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 Statue De L'Homme
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
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La statue de l'homme
Si je la casse je me tue
J'hésite en somme
L'homme est absurde
Bon c'est dit
C'est comme ça, rien à faire
Il te le tend, c'est l'enfer
Que faire, que faire
Que faire, que faire
Devenir fou comme Antonin ?
J'aimerais tant boire un peu d'air
Et je m'écroule dans du vin
Bientôt quatre heures du matin
Toutes mes filles sont au diable
D'amour pourtant j'avais si faim
L'amour ce divorce à l'amiable
Allez chanteur il faut chanter
Si y a pas de joie chante ta peine
Ce vieux pain de l'humanité
Pour certains affamés
C'est encore une aubaine
Faut il briser la statue
La statue de l'homme
Si je la casse je me tue
J'hésite en somme
The lyrics to Claude Nougaro's song "La Statue De L'Homme" explore the complexities of human existence and the internal struggle between embracing or rejecting the notion of being human. The singer contemplates whether he should break the statue, symbolizing the image and concept of humanity. However, he hesitates because he fears that by breaking it, he would also destroy himself.
The song acknowledges the absurdity of being human and how there is nothing one can do to change it. The lyrics suggest that despite the flaws and contradictions in human nature, individuals still persist in creating their own versions of paradise, only to find that it becomes a hellish experience. The singer questions what to do in the face of this dilemma, using Antonin Artaud, a French artist known for his madness, as an example. He expresses a desire to escape the stifling environment and seek some form of liberation, perhaps through intoxication.
In the second verse, the singer reveals his personal struggles with relationships. It is late at night, and he feels that he has lost all connection with the women in his life, despite his initial hunger for love. Love, in this context, is portrayed as a mutually agreed-upon separation, or a peaceful divorce. This reflects the complexities and challenges that can arise in romantic relationships.
The chorus emphasizes that even in the absence of joy, the singer must continue to sing, urging himself to express his pain through music. The "old bread of humanity" serves as a metaphor for the struggle of those who are hungry for love, implying that even in difficult circumstances, there is still some solace to be found.
Overall, the lyrics of "La Statue De L'Homme" delve deep into philosophical contemplation and the struggle to reconcile with the inherent contradictions and absurdities of being human. The song encourages self-reflection and acceptance of these complexities while also suggesting the potential for liberation and finding solace through artistic expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Faut il briser la statue
Should I break the statue
La statue de l'homme
The statue of man
Si je la casse je me tue
If I break it, I kill myself
J'hésite en somme
I hesitate, after all
L'homme est absurde
Man is absurd
Bon c'est dit
Well, that's said
C'est comme ça, rien à faire
It's like that, nothing to be done
Il invente un paradis
He invents a paradise
Il te le tend, c'est l'enfer
He offers it to you, it's hell
Que faire, que faire
What to do, what to do
Que faire, que faire
What to do, what to do
Devenir fou comme Antonin ?
Become mad like Antonin?
J'aimerais tant boire un peu d'air
I would love to drink a little air
Et je m'écroule dans du vin
And I collapse into wine
Bientôt quatre heures du matin
Soon four o'clock in the morning
Toutes mes filles sont au diable
All my girls are gone
D'amour pourtant j'avais si faim
Yet I was so hungry for love
L'amour ce divorce à l'amiable
Love, this amicable divorce
Allez chanteur il faut chanter
Come on singer, you must sing
Si y a pas de joie chante ta peine
If there is no joy, sing your pain
Ce vieux pain de l'humanité
This old bread of humanity
Pour certains affamés
For some hungry ones
C'est encore une aubaine
It's still a bargain
Faut il briser la statue
Should I break the statue
La statue de l'homme
The statue of man
Si je la casse je me tue
If I break it, I kill myself
J'hésite en somme
I hesitate, after all
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, LES EDITIONS DU CHIFFRE NEUF
Written by: Ricardo VILAS BOAS DE SA REGO, Claude NOUGARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind