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).
Serge et Nathalie
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
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Vivaient deux amants
Serge et Nathalie
Agés de vingt ans
Ils avaient pour tout trésor
À part leur cœur aimant
Elle, sa chevelure d'or
Cheveux sans un peigne
Comment les coiffer?
Sans montre la chaîne
Pourquoi la porter?
Il y a bien des peignes fins
Des montres en quantité
Mais le marchand tend sa main
Avec quoi le payer?
Et Noël arrive
Sur les amoureux
Nathalie pensive
Serge malheureux
C'est l'époque des présents
Nathalie voudrait bien
Offrir la montre d'argent
Serge le peigne fin
Elle part en cachette
Chez le perruquier
L'homme lui achète
Ses boucles dorées
Puis elle court chez l'horloger
Mais Serge au même instant
Contre un peigne a échangé
Une chaîne d'argent
Ils sont face à face
Avec leurs présents
Mais leur joie se casse
En se regardant
Nathalie sans ses cheveux
Lui sa chaîne envolée
Rient et pleurent tous les deux
Leurs cadeaux à leurs pieds
En vieille Russie
Vivaient deux amants
Serge et Nathalie
Agés de vingt ans
Vous, tous les jeunes amants
Pensez à leur histoire
Car eux si pauvres étaient pourtant
Plus riches que le tsar
The song "Serge et Nathalie" by Claude Nougaro tells the story of two young lovers, Serge and Nathalie, who live in old Russia. As the song begins, the audience is introduced to the couple who are both 20 years old and in love. The two young lovers have nothing but their love for each other, and they treasure it more than anything else. Nathalie has long, golden hair, while Serge has a silver chain that he treasures.
However, their poverty makes them unable to buy each other presents. Nathalie decides to sell her hair to a wig maker so that she can buy her lover, Serge, a silver comb. Meanwhile, Serge decides to sell his silver chain so that he can buy Nathalie a silver watch. On Christmas Day, both Serge and Nathalie exchange their presents. Unfortunately, when they open them, they realize that they have both sold their treasured valuables to buy each other gifts. As a result, Nathalie no longer has her golden hair, and Serge has no more silver chain.
The story of "Serge et Nathalie" is a poignant tale of sacrifice for love. The song indicates that true love is priceless, and it is not determined by the wealth that one has. As long as two people are happy and together, material things do not matter.
Line by Line Meaning
En vieille Russie
Once upon a time in old Russia
Vivaient deux amants
Lived two lovers
Serge et Nathalie
Named Serge and Nathalie
Agés de vingt ans
Both aged twenty years
Ils avaient pour tout trésor
They had for all treasure
À part leur cœur aimant
Except for their loving hearts
Elle, sa chevelure d'or
She, her golden hair
Lui, sa chaîne d'argent
He, his silver chain
Cheveux sans un peigne
Hair without a comb
Comment les coiffer?
How to style them?
Sans montre la chaîne
Without a watch, the chain
Pourquoi la porter?
Why wear it?
Il y a bien des peignes fins
There are many fine combs
Des montres en quantité
A great number of watches
Mais le marchand tend sa main
But the merchant holds out his hand
Avec quoi le payer?
With what to pay?
Et Noël arrive
And Christmas comes
Sur les amoureux
To the lovers
Nathalie pensive
Nathalie is pensive
Serge malheureux
Serge is unhappy
C'est l'époque des présents
It's the time for gifts
Nathalie voudrait bien
Nathalie would like to
Offrir la montre d'argent
Offer the silver watch
Serge le peigne fin
Serge, the fine comb
Elle part en cachette
She secretly leaves
Chez le perruquier
To the hairdresser's
L'homme lui achète
The man buys from her
Ses boucles dorées
Her golden locks
Puis elle court chez l'horloger
Then she runs to the watchmaker's
Mais Serge au même instant
But at the same time, Serge
Contre un peigne a échangé
Exchanged for a comb
Une chaîne d'argent
His silver chain
Ils sont face à face
They are face to face
Avec leurs présents
With their presents
Mais leur joie se casse
But their joy breaks
En se regardant
Looking at each other
Nathalie sans ses cheveux
Nathalie without her hair
Lui sa chaîne envolée
He, his chain flown away
Rient et pleurent tous les deux
Both laugh and cry
Leurs cadeaux à leurs pieds
Their gifts at their feet
Vous, tous les jeunes amants
You, all the young lovers
Pensez à leur histoire
Think of their story
Car eux si pauvres étaient pourtant
Because they, so poor, were still
Plus riches que le tsar
Richer than the tsar
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS DU CHIFFRE NEUF
Written by: Claude NOUGARO, Michel LEGRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind