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.
Ma Plus Belle Année
Eddy Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles gardaient leur premier baiser
Pour un soir d'été, sous un ciel tremblant, quand j'avais dix-sept ans.
Quand j'ai eu mes vingt ans, c'était ma plus belle année.
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles rentraient au p'tit matin
Laissant leur parfum dans mon coeur brûlant
Quand j'ai eu mes vingt ans.
Quand j'ai eu trente-cinq ans, c'était ma plus belle année.
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles pleuraient comme une pluie d'or
Et j'avais encore gardé mes vingt ans, quand j'ai eu trente-cinq ans.
Mais le temps se fait court et l'automne est venu.
Quand je pense à la vie que j'ai connue, j'ai le coeur perdu.
J'ai le coeur noyé de mille beautés, et c'est ma plus belle année.
Et c'est ma plus belle année.
The song "Ma Plus Belle Année" by Eddy Mitchell is a reflection on the passage of time and the memories that come with it. Each verse represents a different age in the singer's life and the things that made that year special. The first verse recalls when the singer was 17 and it was their "most beautiful year." The girls were saving their first kiss for a summer night under a trembling sky. The second verse reflects on the singer's 20th year, which was also their most beautiful year. This time, the girls were leaving their perfume in the singer's heart after spending the night together.
In the final verse, the singer remembers when they were 35, their most beautiful year yet. The girls cried like a shower of gold and the singer still felt as though they were 20. The song ends with a sentiment of nostalgia and loss as the singer reflects on their life and all of the beautiful memories that they have accumulated. The repetition of the phrase "ma plus belle année" emphasizes the fleeting nature of youth and time.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand j'avais dix-sept ans, c'était ma plus belle année.
At the age of seventeen, life was at its prime.
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles gardaient leur premier baiser
Pour un soir d'été, sous un ciel tremblant, quand j'avais dix-sept ans.
It was my most beautiful year when girls saved their first kiss for a summer evening under the trembling sky.
Quand j'ai eu mes vingt ans, c'était ma plus belle année.
When I turned twenty, life was still full of wonder.
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles rentraient au p'tit matin
Laissant leur parfum dans mon coeur brûlant
Quand j'ai eu mes vingt ans.
It was my most beautiful year when girls would leave in the early morning, their scent lingering in my fiery heart.
Quand j'ai eu trente-cinq ans, c'était ma plus belle année.
When I hit thirty-five, it was my most beautiful year.
C'était ma plus belle année, les filles pleuraient comme une pluie d'or
Et j'avais encore gardé mes vingt ans, quand j'ai eu trente-cinq ans.
It was my most beautiful year when girls would weep like a golden rain and I still felt like I was twenty-five.
Mais le temps se fait court et l'automne est venu.
But time is fleeting, and autumn has arrived.
Quand je pense à la vie que j'ai connue, j'ai le coeur perdu.
When I reflect on the life I've known, my heart feels lost.
J'ai le coeur noyé de mille beautés, et c'est ma plus belle année.
My heart is flooded with a thousand beauties, and this is my most beautiful year.
Et c'est ma plus belle année.
And this is my most beautiful year.
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.