Jacques Dutronc (born April 28, 1943 in Paris) is a French singer, composer… Read Full Bio ↴Jacques Dutronc (born April 28, 1943 in Paris) is a French singer, composer, and actor. He is married to the singer Françoise Hardy, as of March 30, 1974, with whom he had already had a son (Thomas Dutronc, born 1973).

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.

Il Mondo Va Così
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un miliardo di cinesi
Ed io che sto di qua
Sull'altro piatto della bilancia
Con l'aspirina e il mal di pancia
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Cento milioni di indonesiani

Ed io che sto di qua
Col Millecento e coi miei cani
L'appartamento coi divani
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Trecento milioni di russi rossi
Ed io che sto di qua
Col materasso di gomma piuma
Col giradischi e il bagno di schiuma
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Quasi un miliardo di morti di fame
Ed io che sto di qua
Con le cenette e lo spumante
Poi con la cura dimagrante
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Quasi un milione di analfabeti
Ed io che sto di qua
Con "Ciao Amici" e "Topolino"
Il juke-box e il biliardino
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Cinquanta milioni di vietnamiti
Ed io che sto di qua
Loro si fanno sparare in faccia
Io la domenica vado a caccia
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Cento miliardi di marziani
Ed io che sto di qua
Io colleziono portachiavi
Quelli preparano le astronavi
Il mondo va così
Ma non finisce qui

Cinquanta milioni di connazionali
Che stanno come me
Nove di sera televisione
Poi dritti a letto, tutto benone
Il mondo va così
Forse finisce qui
Il mondo va così
Forse finisce qui
Il mondo va così
Forse finisce qui

Il mondo va così
Forse finisce qui

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jacques Dutronc's song "Il mondo va così" depict the singer reflecting on the world's disparities and his own relatively comfortable and carefree existence. The opening lines mention a billion Chinese people while the singer acknowledges his own place on the other side of the scale, dealing with simple aches and pains and taking aspirin. Through these contrasting images, the lyrics convey the vastness and diversity of the world.

As the song continues, different populations are mentioned, such as the hundred million Indonesians or the three hundred million Russians. In each case, Dutronc compares their experiences with his own, highlighting the discrepancies between their lives and his own comforts. The lyrics also touch on the issue of hunger, with almost a billion people dying from starvation, while the singer enjoys dinners and champagne, then seeks out weight-loss treatments. This serves to underscore the stark realities faced by many in contrast with the relatively trivial concerns of his own life.

The song concludes by referring to fifty million Vietnamese people who face war and violence, juxtaposed with the singer engaging in his recreational activities such as hunting on Sundays. Dutronc then mentions the existence of a hundred billion Martians who prepare spaceships while he collects keychains. This final comparison subtly comments on humanity's preoccupations with trivial matters when there are greater existential concerns.

Overall, "Il mondo va così" presents a critical reflection on the imbalances and inequalities that exist in the world, contrasting them with the singer's more privileged position. While the lyrics express an understanding of this disparity, hinting that the world may continue this way, the repetition of "forse finisce qui" (perhaps it ends here) suggests a lingering hope for change or a glimmer of uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

Un miliardo di cinesi
There are one billion Chinese people, but I am here

Ed io che sto di qua
And I am here

Sull'altro piatto della bilancia
On the other side of the scale

Con l'aspirina e il mal di pancia
With aspirin and a stomachache