Moustaki was born Yussef Mustacchi on the 3rd May 1934 in Alexandria, Egypt, of Sephardic Jewish parents who had moved there from Corfu, and who ran a bookshop in the city. The family spoke Italian at home, but Georges (then Yussef) spoke Arabic with his friends and attended a French school to which his Francophile parents sent him and his sisters. In 1951 he moved to Paris, where he was inspired by the young Georges Brassens, in honour of whom he changed his name to Georges Moustaki.
Moustaki wrote and sang in French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English, Yiddish, and Arabic. Early influences included Edith Piaf, with whom Moustaki carried on a year-long romance. His pan-national approach to music made him a star in Europe in the late sixties and early seventies.
He died on the 23rd May 2013 in Nice, France.
Nini
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pour nous jouer les Marlène
En y mettant le ton a ça noyait toutes
Les peines de tous les Vagabonds
Au fond de sa rengaine au creux de ses jupons
Lorsque Nini la douce faisait du sentiment
Il y avait des secousses dans
Bouche étaient si caressants
Que même les plus farouches
Y croyaient un instant
Lorsque Nini la belle vous
Faisait les doux yeux
Des milliers d'étincelles illuminaient
Les cieux par toutes les ruelles
Rappliquaient les curieux
Qui rendaient grâce a Dieu
En frôlant ses dentelles
Lorsque Nini s'est tue une larme a coulé
Personne n'y a cru et tous on rigolé
Sa chanson s'est perdue
Ses beaux yeux on pleuré
Et pas un seul n'a su
Que c'était pour de vrai
Vas-y Nini que ta chanson
Ne soit jamais finie
Vas-y petite sœur on te renverras l'ascenseur
Vas-y Nini encore Nini
The song Nini by Georges Moustaki is a tribute to a woman named Nini who is the queen of the vagabonds. In the first verse, the singer describes how Nini takes out her accordion and plays the songs of Marlène in such a way, it drowns out all the pains of the vagabonds. Her music is so powerful that it reaches deep into their hearts.
In the second verse, the singer talks about the emotional power of Nini, how she can play on people's heartstrings with her words and gestures. He describes how her words are so caressing that even the most reserved of the vagabonds are drawn to her.
The third verse describes Nini's beauty and how she attracts the attention of people with her looks. It paints a picture of how the streets are filled with thousands of sparks and the curiosities of all people follow her. The last verse, however, talks about Nini's sadness and how her tears were visible to everyone who knew her. It laments that her song got lost, and no one truly understood her struggle.
Overall, the song is a powerful tribute to a person who can capture the souls of people around her through her music and emotional appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Lorsque Nini la reine o prenait l'accordéon
When Nini the queen played the accordion
Pour nous jouer les Marlène
To play Marlène for us
En y mettant le ton a ça noyait toutes
Putting her own twist on it, she filtered out all
Les peines de tous les Vagabonds
The sorrows of all the vagabonds
Au fond de sa rengaine au creux de ses jupons
Inside of her music and under her skirts
Lorsque Nini la douce faisait du sentiment
When Nini the sweet was sentimental
Il y avait des secousses dans
There were tremors in
Tous les palpitants et les mots de sa
All the hearts and words from her
Bouche étaient si caressants
Mouth were so soothing
Que même les plus farouches
That even the fiercest of hearts
Y croyaient un instant
Believed in it for a moment
Lorsque Nini la belle vous faisait les doux yeux
When Nini the beauty gave you a sweet look
Des milliers d'étincelles illuminaient
A thousand sparks lit
Les cieux par toutes les ruelles
The skies through all the streets
Rappliquaient les curieux
Curious people stopped
Qui rendaient grâce a Dieu
Thanking God
En frôlant ses dentelles
As they brushed against her lace
Lorsque Nini s'est tue une larme a coulé
When Nini went silent, a tear fell
Personne n'y a cru et tous on rigolé
No one believed it, and everyone laughed
Sa chanson s'est perdue
Her song was lost
Ses beaux yeux on pleuré
Her beautiful eyes cried
Et pas un seul n'a su
And not a single person knew
Que c'était pour de vrai
That it was for real
Vas-y Nini que ta chanson
Go ahead, Nini, let your song
Ne soit jamais finie
Never end
Vas-y petite sœur on te renverras l'ascenseur
Go ahead little sister, we'll pay you back in kind
Vas-y Nini encore Nini
Go ahead, Nini, keep going Nini
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOE ROSSI, GEORGES MOUSTAKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniela Sauerwein
Tres beau❤❤❤❤❤❤