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).
La Chienne
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
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Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas plus belle que cette grue
Plus infidèle y a pas non plus
Pas plus volage que cette salope
T'as beau l'aimer comme personne
Sans hésiter elle t'abandonne
Plein de mérite ou bien fautif
C'est du kif-kif, elle te quitte
Plus mort que vif
Plus mort que vif
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas plus belle que cette garce
Pas plus cruelle en tristes farces
Y a pas de lien qui la retienne
Tu n'es qu'un chien pour cette chienne
Y a pas de laisse pour l'attacher
Pas de caresse pour s'l'attacher
Toujours partante et sans remord
Elle te mord et puis te plante
Pour elle t'es mort
Pour elle t'es mort
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Y a pas, y a pas, y a pas
Pas plus méchante que cette brute
Quand ça lui chante elle te bute
Sans hésiter sur toi ou moi
Elle tire un trait, elle fait une croix
Et puis s'en va flinguer ailleurs
Un cœur qui bat dans sa candeur
Qu'à cela ne tienne, pour elle on prie
On paye le prix pour cette chienne
Cette chienne de vie
Cette chienne de vie
Cette chienne de vie
Cette chienne de vie
The lyrics of Claude Nougaro's song "La Chienne" paint a vivid and dark portrait of a woman who is depicted as a deceitful and unfaithful partner. The singer describes the woman as a "grue" (crane), suggesting that she is tall and striking but also untrustworthy. He goes on to use other derogatory terms such as "salope" (slut) and "garce" (bitch), painting a picture of a woman who is lacking in empathy and compassion. The singer also says that she moves from one partner to another without hesitation, leaving behind those who love her.
The song is a critique of a certain type of woman who is portrayed as selfish, heartless, and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. The man singing seems to be both fascinated and repelled by her, as if he cannot resist her while at the same time being fully aware of her damaging effects. The chorus reinforces this idea by repeating the phrase "Ya pas, ya pas, ya pas, ya pas," (There is not, there is not, there is not, there is not) to emphasize the woman's lack of positive qualities.
Overall, "La Chienne" is a powerful song that uses imagery and metaphor to convey a strong message about love, betrayal, and the darker aspects of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya pas, ya pas, ya pas, ya pas
There is not, there is not, there is not, there is not
Ya pas plus belle
There is not more beautiful
Que cette grue
Than this crane
Plus infidèle
More unfaithful
Ya pas non plus
There is not either
Pas plus volage
Not more flighty
Que cette salope
Than this slut
Elle déménage
She moves
De l’un à l’autre
From one to another
T’as beau l’aimer
You may love her
Comme personne
Like no one else
Sans hésiter
Without hesitation
Elle t’abandonne
She abandons you
Plein de mérite
Full of merit
Ou bien fautif
Or at fault
C’est du kif kif
It's all the same
Elle te quitte
She leaves you
Plus mort que vif
More dead than alive
Ya pas plus belle
There is not more beautiful
Que cette garce
Than this bitch
Pas plus cruelle
No more cruel
En tristes farces
In sad jokes
Ya pas de lien
There is no bond
Qui la retienne
That holds her back
Tu n’es qu’un chien
You are just a dog
Pour cette chienne
For this bitch
Ya pas de laisse
There is no leash
Pour l’attacher
To tie her up
Pas de caresse
No caress
Pour s’l’attacher
To attach her
Toujours partante
Always ready
Et sans remord
And without remorse
Elle te mord
She bites you
Et puis te plante
And then she leaves you
Pour elle t’es mort
For her, you are dead
Pour elle t’es mort
For her, you are dead
Ya pas, ya pas, ya pas, ya pas
There is not, there is not, there is not, there is not
Pas plus méchante
No more wicked
Que cette brute
Than this brute
Quand ça lui chante
When she feels like it
Elle te bute
She kills you
Sans hésiter
Without hesitation
Sur toi et moi
On you and me
Elle tire un trait
She draws a line
Elle fait une croix
She makes a cross
Et puis s’en va
And then she leaves
Flinguer ailleurs
To shoot somewhere else
Un coeur qui bat
A heart that beats
Dans sa candeur
In her innocence
Qu’à cela ne tienne
So be it
Pour elle on prie
For her, we pray
On paye le prix
We pay the price
Pour cette chienne
For this bitch
Cette chienne de vie
This dog's life
Cette chienne de vie
This dog's life
Lyrics © Les Editions Miss Terre, YVAN CASSAR (à compte d'auteur)
Written by: Claude Nougaro, Yvan Cassar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind