Born in Liberchies, Pont-à-Celles, Belgium into a family of Manouche Gypsies, Jean Reinhardt learned to play several instruments such as the banjo, violin and guitar from an early age; he spent most of his youth in Gypsy encampments close to Paris. His family made a living from crafting furniture, but included several amateur musicians who inspired Reinhardt. Eventually, Reinhardt was given a banjo-guitar, at which point he stopped playing the violin. During this period, he was inspired by two older Gypsy musicians, Gusti Mahla and Jean Castro. Able to make a living from his music from his teen years onwards playing in bal-musette halls in Paris, Reinhardt received little formal education until his adult life; he was taught the rudiments of literacy by fellow band member Stéphane Grappelli.
At the age of eighteen, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Florine "Bella" Mayer, his first wife. They were very poor, and to supplement their income Bella made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper; consequently, their home was full of this highly inflammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Django apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate one of his legs. Reinhardt refused to have the surgery and left the hospital after a short time; he was able to walk within a year with the aid of a cane.
His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist himself, bought Django a new guitar. With painful rehabilitation and practice, Reinhardt relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. Hence, he played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured digits only for chord work. After regaining his ability to play, Reinhardt resumed his career playing Parisian cafes. According to one story, during his period of recovery, Reinhardt was introduced to the aesthetics of American jazz when he purchased a 78rpm disc of "Dallas Blues" by Louis Armstrong at an Orléans flea market.
In 1934, Reinhardt and Parisian violinist Stéphane Grappelli were approached by hot club chief Pierre Nourry with the idea of forming a forming a new hot club group. Thus, the Quintette du Hot Club de France was formed, with Reinhardt's brother Joseph and Roger Chaput on guitar, and Louis Vola on double bass. Occasionally, Chaput was replaced by Reinhardt's best friend and fellow Gypsy Pierre "Baro" Ferret. As the group had no true percussion section, percussion was instead provided by the group's guitarists; the Quintette du Hot Club de France thus became one of the few well-known jazz ensembles composed only of string instruments.
Jean Sablon was the first singer to record with the Quintette, resulting in more than thirty collaborations from 1933 onwards. Vocalist Freddy Taylor participated on a few songs, such as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Nagasaki". A long line of recordings for Decca, HMV and Ultraphone ensured long-lasting international success for the Quintette.
As a composer, Reinhardt wrote several influential, highly original tunes recorded by the Quintette, ranging from the dulcet ballads "Daphne", "Nuages", and "Manoir de mes rêves", to mad swingers such as "Minor Swing" and the ode to his record label of the 1930s, "Stomping at Decca". With the passing of time, many of his songs became jazz standards in their own right.
Reinhardt also experimented with recordings outside the "comfort zone" of the Quintette; in March 1933 Reinhardt recorded two takes each of "Parce que je vous aime" and "Si, j'aime Suzy", vocal numbers with lots of guitar fills and great guitar support, using three guitarists along with an accordion lead, violin, and bass. In August of the following year, recordings were also made with more than one guitar (Joseph Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, and Django), including the first recording by the Quintette. In both years, it should be noted, the great majority of recordings featured a wide variety of horns, often in multiples, piano, etc.
Throughout his career, Reinhardt played and recorded with many American jazz legends such as Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart (who later stayed in Paris), and a led a jam-session and radio performance with Louis Armstrong. Later in his career, he performed with Dizzy Gillespie in France.
The outbreak of war in 1939 broke up the Quintette, with Grappelli remaining in London where the group was playing and Reinhardt returning to France. During the war years he led a big band, another quintet with clarinettist Hubert Rostaing in place of Grappelli, and after the liberation of Paris, recorded with such visiting American jazz artists as Mel Powell, Peanuts Hucko, and Ray McKinley. In 1946, Reinhardt took up the electric guitar and toured America as a soloist with the Duke Ellington Band, but his appearances were poorly received.
Some of his recordings on electric guitar late in his life are bop escapades where his playing sounds frantic and jagged, a world apart from the jubilant swing of old. However, starting in January 1946, Reinhardt and Grappelli held several sporadic reunions where the bop influences were more subtly integrated into the old swing format of the glory days of the Quintette. In the 1950s, Reinhardt became more reclusive, remaining in Europe, playing and recording sporadically until his death from a stroke on 16 May 1953 in Fontainebleau, France.
Cou Cou
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coucou, les rameaux verdissent
Coucou, voici le printemps
Coucou, le beau soleil brille
Coucou, et les yeux des filles
Coucou, en font tout autant
Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
Coucou, il faut nous aimer
Cadillac Cadillac
Coucou bonjour mon amour
Cadilla dilla dilla
Cadillac Cadillac
Coucou, en font tout autant
Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
Coucou, il faut nous aimer
The song Coucou by Django Reinhardt e Josette Dayde is a joyful celebration of the arrival of springtime. The lyrics speak of the blossoming of flowers, the greening of branches, and the warmth of the sun shining down. The repeated use of the word "coucou" (or "cuckoo" in English) creates a playful and lighthearted mood.
The second verse seems to address those who are still sleeping or not fully awakened to the beauty of the season. The singer encourages them to open their eyes and take in the transformation happening around them. The invitation to "aimer" or love is also a central theme, emphasizing the renewal and growth that come with the changing of the seasons.
Overall, the song is a charming tribute to the cyclical nature of life and the hope and happiness that come with the arrival of spring.
Line by Line Meaning
Coucou, les rosiers fleurissent
Hello, the rose bushes are in bloom
Coucou, les rameaux verdissent
Hello, the branches are becoming green
Coucou, voici le printemps
Hello, here comes the spring
Coucou, le beau soleil brille
Hello, the beautiful sun is shining
Coucou, et les yeux des filles
Hello, and the girls' eyes
Coucou, en font tout autant
Hello, are just as bright
Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
What are you doing, why are you still sleeping
Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
Wake up, wake up, the world has transformed
Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
Hello, open up for me quickly
Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
Hello, my heart invites you
Coucou, il faut nous aimer
Hello, we must love each other
Cadillac Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
Coucou bonjour mon amour
Hello my love
Cadilla dilla dilla
Cadillac, dilla, dilla
Writer(s): Feline, Mathias
Contributed by Camden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LonelyShield
- Cadillac, Cadillac, Coucou bonjour mon amour
- Cadilla dilla dilla
- Cadillac, Cadillac, Coucou veut dire bonjour
- Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
- Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
- Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
- Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
- Coucou, il faut nous aimer
@keol9920
Coucou, les rosiers fleurissent
Coucou, les rameaux verdissent
Coucou, voici le printemps
Coucou, le beau soleil brille
Coucou, et les yeux des filles
Coucou, en font tout autant
Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
Coucou, il faut nous aimer
Cadillac Cadillac
Coucou bonjour mon amour
Cadilla dilla dilla
Cadillac Cadillac
Coucou, en font tout autant
Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
Coucou, il faut nous aimer
@WeigiTi
- Coucou, les rosiers fleurissent - Coucou, les rameaux verdissent - Coucou, voici le printemps - Coucou, le beau soleil brill - Coucou, et les yeux des filles - Coucou, en font tout autant - Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller - Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé - Coucou ouvrez moi bien vite - Coucou, mon coeur vous invite - Coucou, il faut nous aimer.
@ahmednaji6610
Qqqpqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
@Rahhh._
Thank for the lyric
This old comment right here
@guibstube72
Gracias por la letra. 😊
@LonelyShield
- Cadillac, Cadillac, Coucou bonjour mon amour
- Cadilla dilla dilla
- Cadillac, Cadillac, Coucou veut dire bonjour
- Que faites-vous, que faites-vous encore à sommeiller
- Eveillez-vous, Eveillez-vous, le monde est transformé
- Coucou, ouvrez moi bien vite
- Coucou, mon coeur vous invite
- Coucou, il faut nous aimer
@silviufx
Brings back memories, thats what a perfectly made game can do to you. I was 13 years old and everytime i came home from school I would be playing Mafia and living the carefree life...those were the days...
@silviufx
I forgot to mention, I'm still playing it to this day.
@traderronnie3196
+silviufx same from me mate!! fantastic game.
@tatsuyaokamura5106
the same! I've been loving since 15. I'm 28 years old now lol.
@fugugl4354
i was 10 when my older brother got it, the beginning of my gaming. later a teacher of mine listened to django reinhardt and i knew the song from mafia, told him and it blew his mind and changed his opinion about those (shooting) videogames. still playing sometimes, also available on Steam!