Salvador recorded several songs written with Boris Vian with Quincy Jones as arranger.
In the 60's Salvador was the television host of several popular TV variety shows on French TV.
Henri Salvador and his song "Dans mon île" (1957) is said to have unwittingly inspired bossa nova in Brazil, as Carlos Tom Jobim would have exclaimed on hearing the song "This is what you have to do! Slow down the tempo of samba, add a good melody and top it with beautiful chords!"
Caetano Veloso, a renowned brasilian composer and singer, made a direct reference at Salvador in his song "Reconvexo" : "quem não sentiu o swing de Heri Salvador ?" (who hasn't felt the swing of Henri Salvador ?)
In (1964) Henri Salvador scored a popular French hit with "Zorro est arrivé" (which was inspired by the English song "Along Came Jones"). His song "Mais non, mais non" (1969) inspired Jim Henson' song Mahna Mahna. These kind of comedy songs made him well known in France. He is also famous for his good nature and rich, catchy laugh, which is a standalone feature in many of his humoristic songs.
He has a brother, André, and a sister Alice. He became a musician and comedian. Later he uncovered new French talents Keren Ann and Art Mengo.
Caroline
Henri Salvador Lyrics
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Tchinn dinn dinn dinn dinn
Caroline
Pourquoi donc es-tu partie ?
Que fais-tu donc à Paris ?
Dis-moi pourquoi
T'es-tu embarquée sur le grand bateau oh oh oh oh
Caroline
Depuis ton départ c'est pas rigolo :
Le cochon est malade,
La grand-mère est malade,
La chèvre a la pelade,
Je suis dans la panade, dans la panade jusqu'au cou
Oh oh oh Caroline
Pourquoi donc es-tu partie ?
Caroline
Tout va de travers ici,
Les bananes ne sont pas plus grosses que des cornichons,
Le cyclone a enlevé le toit de notre maison
Pour comble de misère
Le pauvre vieux grand-père
En pêchant à la ligne
Hier s'est fait bouffer par un énorme crocodile
Caroline
Pourquoi donc es-tu partie ?
Oh Caroline
Que fais-tu donc à Paris ?
Tu m'as dit
En montant à bord, au bras d'un marin,
Attends-moi, attends-moi ici,
Attends je reviens
Caroline, reviens, j’ai besoin de toi
Caroline, reviens, j’ai besoin de toi
The song "Caroline" by Henri Salvador is a melancholic melody that speaks to a woman named Caroline who left her home to go to Paris. The song talks about the various challenges that have arisen since Caroline left, with a sense of longing and hope that she'll return. Salvador ponders her reasons for leaving and what she could be doing in Paris while emphasizing how life hasn't been quite the same without her.
In the song, Salvador begins by asking why Caroline had to leave, and what she could possibly be doing in Paris. He talks about the difficulties that have befallen the household since her departure, including a sick pig, a sick grandmother, and a goat that has lost its fur. Life seems to be spiraling out of control, and he's left in a predicament that's not easy to navigate. He also mentions how it's hard to find bananas that are the same size as cornichons, which is a metaphor for the struggles they're facing.
Salvador ends by addressing Caroline directly, asking her to come back as he needs her. He remembers their last encounter, where she boarded a boat with a sailor and promised to come back soon. The song has a heartbroken quality to it, highlighting how much he misses her, and how much he'd love for her to return to his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Caroline
The singer addresses Caroline
Tchinn dinn dinn dinn dinn
Onomatopoeic sound mimicking a ringing bell, a playful and lively introduction to the song
Pourquoi donc es-tu partie ?
The singer asks Caroline why she left
Que fais-tu donc à Paris ?
The singer inquires about Caroline's activities in Paris
Dis-moi pourquoi
The singer asks for an explanation
T'es-tu embarquée sur le grand bateau oh oh oh oh
The singer wonders if Caroline left on a big boat
Depuis ton départ c'est pas rigolo :
The singer expresses that things are not fun without Caroline there
Le cochon est malade,
The pig is sick
La grand-mère est malade,
The grandmother is sick
La chèvre a la pelade,
The goat has a skin disease
Je suis dans la panade, dans la panade jusqu'au cou
The singer is in trouble up to his neck
Tout va de travers ici,
Everything is going wrong here
Les bananes ne sont pas plus grosses que des cornichons,
The bananas are very small
Le cyclone a enlevé le toit de notre maison
The hurricane took the roof off their house
Pour comble de misère
To top it off
Le pauvre vieux grand-père
The poor old grandfather
En pêchant à la ligne
While fishing
Hier s'est fait bouffer par un énorme crocodile
Yesterday he got eaten by a huge crocodile
Tu m'as dit
The singer is recalling when Caroline spoke to him
En montant à bord, au bras d'un marin,
When she got on board, with a sailor by her side
Attends-moi, attends-moi ici,
Caroline asked him to wait for her
Attends je reviens
She promises to come back
Caroline, reviens, j’ai besoin de toi
The singer pleads for Caroline to come back, he needs her
Lyrics © PREMIERE MUSIC GROUP, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Henri SALVADOR, Maurice TEZE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind