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.
Sur Une Nappe De Restaurant
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'ai écrit cette chanson
En pensant à tous les gens
Qui ne mangent que du plancton
Évidemment, eh-eh, ça va de soi
Ça va de soi, évidemment
J'ai fredonné cette chanson
En pensant à tous les piétons
Qui n'ont pas quelques millions
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Ça va de soi, évidemment
Et en vacances sur la côte
J'ai écrit cette chanson
Pour tous ceux qui côte à côte
Nagent dans une cuve en béton
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Ça va de soi, évidemment
Sur une nappe de restaurant
J'ai écrit cette chanson
En pensant à tous les gens
Qui ne font qu'une collation
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Ça va de soi, évidemment
Non je ne suis pas un égoïste
Je suis un homme comme vous tous
Un petit capitaliste
Qui des autres à la frousse
Ça va de soi, évidemment
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Ça va de soi, évidemment
Ça va de soi, ça va de soi
The lyrics to Jacques Dutronc’s “Sur une Nappe de Restaurant” (On a Restaurant Tablecloth) are about the French bourgeoisie and their privilege. The song is structured in four verses, where Dutronc lyricizes his thoughts about different situations, always contrasting the wealthy and the poor. He wrote the song on a restaurant tablecloth, during a meal, thinking about people who can only afford to eat plankton - a word that becomes a metaphor for the poorest of the poor. Dutronc sings of his car that he bought with money, unlike the people who walk, as well as about the people who have to swim in a cement swimming pool, rather than the sea. Finally, he sings of people who can only have a snack, and about his being a small capitalist, who scares others with wealth.
The song is characterized by its irony and sarcasm, with Dutronc using simple, catchy melodies to emphasize the pithiness of his commentary. The repetition of the line “Ça va de soi, évidemment” (It goes without saying, obviously) adds to the humor and rhythm of the song. The lyrics serve as a critical view of French society in the 1960s, pointing out the contrast between the privileged and the less well-off in a satirical manner.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur une nappe de restaurant
While sitting at a restaurant, I wrote this song.
J'ai écrit cette chanson
I wrote this song.
En pensant à tous les gens
Thinking of all the people...
Qui ne mangent que du plancton
...who only eat plankton.
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Obviously, it goes without saying.
Ça va de soi, évidemment
It goes without saying, obviously.
Dans ma voiture de champion
In my champion car...
J'ai fredonné cette chanson
...I hummed this song.
En pensant à tous les piétons
Thinking of all the pedestrians...
Qui n'ont pas quelques millions
...who don't have a few million dollars.
Et en vacances sur la côte
While on vacation on the coast...
J'ai écrit cette chanson
...I wrote this song.
Pour tous ceux qui côte à côte
For all those who, side by side...
Nagent dans une cuve en béton
...swim in a concrete tank.
Sur une nappe de restaurant
Again, while at a restaurant...
J'ai écrit cette chanson
...I wrote this song.
En pensant à tous les gens
...thinking of all the people...
Qui ne font qu'une collation
...who only have a snack.
Non je ne suis pas un égoïste
No, I'm not selfish...
Je suis un homme comme vous tous
...I'm a man like all of you,
Un petit capitaliste
...a small capitalist,
Qui des autres à la frousse
...who makes others nervous.
Évidemment, ça va de soi
Obviously, it goes without saying.
Ça va de soi, évidemment
It goes without saying, obviously.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Lanzmann, Jacques Dutronc
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christian FILLUZEAU
hé bé oui !!!!
Aaron Haugh
Good shit
Incumbent Vinyl
You took the words out of my mouth.
Amazing tune.
Trialvideos
I will tell you about social classes in our country 🇫🇷.
The upper class, they keep all the money, pays none of the taxes.
The middle class, does all the work, pays all of the taxes.
The poor?
They are just there to put a shit at the middle class 😅
Keep them showing at thoses jobs.
George Carlin.