
Je cours dans les bois
Je brûle des branches pourries
Au cœur de l'hiver
Il y a du bois vert
Au printemps la neige est fleurie
Et la marmotte dit à l'écureuil :
« Depuis trois mois je n'ai pas fermé l'œil »
Marmotte vous mentez voici venir l'été
Les oiseaux vont chanter dans la nature
Aimons nos pères nos mères la France le bon Dieu
Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus

Un rien me fait chanter
Un rien me fait danser
Un rien me fait trouver belle la vie
Un rien me fait plaisir
Un rêve un petit désir
Un rien me fait sourire l'âme ravie
Quand le ciel est joyeux je m'sens le cœur tout bleu
Mais quand hélas il pleut j'aime la pluie
J'aime mon père ma mère la France le bon Dieu
Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus

Bonjour mes amis
Le ciel a permis
Que je chante encore par le monde
La joie et l'amour
Ça revient un jour
Rentrons tous en chœur dans la ronde
Ho là ! Garçons et vous fillettes jolies
Dites-vous bien chaque jour chaque nuit

Un rien me fait chanter
Un rien me fait danser
Un rien me fait trouver belle la vie
Aimons nos pères nos mères la France le bon Dieu
Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus

Oui ! bleus

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles Trenet's "Un rien me fait chanter" convey a joyful and carefree attitude towards life. The singer expresses how even the smallest things can bring him happiness, make him sing, dance, and appreciate the beauty of life. He finds pleasure in simple dreams and desires, and a mere nothing can make his soul blissfully smile. The singer also mentions his love for his parents, France, God, and especially women with blue eyes.

The song starts with the idea that even the tiniest thing can make the singer burst into song. It could be something as insignificant as a little dance or a slight pleasure. He emphasizes the power of small desires and dreams that have the ability to make his soul radiantly happy. When the sky is joyful, he feels his heart turning blue, but even when it rains, he cherishes the rain. The singer expresses his love for his parents, his country, and his faith in God. But above all, he adores women, particularly those with blue eyes.

In the second verse, the singer invites others to join him. He runs in the woods and burns rotten branches, symbolizing the renewal of life in the heart of winter. He mentions the marmot talking to the squirrel, showing the passing of time and the anticipation of summer. The singer encourages everyone to love their parents, their country, and God, and specifically highlights his admiration for women with blue eyes.

In the final part of the song, the singer greets his friends, grateful for the chance to continue singing and spreading joy around the world. He believes that joy and love always come back, and invites everyone to join him in a circle, singing and dancing together. The song ends with a repeated affirmation to love parents, country, God, and women with blue eyes.

Line by Line Meaning

Un rien me fait chanter
Even the smallest thing can make me sing

Un rien me fait danser
Even the smallest thing can make me dance

Un rien me fait trouver belle la vie
Even the smallest thing can make me find life beautiful

Un rien me fait plaisir
Even the smallest thing can bring me pleasure

Un rêve, un petit désir
A dream, a small desire

Un rien me fait sourire l'âme ravie
Even the smallest thing can make my soul smile with delight

Quand le ciel est joyeux je me sens le cœur tout bleu
When the sky is joyful, I feel my heart turning blue

Mais quand hélas il pleut j'aime la pluie
But when unfortunately it rains, I love the rain

J'aime mon père ma mère la France le bon Dieu
I love my father, my mother, France, and the good Lord

Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus
And then women, women, women with blue eyes

Venez avec moi
Come with me

Je cours dans les bois
I run in the woods

Je brûle des branches pourries
I burn rotten branches

Au cœur de l'hiver
In the heart of winter

Il y a du bois vert
There is green wood

Au printemps la neige est fleurie
In spring, the snow is full of flowers

Et la marmotte dit à l'écureuil :
And the marmot says to the squirrel:

« Depuis trois mois je n'ai pas fermé l'œil »
"I haven't closed my eyes for three months"

Marmotte vous mentez voici venir l'été
Marmot, you're lying, here comes summer

Les oiseaux vont chanter dans la nature
The birds will sing in nature

Aimons nos pères nos mères la France le bon Dieu
Let's love our fathers, our mothers, France, and the good Lord

Et puis les femmes les femmes les femmes qu'ont les yeux bleus
And then women, women, women with blue eyes

Bonjour mes amis
Hello my friends

Le ciel a permis
The sky has allowed

Que je chante encore par le monde
That I sing again throughout the world

La joie et l'amour
Joy and love

Ça revient un jour
It comes back one day

Rentrons tous en chœur dans la ronde
Let's all join together in the circle

Ho là ! Garçons et vous fillettes jolies
Hey there! Boys and you pretty girls

Dites-vous bien chaque jour chaque nuit
Tell yourselves every day, every night

Oui ! bleus
Yes! Blue

Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: LEON LOUIS MARIUS CHAULIAC, CHARLES LOUIS TRENET

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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