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).
Western
Claude Nougaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les femmes c'est quoi? c'est qui?
- Quelles soient cheyennes ou yankees
Elles sont la flèche et toi la cible...
De mon cheval à peine sorti
J'prenais un bain à Gold City
Cigare au bec, champagne en pogne
Quand la porte s'ouvrit soudain
Sur une rafale de satin
J'avais jamais dans une robe
Imaginé autant de globes...
La fille susurre : "Bonsoir, bandit!
Y avait longtemps que j't'attendis
Montre le moi, vas y, dégaine!
Fais moi sauter hors de ma gaine
Y a longtemps que j' me tords le cou
Pour apercevoir ton six coups..."
La fille était vraiment sensass
Comme au poker un carré d'as
Toutes dents dehors, je lui glisse:
"Puisque tu m'aimes, come on, miss!
J' commençais à trouver l'Ouest terne
Tu l' fais briller comme une lanterne
Et puisque mon arme te charme
Voici mon colt, tu m' désarmes
Mais manie le sans trop d' secousses,
J'en ai un autre sous la mousse
Je quitte parfois mes éperons,
Je quitte jamais mon ceinturon
Toujours quelqu'un veut m' déquiller
Alors j'me lave tout habillé, yeah!"
Moi qui suis né dans le Middlevex
Un pistolet à chaque index,
Moi qui fis feu des deux gâchettes
Du Texas au Machachuchette,
J'me suis r'trouvé devant l' pasteur,
Une étoil' d'or au fond du cœur,
Puis nous partîmes vers l'Ohio
Où je cultive un champ de fayots
Ma femme fait la tarte aux myrtilles,
J'élève mes gosses, garçons et filles
Aussi verdâtre qu'un billard,
Parfois, le croque mort vient me voir
Il dit contemplant mes récoltes:
"Pour moi, ça ne vaut pas ton colt..."
My God, My God, Dieu de la Bible...
Les femmes c'est quoi? c'est qui?
- Qu'elles soient cheyennes ou yankees
Elles sont la flèche et toi la cible
The song "Western" by Claude Nougaro is a satirical take on the stereotypical image of a Western cowboy. The lyrics begin with a provocative question about women, asking what they are and who they are. The answer, according to the song, is that women are the arrow, and the cowboy is the target. This suggests that women are often objectified and seen as accessories to the cowboy's adventures.
The song goes on to describe a typical Western scene, with the cowboy taking a break from his horse to bathe in a town called Gold City. He is smoking a cigar and drinking champagne while bathing in Cologne water when a beautiful woman enters the scene. The woman is wearing a satin dress and is seductive, asking the cowboy to show her his gun and take her out of her dress. The song plays with the idea of the cowboy being a tough and rugged man, but also of him being a sexual object and a victim of seduction.
Later in the song, the lyrics reveal that the cowboy has settled down with a wife and children, contradicting the stereotypical image of the wild and promiscuous cowboy. The song ends with a repetition of the opening question about women, underscored by the reference to God in the lyrics. Overall, the song reflects on the contradictions and hypocrisies of the Western cowboy image and highlights the objectification of women in the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
My God, my God, Dieu de la Bible,
Addressing God and acknowledging his faith.
Les femmes c'est quoi? c'est qui?
Questioning the definition and identity of women.
- Quelles soient cheyennes ou yankees
Regardless of their race or origin.
Elles sont la flèche et toi la cible...
Women are assertive and powerful while men are vulnerable.
De mon cheval à peine sorti
Immediately after getting off his horse.
J'prenais un bain à Gold City
Taking a bath in the town of Gold City.
Cigare au bec, champagne en pogne
Smoking a cigar and holding a glass of champagne.
J'barbotais dans de l'eau d' Cologne
Splashing around in cologne-scented water.
Quand la porte s'ouvrit soudain
Suddenly, the door opened.
Sur une rafale de satin
A gust of satin fabric entered with the opening of the door.
J'avais jamais dans une robe
He had never seen such curves in a dress.
Imaginé autant de globes...
Referring to the curves of the woman's body.
La fille susurre : "Bonsoir, bandit!
The woman greeted him with a sultry whisper, calling him a bandit.
Y avait longtemps que j't'attendis
She had been waiting a long time for him.
Montre le moi, vas y, dégaine!
Asking him to show her his gun and draw it out.
Fais moi sauter hors de ma gaine
Asking him to make her 'leap' out of her dress.
Y a longtemps que j' me tords le cou
She had been eagerly anticipating him for a long time.
Pour apercevoir ton six coups..."
To see his gun, which she found attractive.
La fille était vraiment sensass
The girl was truly remarkable.
Comme au poker un carré d'as
As skilled at seduction as a poker player with a winning hand.
Toutes dents dehors, je lui glisse:
He responds to her advances with a smile.
"Puisque tu m'aimes, come on, miss!
Inviting her to come closer since she likes him.
J' commençais à trouver l'Ouest terne
He was starting to find the West uninteresting.
Tu l' fais briller comme une lanterne
She adds excitement and sparkle to his life.
Et puisque mon arme te charme
Since she has taken an interest in his gun.
Voici mon colt, tu m' désarmes
Giving her his gun to disarm him and gain his trust.
Mais manie le sans trop d' secousses,
Telling her to handle it carefully.
J'en ai un autre sous la mousse
Revealing that he has another gun under the bubbles in the bath.
Je quitte parfois mes éperons,
Sometimes he takes off his spurs.
Je quitte jamais mon ceinturon
But he never takes off his gun belt.
Toujours quelqu'un veut m' déquiller
There is always someone who wants to kill him.
Alors j'me lave tout habillé, yeah!"
So, he bathes with his clothes on to stay prepared at all times.
Moi qui suis né dans le Middlevex
Referring to his place of birth - Middlesex.
Un pistolet à chaque index,
He carries two guns, one on each index finger.
Moi qui fis feu des deux gâchettes
Referring to his expert shooting skills.
Du Texas au Machachuchette,
He has traveled and fought all over the western territories.
J'me suis r'trouvé devant l' pasteur,
He found himself in front of a pastor.
Une étoil' d'or au fond du cœur,
He has a golden star in his heart, likely picturing an image of himself as a hero or lawman.
Puis nous partîmes vers l'Ohio
He goes on to travel to Ohio.
Où je cultive un champ de fayots
Where he cultivates a field of beans.
Ma femme fait la tarte aux myrtilles,
His wife bakes blueberry pies.
J'élève mes gosses, garçons et filles
He raises his children, sons and daughters.
Aussi verdâtre qu'un billard,
His life has become monotonous and dull.
Parfois, le croque mort vient me voir
The undertaker comes to see him sometimes.
Il dit contemplant mes récoltes:
The undertaker comments on how little his harvest is in comparison to his fame as a gunslinger.
"Pour moi, ça ne vaut pas ton colt..."
To the undertaker, nowhere near as valuable as his gun.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, LES EDITIONS DU CHIFFRE NEUF
Written by: CLAUDE NOUGARO, MAURICE VANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind