Between 1963 and 1964, Dutronc was the guitarist for a group called El Toro et les Cyclones who recorded several EPs. During this time he could frequently be seen on stage at the Golf Drouot as backing guitarist for stars like Eddy Mitchell. He then went and did his obligatory military service. After his return he landed a job as assistant at Vogue Records to Artistic Director Jacques Wolfsohn. In this capacity he arranged songs (there is no indication that he wrote the lyrics for any of these songs) for several lesser known artists like Zou Zou and CLeo. In 1966 (or maybe the end of 1965), he was teamed with writer Jacques Lanzmann, then director at Lui magazine, to create songs for artists who were arranged to be the next big thing. Benjamin was the first of these singers. But his first EP did horribly and he was unceremoniously booted from Vogue. One day after hearing the demos that Dutronc had made of a song, Wolfsohn declared that Jacques should do the record for release. "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was unleashed on the world in 1966 and overnight one of France's biggest stars was born.
With Lanzmann in charge of the lyrics and Dutronc taking care of the music, the two created some of the most lasting songs in French pop history. There is almost no French person alive who does not know "Et moi, et moi, et moi", "Les Playboys", and "Le cactus". Other great songs include "Mini, mini, mini", "Le responsable", "J'ai un tigre dans ma guitare", and "L'opportuniste". The music on most of these songs is a British garage sound and Dutronc has often been compared to Ray Davies of The Kinks, and that comparison works musically as well. What really set Dutronc apart from the other singers of the time was his parody. His songs are not celebrating the "youth generation" but mocking it. Dutronc's biggest hit was the beautiful "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'eveille", with the classical flute player Roger Bourdin (not as some had thought Jean-Pierre Rampal) performing an essential part. In this song, Dutronc manages to paint a remarkably correct picture of the French capital in the early morning hours in the late 1960's.
Dutronc's "La fille du père Noël" and David Bowie's "Jean Genie" share a riff likely derived from the Yardbirds' accelerated version of Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man." The Belgian singer Arno recorded a medley of the Dutronc and Bowie songs ("Jean Baltazaarr") with the American singer Beverly Jo Scott that makes clear their similarities.
In 1973, Dutronc began a second career as an actor in the film Antoine et Sébastien, directed by Jean-Marie Périer, a career that would afterward occupy the greater share of his attention. Directors for whom he has worked include Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch and Maurice Pialat. He has also returned to recording in recent years.
Also in 1973, "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was adapted with English lyrics by Ray Dorset, leader of Mungo Jerry. "Alright Alright Alright" became a UK No. 3 hit for the group.
Interestingly, the early Dutronc songs usually had a classic late-sixties freakbeat backing (provided by session musicians) that has managed to win Jacques Dutronc a new audience in the hip retro clubs of the UK and USA in the late 1990s, and this continues today. (Ironically, most of the people who will be dancing to the likes of "Le Cactus" will have no idea what the words actually mean). Because of this, he is celebrated in the 1997 Cornershop song "Brimful of Asha" thus: "Jacques Dutronc and the Bolan Boogie/The Heavy Hitters and the Chichi music."
He currently lives in the town of Monticello on the island of Corsica.
Elle est si...
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics
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Elle est si grosse que je lui dis vous
Elle est si laide que je lui dis bou
Elle est si lady que je lui dis you
Elle est fainéasse je lui dis do
Something remue tes roudoudous
Elle somnole je lui fais hou
Elle est si bête faut lui dire tout
Elle est si gourde faut lui dire où
Elle est si tiède et moi qui bous
Je veux remettre ça elle me dit des clous
Elle en veut tellement que je lui dis pouce
Et pour souffler je lui lis Proust
Elle est si sotte que je lui dis pousse-
Toi de là ça suffit allez oust!
The song "Elle est si..." by Jacques Dutronc tells the story of a man who is in a confusing and frustrating relationship with a woman. The lyrics are filled with contradictions and mixed messages, reflecting the singer's own uncertainty and indecisiveness. On one hand, he describes the woman as "so cat-like" and "lady-like," implying that she is attractive and alluring. However, he also calls her "so fat" and "so ugly," indicating that he is repulsed by her physical appearance. Similarly, he describes her as both lazy and sleepy, but also eager and demanding.
The singer's frustration with the woman is also evident in the way he calls her "stupid" and "clueless," implying that she is unable to understand him or meet his needs. However, despite this annoyance, he also expresses a desire to continue the relationship, declaring that he "wants to do it again" despite her reluctance. The song's final lines are particularly harsh, as the singer dismisses the woman with a simple "go away" ("ouste" in French) after calling her "silly" ("sotte") and "pushy" ("pouss-").
Overall, the lyrics of "Elle est si..." are a complex and nuanced portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship marked by confusion, frustration, and mixed feelings. The contradictions and conflicting emotions expressed in the song are reflective of the messy and unpredictable nature of romantic relationships, and the difficulties that arise when trying to navigate our own desires and emotions while also considering the needs and feelings of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle est si chatte que je lui dis "mou"
She is so seductive that I call her "kitten"
Elle est si grosse que je lui dis "vous"
She is so large that I address her formally
Elle est si laide que je lui dis "bou!"
She is so ugly that I call her out on it
Elle est si lady que je lui dis "you"
She is so elegant that I address her in English
Elle est fainéasse je lui dis "do"
She is so lazy that I tell her to do something
Something remue tes roudoudous
Come on, move your body and dance
Elle somnole je lui fais "hou"
She is so sleepy that I tease her to wake up
Elle sursaute et fais la moue
She starts and makes a face
Elle est si bête faut lui dire tout
She is so stupid that I have to explain everything
Elle est si gourde faut lui dire où
She is so clueless that I have to tell her where to go
Elle est si tiède et moi qui bous
She is so lukewarm and I am so excited
Je veux remettre ça elle me dit des clous
I want to do it again but she refuses
Elle en veut tellement que je lui dis "pouce"
She wants it so badly that I tease her with "thumbs up"
Et pour souffler je lui lis Proust
To catch my breath, I read Proust to her
Elle est si sotte que je lui dis "pouss-"
She is so foolish that I cut myself off mid-sentence
Toi de là ça suffit allez, ouste!
You, go away, that's enough for now
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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