Eddy Mitchell (born Claude Moine July 3, 1942, Paris) is a French singer an… Read Full Bio ↴Eddy Mitchell (born Claude Moine July 3, 1942, Paris) is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks), taking his name from the American expatriate tough-guy actor Eddie Constantine (later the star of Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville). The band performed at the Parisian nightclub Le Golf Drouot before signing to Barclay Records and finding almost instant success; in 1961 it sold two million records.

Heavily influenced by American rock & roll, Mitchell (who went solo in 1963) has often recorded outside France, at first in London, but later in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. Guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Bob Graham were among the British session musicians who regularly supported him in London.

Big Boss Man
Eddy Mitchell Lyrics

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Big boss man
J'accours dès que tu m'appelles
Big boss man
Je suis l'employé modèle
Avec mon air soumis
Je cache mon hypocrisie
Tu te dis bon Francais
Pourtant tous tes bénéfices

Dorment en Suisse
Tu ne gardes que la monnaie
Oh ! Big boss man
J'accours dès que tu m'appelles

Je suis un vers de terre
Toi on te craint, on te vénère
Cher grand patron

Je te parie un million
Contre une poignée d'main
Que tu n'feras
Jamais la grève de la faim
Oh ! Big boss man
Tu m'as augmenté un peu
Mais ce peu est si peu

Que ton humour en est douteux
Cher grand patron

Overall Meaning

The song "Big Boss Man" by Eddy Mitchell is an insightful portrayal of the dynamics between employees and employers in a capitalist system. The lyrics suggest that the boss holds all the power in the relationship and that the employee's subservient behavior is merely a mask for their true feelings of hypocrisy towards their employer. Mitchell highlights that while the boss may present himself as a good Frenchman, in reality, they maintain their financial profits in Switzerland, only keeping their money close at hand. The employee, on the other hand, is portrayed as a mere worm in comparison, while their boss is seen as something to be both feared and revered. The chorus "Big boss man, j'accours dès que tu m'appelles" suggests that employees are at the beck and call of their bosses and expected to fulfill their every need.

Mitchell also points out that while he has been given a raise, it is only a small increase and not enough to make any significant changes in his life. The line "que ton humour en est douteux" implies that the boss's humor is lacking or questionable, a suggestion supported by the previous line about the raise being unsatisfactory. In the last verse, Mitchell challenges the boss by betting one million against a handshake that he would never engage in a hunger strike. The song overall seems to suggest that employees experience a sort of powerlessness within their positions and are discouraged to challenge their superiors.

Line by Line Meaning

Big boss man
The singer addresses their superior known as the big boss man.

J'accours dès que tu m'appelles
The singer is always ready to assist their boss upon being summoned.

Je suis l'employé modèle
The singer prides themself in being the best possible employee.

Avec mon air soumis
The artist puts on a submissive front when interacting with their boss.

Je cache mon hypocrisie
The artist conceals their true feelings and intentions from their boss.

Tu te dis bon Francais
The boss considers themself to be a patriotic French person.

Pourtant tous tes bénéfices
Despite this, all of the boss's earnings are tucked away in Swiss bank accounts.

Dorment en Suisse
The boss's money lies dormant in Swiss bank accounts.

Tu ne gardes que la monnaie
The boss only keeps the profits that suit themself.

Oh! Big boss man
The artist once again addresses their superior.

Je suis un vers de terre
The singer feels insignificant and small compared to their boss, comparing themselves to a worm.

Toi on te craint, on te vénère
Everyone else either fears or reveres the boss.

Cher grand patron
The singer adds a sarcastic and facetious tone in addressing their boss.

Je te parie un million
The singer throws in a challenge by betting a million.

Contre une poignée d'main
The challenge is an easy one, only requiring a mere handshake as proof of completion.

Que tu n'feras
The challenge is something that the boss would never do.

Jamais la grève de la faim
The challenge is to go through a hunger strike.

Tu m'as augmenté un peu
The boss recently gave the singer a small raise.

Mais ce peu est si peu
However, the raise is not significant.

Que ton humour en est douteux
The boss's attempts at humor are seen as childish and lacking.

Cher grand patron
The artist once more addresses their boss, this time sarcastically and mockingly.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dixon Luther, Al Smith

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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