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.

To Be Or Not To Be
Eddy Mitchell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Si Monsieur Shakespeare m'avait connu
Il n'aurait jamais eu l'idée de déclarer ainsi
" To be or not to be "
Être ou ne pas être
N'est vraiment pas ma raison d'être
Elle se résume à ceci :
Ne pas s'en faire dans la vie
Moi j'ai mes problèmes, Monsieur Shakespeare avait les siens

Et mon seul souci est de savoir ce que sera demain
Et manger, et dormir, comment pourrais-je m'en sortir ?
Ah si je pouvais lire dans l'avenir.
Si Monsieur Shakespeare m'avait connu
Il n'aurait jamais eu l'idée de déclarer ainsi
" To be or not to be "
Les temps ont changé
Ainsi que la moralité
Qui nous dit que dans cents ans
Il n'y a plus de savants
Je suis philosophe, oui je m'en porte très bien
Et je laisse à d'autres les complexes de l'esprit humain
Un baiser, un sourire sont mes deux raisons de vivre
Et ce sont mes plus beaux souvenirs
Si Monsieur Shakespeare m'avait connu
Il n'aurait jamais eu l'idée de déclarer ainsi
" To be or not to be "
Être ou ne pas être
N'est vraiment pas ma raison d'être
Elle se résume à ceci :
Ne pas s'en faire dans la vie

To be or not to be
That's the question...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eddy Mitchell's song "To Be or Not to Be" comment on the famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" where the character ponders the meaning of life and death. Mitchell takes a different perspective and argues that his reason for being is not whether or not to exist, but rather to live a life free of worries. Mitchell states that he has his own problems to deal with and Shakespeare had his, but neither of their concerns was the question of existence. Mitchell believes that the times have changed, and the morality of society is different, where scientists are no longer revered and he considers himself a philosopher who does not worry about the complexities of the human mind. His reasons for living are simple- a kiss and a smile- which he cherishes as his most beautiful memories.

The lyrics of the song reflect Mitchell's own philosophy of life, which is to not stress about the bigger picture but to focus on the present and enjoy the simple things in life. Mitchell suggests that he does not have the luxury of pondering about existential questions that Shakespeare did, as his life is more practical- worrying about where he will sleep, what he will eat and his future. By contrast, the meaning of life has become less profound than what it was in Shakespeare's time. People aim to find happiness in everyday things rather than in the purpose of existence.

Line by Line Meaning

Si Monsieur Shakespeare m'avait connu
If Mr. Shakespeare knew me

Il n'aurait jamais eu l'idée de déclarer ainsi
He would never have declared

"To be or not to be"
"To be or not to be"

Être ou ne pas être
To exist or not to exist

N'est vraiment pas ma raison d'être
That's not really my reason for being

Elle se résume à ceci :
It comes down to this:

Ne pas s'en faire dans la vie
Not worrying about life

Moi j'ai mes problèmes, Monsieur Shakespeare avait les siens
I have my problems, Mr. Shakespeare had his

Et mon seul souci est de savoir ce que sera demain
And my only concern is to know what tomorrow will bring

Et manger, et dormir, comment pourrais-je m'en sortir ?
And to eat, and to sleep, how could I get by?

Ah si je pouvais lire dans l'avenir.
Ah, if only I could read the future.