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)
Sous la blafarde
Fréhel Lyrics
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Sans trop se fouler gagnent leur beefsteak
Et leurs femmes n’ont jamais les mains sales
Roulant en bagnole, les pieds bien au sec
Pendant ce temps là ; le troupeau des « Pas de chance »
S’en va l’œil éteint, le pas hésitant
Sous la pluie qui cingle ou la neige qui danse
Il dit aux heureux
C’est le destin,
Soir et matin
Sous la flotte,
On voit les gueux
Les miséreux
Qui grelotent
Le soir aux amoureux, ils vont offrir des fleurs
Pieds gelés, ventre creux, ils vendent du bonheur
Ou quelque fois
D’un cœur trop las
Qui sanglante
Au fond des cours
Ils chantent l’amour
Sous la flotte
Moi dès que j’ai pu me tenir sur mes pattes
On ne m’a pas emmené(e) voir le Parc Monceau
J’ai connu la rue où les gosses se battent
Et trainent les pieds dans tous les ruisseaux
Et comme mes parents, lâcheurs par nature
Me laissaient dehors, porte verrouillée
Au moment des pluies, je n’avais, je vous jure
Pas souvent besoin de me débarbouiller…
C’est mon destin,
Soir et matin
Sous la flotte,
Je tends la main
Je vais, je viens
Je grelotte
Le soir aux amoureux, je vais offrir des fleurs
Et d’un air malheureux je prédis du bonheur
Je regarde le ciel
Mais le Père Noël
Dans sa hotte
N’a rien de bon
Pour ceux qui vont
Sous la flotte
Je n’ai jamais eu de folles envies
Je me fous des toilettes comme des bijoux
Mais j’aurais aimé vivre une autre vie
Connaître l’Amour dans un nid bien doux
Hélas, en voyant ma piteuse mine
Et mes yeux trop secs d’avoir tant pleuré
Le bonheur dégouté, chaque fois se débine
Ici-bas je n’ai rien à espérer…
C’est mon destin,
Un beau matin
Sous la flotte,
S’arrêtera
Mon cœur trop las
Qui sanglote
Nul ne me fleurira d’un bouquet de dix sous
Nul ne me pleurera… mais après tout… je m’en fous
Les marchands de fleurs
Porteront ailleurs
Leur camelote
Mais les liserons
Pour moi, pousseront
Sous la flotte
The first stanza of Fréhel's song, Sous la blafarde, discusses the difference between those who were born lucky and those who were not. Those born under a good star do not have to work too hard to earn their living while their wives never dirty their hands and they drive around in cars with dry feet. Meanwhile, the "unlucky" people trudge through pouring rain or dancing snow with their eyes downcast and their steps hesitant. To the fortunate, spring has come, but to the destitute, only cold and misery are visible. At night, while lovers offer each other flowers, the poor shiver with hunger and cold, trying to sell their small bouquets of happiness to passersby.
The second stanza speaks about Fréhel's own experience growing up. The singer never had the chance to visit the fancy Parc Monceau, but instead spent time on the streets with the other children, wading through the streams. With parents who had little regard for their child's health and well-being, Fréhel was often left outside with the door locked, and during storms it was unnecessary to wipe off as she was already soaking wet. At night, she too would offer flowers to lovers with a sad face, knowing she deserved better.
Sous la blafarde's lyrics are about the hard lives of the less fortunate and how luck plays a significant part in people's lives. The first stanza contrasts those born under a good star and those born unlucky, painting a picture of people who can't drive and must walk in wet conditions. The second stanza features the autobiographical story of Fréhel, who grew up living on the street and often begging for money, whilst selling flowers to people on the streets.
Line by Line Meaning
Les gens qui sont nés sous une bonne étoile,
Some people are lucky and have it easy in life.
Sans trop se fouler gagnent leur beefsteak
They don't have to work too hard to succeed.
Et leurs femmes n’ont jamais les mains sales
Their spouses don't have to do any dirty work either.
Roulant en bagnole, les pieds bien au sec
They get to ride in a car comfortably and stay dry.
Pendant ce temps là ; le troupeau des « Pas de chance »
Meanwhile, those who are not so lucky,
S’en va l’œil éteint, le pas hésitant
Walk around with a downcast look and unsteady gait.
Sous la pluie qui cingle ou la neige qui danse
They wander about in rain or snow.
Il dit aux heureux
They say to the lucky ones,
Voilà du printemps
The season of spring is here.
C’est le destin,
This is our fate,
Soir et matin
Day and night,
Sous la flotte,
In the rain,
On voit les gueux
We see the poor,
Les miséreux
The wretched,
Qui grelotent
Shivering.
Le soir aux amoureux, ils vont offrir des fleurs
At night, they sell flowers to lovers,
Pieds gelés, ventre creux, ils vendent du bonheur
With cold feet and empty stomachs, they sell happiness.
Ou quelque fois
Or sometimes,
D’un cœur trop las
With a heart too tired,
Qui sanglante
And bleeding,
Au fond des cours
In the back alleys,
Ils chantent l’amour
They sing about love.
Moi dès que j’ai pu me tenir sur mes pattes
As soon as I could walk,
On ne m’a pas emmené(e) voir le Parc Monceau
I wasn't taken to see Parc Monceau.
J’ai connu la rue où les gosses se battent
I grew up on the streets where kids fight.
Et trainent les pieds dans tous les ruisseaux
Where they drag their feet in every puddle.
Et comme mes parents, lâcheurs par nature
My parents were cowards by nature,
Me laissaient dehors, porte verrouillée
They left me outside with the door locked.
Au moment des pluies, je n’avais, je vous jure
When it rained, I swear I didn't have to wash myself often.
Pas souvent besoin de me débarbouiller…
Because I was already soaked and dirty.
Je vais, je viens
I come and go
Je grelotte
I shiver
Et d’un air malheureux je prédis du bonheur
I predict happiness with a sorrowful look.
Je regarde le ciel
I look at the sky,
Mais le Père Noël
But Santa Claus,
Dans sa hotte
In his sack,
N’a rien de bon
Has nothing good
Pour ceux qui vont
For those who are
Sous la flotte
In the rain.
Je n’ai jamais eu de folles envies
I've never had wild desires.
Je me fous des toilettes comme des bijoux
I don't care about fancy things like jewelry and toilets.
Mais j’aurais aimé vivre une autre vie
But I would have liked to live a different life.
Connaître l’Amour dans un nid bien doux
To know love in a cozy nest.
Hélas, en voyant ma piteuse mine
Alas, when people see my pitiful condition,
Et mes yeux trop secs d’avoir tant pleuré
And my eyes, too dry from crying,
Le bonheur dégouté, chaque fois se débine
They turn away in disgust, and happiness always eludes me.
Un beau matin
One beautiful morning,
S’arrêtera
It will stop,
Mon cœur trop las
My heart, too tired,
Qui sanglote
That cries.
Nul ne me fleurira d’un bouquet de dix sous
No one will bring me a bouquet worth ten cents.
Nul ne me pleurera… mais après tout… je m’en fous
No one will mourn me... but after all, I don't care.
Les marchands de fleurs
The flower sellers
Porteront ailleurs
Will take their wares somewhere else.
Leur camelote
Their cheap products,
Mais les liserons
But the bindweed flowers,
Pour moi, pousseront
Will grow for me,
Sous la flotte
Even in the rain.
Lyrics © BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: MARGUERITE MONNOT, ROBERT MALLERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind