François Deguelt (born Louis Deghelt, 4 December 1932 – 22 January 2014) wa… Read Full Bio ↴François Deguelt (born Louis Deghelt, 4 December 1932 – 22 January 2014) was a French singer, best known for his participation on behalf of Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1960 and 1962.

Deguelt gave up his studies to become a cabaret singer in Paris in the early 1950s. In 1956, he was the winner of the Grand Prix du Disque of the Académie Charles Cros. Following a period of military service in Algeria, Deguelt returned to France, and was offered the chance in 1960 to sing for Monaco in the fifth Eurovision Song Contest, held in London on 29 March. Deguelt's song "Ce soir-là" ("That Night") proved popular with the juries, finishing in third place of the 13 entrants.

Deguelt returned to Eurovision, again representing Monaco, in 1962 with the song "Dis rien" ("Say Nothing"). This contest took place on 18 March in Luxembourg City, where he went one better by finishing second of 16 participants. Deguelt is one of five acts in Eurovision history (alongside Cliff Richard, Katja Ebstein, Chiara Siracusa and Zeljko Joksimovic) to have finished second and third without having won.

Deguelt's later successful singles included "Le Ciel, le soleil et la mer" (1965), "Le printemps" (1966), "Minuit, le vent, la nuit" (1968) and "La libération" (1968). Heccontinues to tour and perform on the nostalgia circuit throughout the Francophone world until his death. He died at the age of 81 on 22 January 2014.

En Italie
François Deguelt Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

En Italie
Je n’avais pas encore compris
Que tu rentrerais dans ma vie
Comme un oiseau tombé du nid
En Italie
On ne s’était encore rien dit
Mais je jouais ma vie
En Italie

Je ne connaissais rien de toi
Et tu ne savais rien de moi
Mais l’amour a guidé nos pas.
En Italie
On s’est aimé
Comme des enfants
Et notre vie a commencé
Au même instant
Et maintenant
Je ne veux plus vivre sans toi
Je ne veux plus vivre sans toi
Sans toi…
Tous les chemins
Mènent à Rome et notre vie
Nous la vivrons au paradis
En Italie

En Italie
En Italie …

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to François Deguelt's song "En Italie" tell a story of a love that unexpectedly enters the singer's life. In the opening lines, the singer reflects on not yet understanding that this person would become a significant part of their life, comparing their arrival to a fallen bird from a nest. There is a sense of anticipation and mystery as the two individuals haven't spoken to each other yet, but the singer acknowledges that they were playing with their own lives. As the song progresses, the singer reveals that they knew very little about each other at the beginning, but love guided their path.

The chorus describes their love as childlike, emphasizing the purity and innocence of their feelings. The singer expresses that their life began the moment they fell in love, and now they cannot imagine living without this person. The repetition of the line "Je ne veux plus vivre sans toi" (I don't want to live without you anymore) underscores the depth of their emotions and the importance of this relationship. In the end, the lyrics evoke a sense of bliss and fulfillment, as the couple plans to live their life together in Italy, drawing an allusion to the idyllic paradise.

Overall, "En Italie" portrays a love story that unfolds unexpectedly in Italy, where two individuals find each other and experience a profound connection that brings joy and purpose to their lives.

Line by Line Meaning

En Italie
In Italy

Je n’avais pas encore compris
I had not yet understood

Que tu rentrerais dans ma vie
That you would enter my life

Comme un oiseau tombé du nid
Like a bird fallen from the nest

En Italie
In Italy

On ne s’était encore rien dit
We had not yet said anything to each other

Mais je jouais ma vie
But I was playing my life

En Italie
In Italy

Je ne connaissais rien de toi
I knew nothing about you

Et tu ne savais rien de moi
And you knew nothing about me

Mais l’amour a guidé nos pas.
But love guided our steps.