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.

Le dragueur des supermarchés
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.
Il se pass' toujours quelque chos'
Car il fait ce que personn' n'ose.
Il prospecte, il prospecte, il prospecte au supermarché.
Il introspect' les yeux fermés.
Il séduit tous les yeux ouverts
Oui mais il est,

Oui mais il est,
Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, méfiez-vous :
C'est un truand.

C'est le dragueur des supermarchés,
Celui qui porte les paniers
Et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe de vos bébés !
Le Don Juan des ménagères
Avec son cœur de camembert
Etui marche tout seul, qui marche tout seul,
Qui marche tout seul quand on s'en sert.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

Le chéri des libres-services
Qui libère les prix et les cœurs
D'un petit tour, d'un petit tour, d'un petit tour de tournevis,
L'amoureux des grandes surfaces,
Celui qui, au rayon d'en face,
Vend des attrapes, vend des attrapes,
Vend des attrapes et fait des farces.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais, méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

Il se passe toujours quelque chose
Car il fait ce que personne n'ose.
Pour mieux attraper, pour mieux attraper,
Pour mieux attraper les mamans,
Il fait rigoler les enfants.
Il est plus drôle que bien des pères
Oui mais il est, oui mais il est,
Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand

Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

Overall Meaning

In Jacques Dutronc's song "Le dragueur des supermarchés", the singer is introduced as a charming and attractive man who, unknown to many, is a crook. The lyrics warn the listeners to be cautious of him, as he always manages to do things that others wouldn't dare to do. He is a prospecting expert who effortlessly seduces everyone with his eyes closed. He is described as the "Don Juan of housewives," who carries their shopping baskets and takes care of their babies while they shop.

The chorus is catchy and revolves around warning the listeners that despite his charming personality, he is a fraud. The lyrics depict him as a troubadour of supermarkets, liberating prices, and hearts with a few twists of his screwdriver. He is the lover of hypermarkets, who sells gadgets and toys at the adjacent aisle to have some fun. The singer's ability to always make things happen that others would never dare is emphasized throughout the song. He attracts mothers by making children laugh and is funny enough to be compared to many fathers. Despite his charm and humor, there's always a hint of suspicion that he is not to be trusted.

Line by Line Meaning

Il est sympa et attirant
He's nice and attractive

Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.
But beware: he's a crook.

Il se pass' toujours quelque chos'
Something always happens

Car il fait ce que personn' n'ose.
Because he does what nobody dares.

Il prospecte, il prospecte, il prospecte au supermarché.
He's prospecting, prospecting, prospecting in the supermarket.

Il introspect' les yeux fermés.
He introspects with his eyes closed.

Il séduit tous les yeux ouverts
He seduces with all eyes open.

Oui mais il est, Oui mais il est, Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Yes, but he is, yes, but he is, yes, but he is a bit Prosper.

C'est le dragueur des supermarchés,
He's the supermarket pickup artist,

Celui qui porte les paniers
The one who carries the baskets

Et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe de vos bébés !
And who takes care, takes care, takes care of your babies!

Le Don Juan des ménagères
The Don Juan of housewives

Avec son cœur de camembert
With his heart of Camembert cheese

Etui marche tout seul, qui marche tout seul,
It walks by itself, walks by itself,

Qui marche tout seul quand on s'en sert.
Walks by itself when you use it.

Le chéri des libres-services
The darling of self-service

Qui libère les prix et les cœurs
Who liberates prices and hearts

D'un petit tour, d'un petit tour, d'un petit tour de tournevis,
With a little twist, a little twist, a little twist of the screwdriver,

L'amoureux des grandes surfaces,
The lover of big stores,

Celui qui, au rayon d'en face,
The one who, in the opposite aisle,

Vend des attrapes, vend des attrapes,
Sells catchers, sells catchers,

Vend des attrapes et fait des farces.
Sells catchers and plays tricks.

Il se passe toujours quelque chose
Something always happens

Car il fait ce que personne n'ose.
Because he does what nobody dares.

Pour mieux attraper, pour mieux attraper,
To catch better, to catch better,

Pour mieux attraper les mamans,
To catch the moms better,

Il fait rigoler les enfants.
He makes the children laugh.

Il est plus drôle que bien des pères
He's funnier than many fathers

Oui mais il est, oui mais il est,
Yes, but he is, yes, but he is,

Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Yes, but he is a bit Prosper.

Il est sympa et attirant
He's nice and attractive

Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.
But beware: he's a crook.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Lanzmann Jacques, Dutronc Jacques

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@alainpoire4007

5y↑3

Auteur Jacques Lanzmann
Compositeur Jacques Dutronc
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.
Il se pass' toujours quelque chos'
Car il fait ce que personn' n'ose.
Il prospecte, il prospecte, il prospecte au supermarché.
Il introspect' les yeux fermés.
Il séduit tous les yeux ouverts
Oui mais il est,
Oui mais il est,
Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, mais, méfiez-vous :
C'est un truand.

C'est le dragueur des supermarchés,
Celui qui porte les paniers
Et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe, et qui s'occupe de vos bébés !
Le Don Juan des ménagères
Avec son cœur de camembert
Etui marche tout seul, qui marche tout seul,
Qui marche tout seul quand on s'en sert.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

Le chéri des libres-services
Qui libère les prix et les cœurs
D'un petit tour, d'un petit tour, d'un petit tour de tournevis,
L'amoureux des grandes surfaces,
Celui qui, au rayon d'en face,
Vend des attrapes, vend des attrapes,

Vend des attrapes et fait des farces.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais, méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

Il se passe toujours quelque chose
Car il fait ce que personne n'ose.
Pour mieux attraper, pour mieux attraper,
Pour mieux attraper les mamans,
Il fait rigoler les enfants.
Il est plus drôle que bien des pères
Oui mais il est, oui mais il est,
Oui mais il est un peu Prosper.
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand
Il est sympa et attirant
Mais méfiez-vous : c'est un truand.

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