Born in Paris, France to a poor and dysfunctional family, Marguerite Boulc'h was a child left to a life on the streets in the dark side of Paris. In her teens she got a break when she met one of the female music-hall performers who heard her sing and introduced her to show business promoters. She began performing under the stage name "Pervenche" and soon met and married Robert Hollard, a performer who used the nom de guerre "Roberty." Alcohol entered her life at an early age and her drinking became a problem for her husband. Their marriage did not last long and Boulc'h's husband left her for the Parisian singer, Damia. Fréhel then began a relationship with Maurice Chevalier but that too did not last long and after he left her for the much older megastar Mistinguett, the distraught girl, still only 19 years old, attempted suicide.
Following her failed suicide attempt, in 1911 Marguerite Boulc'h tried to escape her pain and travelled to Bucharest, Romania and then to Russia where she remained for more than ten years. Lost in a world of alcohol and drugs, she returned to Paris in 1923 to a shocked public that saw the wasted shadow of the singer they had known and loved. She then signalled a new beginning by switching to the stage name "Fréhel", taking the name from Cap Fréhel in Brittany where her parents had been born. Singing as Fréhel, at the Paris Olympia in 1924 she recaptured the former magic with a powerful performance and was soon headlining at the most popular venues in the country. Part of what is now referred to as the bal musette, Fréhel often sang accompanied by pipes and/or an accordion player.
In the 1930s, she appeared in several motion pictures, almost always portraying a singer in a minor or supporting role. The most notable films in which she performed were 1931's De Coeur des Lilas, based on the Tristan Bernard play, and Pépé le Moko that starred Jean Gabin. While her alcohol abuse continued, she nevertheless was a major show business force of 1930s France. Of all her songs, her 1939 "La Java Bleue", with music by Vincent Scotto, proved her most popular.
Despite being one of Europe's most sought after performers, her destructive addictions led to her dropping out of sight for years. She never found the love she had sought for so long and died in 1951, a wretched drunk, alone in a hotel in Pigalle. She was interred in the Cimetière de Pantin, near Paris.
Her 1934 recording "Si tu n'étais pas là" was featured in the 2001 soundtrack for the film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie).
Some of Fréhel's best known songs:
* "Comme un moineau" (1925)
* "Où est-il donc? " (1926)
* "À la dérive" (1932)
* "Où sont tous mes amants" (1935)
* "Tel qu'il est" (1936)
* "La der des der" (1939)
* "La java bleue" (1939)
Films:
* De Coeur des Lilas (1931)
* La Rue sans nom (1934)
* Le roman d'un tricheur (1936)
* Pépé le Moko (1937)
* L'Innocent (1937)
* La Rue sans joie (1938)
La môme caoutchouc
Fréhel Lyrics
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1.
On a fait toute une affaire
Des lutteurs, des catcheurs, des boxeurs, des tombeurs,
Pour moi, ça c'est d'la p'tit' bière,
Tous ces mecs à biceps ne m'ont jamais fait peur.
Moi j'les descend avec les doigts dans l'nez
Si y en a un dans la salle aujourd'hui
Qu'il vienne ici,
Il s'ra servi.
REFRAIN
C'est moi la (le) môm' catch-catche !
Voyez mes gros biscotteaux, Costauds,
Avec ça j'ai l'air vache,
Et un' pair' de pectoraux
D'taureau.
J'ai un' poign' de fer, un coeur en acier,
La gueule en or et les deux pieds nick'lés,
J'fais les pieds au mur comme un échalas,
Le grand écart, et je crache à quinz' pas,
Je bois du gros qui tache.
C'est moi la (le) môm' catch-catche.
2.
Un jour dans une bagarre,
Avec deux affranchis, dans l'quartier d'l'Arsenal
J'ai cogné sans crier gare,
Le premier en est mort, l'autre est à l'hôpital.
Les flics sont arrivés naturell'ment
Bien après coup... (c'est plus prudent)
Ton nom... me dit le commissaire au "quart"
J'lui dis y a qu'toi pour pas l'savoir.
3.
V.F. J'suis très douce avec mon homme,
V.H. (doux avec ma femme,)
Mais tout d'même en amour il est très exigeant,
(ce n'est pas très marrant)
Il veut des trucs à la gomme,
(Ell' veut des trucs, oui Madame)
Des torsions, des sucions, des pinc'ments, des grinc'ments,
J'y fait un soir un retournement d'bras,
Depuis c'temps-là... il (elle) est comme ça (faire le geste)
Un'torsion d'nez, ça l'a piqué au vif
Et c'est pour ça qu'il (qu'ell') m'a dans l'pif.
