Henri Salvador (born July 18, 1917, Cayenne, French Guiana, died February 1… Read Full Bio ↴Henri Salvador (born July 18, 1917, Cayenne, French Guiana, died February 13, 2008, Paris) was a French singer. His father, Clovis, and his mother, Antonine Paterne, daughter of an native Indian from the Caribbean, were both from Guadeloupe.

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.

Il fait dimanche
Henri Salvador Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Il fait dimanche quand tu souris
Et par les persiennes baissées
Un rayon de soleil rougit
Les murs de notre nid douillet

Il fait dimanche au bord de l'eau
Vin blanc glacé sous les glycines
Quand sur ta bouche reviennent les mots

Ces premiers mots que l'on devine

Il fait dimanche et tous les jours
À chaque fois que tu souris
C'est la revanche de l'amour
Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit

Il fait dimanche à Marrakech
Dans l'ombre d'une de ses ruelles
Quand je vole sur tes lèvres fraîches
Le sucré des cornes de gazelle

Il fait dimanche et tous les jours
À chaque fois que tu souris
C'est la revanche de l'amour
Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit

Il fait dimanche en bord de mer
Quand je compte en grains tes baisers
Meme le plus grand des déserts
N'emplirait pas mon sablier

Il fait dimanche et tous les jours
À chaque fois que tu souris
C'est la revanche de l'amour
Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit
Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit

Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit
Sur le temps qui passe sans bruit

Overall Meaning

Henri Salvador's song "Il fait dimanche" describes the feeling of being in love and how it brings happiness to everyday life. The song starts by saying that it's Sunday when the person the singer is in love with smiles. It creates a warm feeling in the house, and even the sunlight shining through the shutters turns red as if it too shares the happiness. The second verse moves to a scene by the water where they're enjoying chilled white wine under a wisteria vine. He cherishes the sight of her smiling and saying the first few words which he has only guessed before.

The chorus of the song declares "It's Sunday, and every day you smile, love takes its revenge on the silent passage of time." The singer believes that the joy of being in love is enough to make every day feel like a holiday. In the following verses, the setting changes to an alley in Marrakech and then by the seaside. In both scenes, he finds himself lost in the moments of bliss with his lover, and the time feels infinite. The song ends with the chorus again, reiterating that love can overpower the feeling of time slipping away.

Overall, the song "Il fait dimanche" captures the essence of how being in love can make every day feel special. Through different settings, the song emphasizes that the feeling is not tied just to particular moments or places, but it is the person you're with that makes life wonderful.

Line by Line Meaning

Il fait dimanche quand tu souris
The happiness brought by your smile fills the day with warmth and joy

Et par les persiennes baissées
Through the lowered shutters

Un rayon de soleil rougit
A ray of sunshine gives a rosy tint

Les murs de notre nid douillet
To the walls of our cozy nest

Il fait dimanche au bord de l'eau
The day becomes Sunday by the water

Vin blanc glacé sous les glycines
Enjoying chilled white wine under the wisteria

Quand sur ta bouche reviennent les mots
As those first words that we exchanged come back to your lips

Ces premiers mots que l'on devine
Those first words that we intuitively knew

Il fait dimanche et tous les jours
Every day becomes Sunday

À chaque fois que tu souris
Whenever you smile

C'est la revanche de l'amour
It's love's revenge