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.

Le Générique
Eddy Mitchell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'ai cru rêver quand j'ai vu ton nom au générique
Sur l'écran il apparaissait si magnifique
La couleur et la musique
Avaient quelque chose de fantastique.
Si c'est un rêve
Si c'est un rêve
Si c'est un rêve
Oui si je rêve

Tant pis

Quand je t'ai perdue de vue
Tu n'étais qu'une inconnue
Mais déjà tu avais su, m'intimider
Mais tu as dû m'oublier, c'est le passé ....

J'ai cru rêver quand j'ai vu ton nom au générique
Sur l'écran il apparaissait si magnifique
La couleur et la musique
Avaient quelque chose de fantastique.
Si c'est un rêve
Si c'est un rêve
Si je rêve
Si c'est un rêve
Tant pis

Let's guitar'men ....

J'ai cru rêver quand j'ai vu ton nom au générique
Sur l'écran il apparaissait si magnifique
Il est trop tard pour te parler
Moi qui ne suis rien je ne peux t'approcher
Et si je t'aime
Oui si je t'aime
Oh si je t'aime
Si je t'aime
Tant pis

Tant pis
Tant pis

Overall Meaning

In "Le Générique," Eddy Mitchell sings about seeing the name of someone he once knew on the credits of a film. Mitchell is envious of this person's success and beauty on the screen, and he is transported into an idealized fantasy of what their relationship could have been like. The color and music of the film add to the fantastical nature of his dream, as he imagines what it would be like to be with this person if he had another chance. Mitchell laments that it is too late to talk to this person, since he is just a nobody in comparison. However, he ends the song by admitting that he still loves this person, even if he can never have them.

"Le Générique" reflects on the themes of unrequited love and missed opportunities. Mitchell paints a vivid picture of a fantastical dream where he can be with the person he once loved. He uses the sensory experience of color and sound to amplify the dreamy nature of his thoughts. However, in the end, he must accept that he is just a bystander watching this person's success from afar. The song is beautifully melancholic, conveying a sense of longing and loss that will resonate with listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

J'ai cru rêver quand j'ai vu ton nom au générique
I thought I was dreaming when I saw your name in the credits

Sur l'écran il apparaissait si magnifique
On the screen, it looked so magnificent

La couleur et la musique
The color and the music

Avaient quelque chose de fantastique
Had something fantastic about them

Si c'est un rêve
If it's a dream

Oui si je rêve
Yes, if I'm dreaming

Tant pis
Too bad

Quand je t'ai perdue de vue
When I lost sight of you

Tu n'étais qu'une inconnue
You were just a stranger

Mais déjà tu avais su, m'intimider
But you had already managed to intimidate me

Mais tu as dû m'oublier, c'est le passé ....
But you must have forgotten about me, that's in the past...