The song "La mome caoutchouc" or "La môme catch-catche" by Frehel is about a tough, strong woman who is not afraid of any male wrestler, boxer or fighter. She takes pride in her physical strength and likes to show off her muscles, her steel heart and her golden mouth. She is confident in her ability to defeat any man who tries to challenge her, as she says she can take them down with her fingers in her nose. Her strength comes from her iron grip, steel heart, and powerful voice. She also enjoys drinking strong alcohol.
The first verse of the song shows how the singer thinks the male wrestlers, boxers and fighters are no match for her physical prowess. She boasts that she is not afraid of any of them and can easily take them down. The chorus emphasizes that she is the "môm' catch-catche," the tough and muscular woman who is not afraid to show off her physical strength. She is proud of her "biscotteaux" (big arms) and "pair' de pectoraux d'taureau" (bull-like chest). She boasts about her strength, such as being able to do the splits and spitting at a distance of fifteen feet. In the second verse, she narrates how she got into a brawl with two men where she killed one and the other is in hospital. She shows no remorse and even taunts the police officer who asked for her name.
The third verse provides an interesting contrast to the previous verses. Here, the singer reveals that she is also very demanding when it comes to sex. She wants her partner to perform certain wrestling moves such as "torsiоns", "sucions", "pinc'ments", and "grinc'ments". She reveals that she once twisted her partner's arm so now he is like that all the time (gesturing). She explains that she pinched his nose and that's why he doesn't like her.
Overall, the song is about a strong and confident woman who is not afraid to express herself, whether it is by showcasing her physical strength or by being assertive in what she wants. The song was released in 1932 and was popular during the interwar period in France. It reflected the changing role of women in French society during this time, when they were becoming more independent and assertive.
Line by Line Meaning
On a fait toute une affaire
People make a big deal about wrestlers, boxers, and seducers, but for me, that's nothing.
Des lutteurs, des catcheurs, des boxeurs, des tombeurs,
Wrestlers, wrestlers, boxers, and seducers.
Pour moi, ça c'est d'la p'tit' bière,
For me, that's just small beer.
Tous ces mecs à biceps ne m'ont jamais fait peur.
All those guys with muscles have never scared me.
Moi j'les descend avec les doigts dans l'nez
I can take them down with my fingers in my nose.
Faut pas qu'ils pens'nt me caresser,
They should never think of touching me.
Si y en a un dans la salle aujourd'hui
If there's one in the room today
Qu'il vienne ici,
Let him come here,
Il s'ra servi.
He'll be served.
C'est moi la (le) môm' catch-catche !
I'm the catch-catcher!
Voyez mes gros biscotteaux, Costauds,
Look at my big muscles, strong,
Avec ça j'ai l'air vache,
With that, I look like a cow,
Et un' pair' de pectoraux
And a pair of pectorals
D'taureau.
Like a bull.
J'ai un' poign' de fer, un coeur en acier,
I have an iron grip and a heart of steel,
La gueule en or et les deux pieds nick'lés,
A golden mouth and two lucky feet,
J'fais les pieds au mur comme un échalas,
I put my feet to the wall like a scarecrow,
Le grand écart, et je crache à quinz' pas,
I do the splits, and I spit fifteen feet away,
Je bois du gros qui tache.
I drink the heavy stuff that leaves stains.
Un jour dans une bagarre,
One day in a fight,
Avec deux affranchis, dans l'quartier d'l'Arsenal
With two liberated men, in the Arsenal district
J'ai cogné sans crier gare,
I hit without warning,
Le premier en est mort, l'autre est à l'hôpital.
The first one died, the other is in the hospital.
Les flics sont arrivés naturell'ment
The cops came later
Bien après coup... (c'est plus prudent)
Much later... (that's more cautionary)
Ton nom... me dit le commissaire au "quart"
"What's your name?" said the commissioner at the station.
J'lui dis y a qu'toi pour pas l'savoir.
I told him, "Only you don't know."
V.F. J'suis très douce avec mon homme,
V.F. I'm very sweet with my man,
V.H. (doux avec ma femme)
V.H. (sweet with my wife),
Mais tout d'même en amour il est très exigeant,
But even so, he's very demanding in love,
(ce n'est pas très marrant)
(it's not very fun)
Il veut des trucs à la gomme,
He wants gum stuff,
(Ell' veut des trucs, oui Madame)
(She wants stuff, yes madam)
Des torsions, des sucions, des pinc'ments, des grinc'ments,
Twists, suctions, pinches, creaks,
J'y fait un soir un retournement d'bras,
One night, I turned his arm around,
Depuis c'temps-là... il (elle) est comme ça (faire le geste)
Since that time... he/she is like (making the gesture)
Un'torsion d'nez, ça l'a piqué au vif
A twist of his nose, that hurt him deeply
Et c'est pour ça qu'il (qu'ell') m'a dans l'pif.
And that's why he/she has a grudge against me.
Lyrics © BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: MAURICE ALEXANDER, Maurice (Maurice Vanderhaeghen) Vandair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind