Son of an opera singer and an Italian piano teacher (Liette), he was raised by his grandparents in Toulouse, where he heard Glenn Miller, Édith Piaf and Louis Armstrong (among others) on the radio.
In 1947 he failed his baccalaureat and commenced a career in journalism, writing for various journals including Le Journal des Curistes at Vichy and L'Echo d'Alger. At the same time he wrote songs for Marcel Amont (Le barbier de Belleville, Le balayeur du roi) and Philippe Clay (Joseph, La sentinelle). He met Georges Brassens, who became his friend and mentor.
In 1949 he performed his military service in the foreign legion at Rabat, Morocco.
He sent his lyrics to Marguerite Monnot, Édith Piaf's songwriter, who put them to music. (Méphisto, Le Sentier de la guerre). He started to sing for a livelihood in 1959 in a Parisian cabaret in Montmartre, Le lapin agile.
In 1962, he decided to sing his works himself: Une petite fille and Cécile ma fille (dedicated to his daughter, born in 1962 to his wife Sylvie, whom he met at Le lapin agile). These songs made him immediately known to the larger public, which he had already started to penetrate by participating in the concerts of Dalida.
A car accident immobilised him for several months in 1963. The following year he travelled to Brazil, and sang in prestigious halls in Paris: the Olympia, the Palais, the Théâtre de la Ville.
Following the death of his friend Jacques Audiberti in 1965 he wrote, in homage, the song Chanson pour le maçon.
The events of May 1968 inspired him to the torrential Paris Mai, a plea for life, which would be banned from the airwaves. The same year he recorded his first live album at the Olympia: Une soirée avec Claude Nougaro.
His career continued normally punctuated with success: Le jazz et la java, Tu verras, Île de Ré, Armstrong, Toulouse, Petit taureau. But in 1984, his recording company did not renew his contract. Nougaro left for New York, seeking inspiration, and while there wrote and recorded a self-financed disc, Nougayork, whose resounding success was a surprise.
In 1988 Victoires de la musique rewarded him with best album and best artist, and between 1993 and 1997 he released three new albums.
His health deteriorated after 1995, when he underwent a heart operation. In 2003, his condition left him unable to appear at the festival du Verbe at Toulouse. From 1998 to 2004 he devoted himself more to concerts and festivals, apart from an album in aid of children suffering from AIDS. Having undergone further surgery in early 2004, he died of cancer in March, 74 years old.
His music drew inspiration, among other sources, from American jazz, from which he borrowed heavily (Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins), but also from Brazilian music (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell de Aquino, Chico Buarque).
Insomnie
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dans chambre noire cibiche rougeoie
Sur une bouche d'amertume
Une fois de plus poumons s'enfument
C'est moi
Une fois de plus matière grise
Sous le frontal racle un concert
Briquet rallume une cerise
Cancer
Une fois de plus, la main tâtonne
Vers transistor. Tournez boutons
Une fois de plus Macha ramone
Une pauvre âme qui s'abandonne
Madone, démon
Une fois de plus briquet s'allume
Poumons s'enfument jusqu'au foie
Qui donc se tuera pour des prunes
Au lieu de vivre pour sa brune ?
C'est moi
Une fois de plus matière grise
Sous le frontal tente un galop
À la radio ça agonise
Allô Macha, sauve moi la mise
Allô
Une fois de plus la main boutonne
Europe c'est cuit... Viens, Luxembourg !
Vas y Vartan, Lama claironne
Chansonnerie mauvaise ou bonne
Viens, donne le jour
Une fois de plus briquet fonctionne
Quinze cibiches, trois Mogadon
Il serait temps que l'on s'endorme
Ou bien alors que prenne forme
Le don
Le don, soi disant, que je dise
Les mots, les sons, éléïson,
Qui vocalo, qui vocalisent
Fleurs de pavés ou fleurs de li
Serons
Une fois de plus briquet s'allume
La cendre du matin poudroie
Ce front désert qui se consume
À l'heure blanche des noires lunes
C'est moi
The song Insomnie by Claude Nougaro is a melancholic reflection on the struggles of insomnia. The lyrics describe the familiar feeling of lying in bed at night, unable to sleep, with a cigarette in hand and a racing mind. The repetition of "une fois de plus" (once again) emphasizes the repetitive nature of insomnia and the frustrating cycle of trying to fall asleep and failing. The smoking imagery highlights both the self-destructive nature of insomnia and the feeling of being trapped in a habit or addiction.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of loneliness and despair. The line "qui donc se tuera pour des prunes, au lieu de vivre pour sa brune?" (who will kill themselves over nothing, instead of living for their lover?) suggests a feeling of hopelessness and a lack of motivation to live for something greater. The reference to Macha, who may be a lover or a friend, highlights the desire for human connection and support during a difficult time.
Overall, Insomnie is a poignant and relatable exploration of the struggles of insomnia and the toll it can take on both physical and mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
Une fois de plus briquet s'allume
Once again, a lighter sparks a flame
Dans chambre noire cibiche rougeoie
A cigarette glows in a dark room
Sur une bouche d'amertume
On a bitter mouth
Une fois de plus poumons s'enfument
Once again, lungs fill with smoke
C'est moi
It's me
Une fois de plus matière grise
Once again, the gray matter
Sous le frontal racle un concert
Under the forehead, there's a scraping concert
Une fois de plus archet se brise
Once again, the bow breaks
Briquet rallume une cerise
Lighter relights a cherry
Cancer
Cancer
Une fois de plus, la main tâtonne
Once again, the hand searches
Vers transistor. Tournez boutons
Towards the radio, turn knobs
Une fois de plus Macha ramone
Once again, Macha brushes
Une pauvre âme qui s'abandonne
A poor soul that gives up
Madone, démon
Madonna, demon
Une fois de plus briquet s'allume
Once again, a lighter sparks a flame
Poumons s'enfument jusqu'au foie
Lungs fill with smoke all the way to the liver
Qui donc se tuera pour des prunes
Who will kill themselves for nothing
Au lieu de vivre pour sa brune ?
Instead of living for their lover?
C'est moi
It's me
Une fois de plus matière grise
Once again, the gray matter
Sous le frontal tente un galop
Under the forehead, there's an attempt at a gallop
À la radio ça agonise
On the radio, it's agony
Allô Macha, sauve moi la mise
Hello Macha, save me the trouble
Allô
Hello
Une fois de plus la main boutonne
Once again, the hand buttons
Europe c'est cuit... Viens, Luxembourg !
Europe is ruined... Come, Luxembourg!
Vas y Vartan, Lama claironne
Go on Vartan, Lama trumpet
Chansonnerie mauvaise ou bonne
Bad or good songwriting
Viens, donne le jour
Come, give us light
Une fois de plus briquet fonctionne
Once again, the lighter works
Quinze cibiches, trois Mogadon
Fifteen cigarettes, three Mogadon
Il serait temps que l'on s'endorme
It's time for us to fall asleep
Ou bien alors que prenne forme
Or maybe that a form takes shape
Le don
The gift
Soi disant, que je dise
So-called, that I say
Les mots, les sons, éléïson,
The words, the sounds, have mercy
Qui vocalo, qui vocalisent
Who vocalizes, who sings
Fleurs de pavés ou fleurs de li
Flowers of pavement or flowers of lily
Serons
Will be
Une fois de plus briquet s'allume
Once again, the lighter sparks a flame
La cendre du matin poudroie
The morning ash shimmers
Ce front désert qui se consume
This empty forehead which is consuming itself
À l'heure blanche des noires lunes
At the white hour of the black moons
C'est moi
It's me
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS DU CHIFFRE NEUF
Written by: Jean-Claude VANNIER, Claude NOUGARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lambert Lambert
Chanson inconnue, tellement parfaite !
chant.tonnant
Admirables texte, musique et voix. On pourrait se passer du "métronome"
tigreadroit
Quelle écriture , quelle voix , quel génie Nougaro. Vannier pour l'arrangement.
Krista Winegrdner
Impeccable
Julien Lez'U
Hô combien une amie! réaliste l'ami claude et quel répertoire! Merci pour celle-ci
Franck Tso
Insomnie ma compagne à moi aussi .. très belle chanson de Claude.