Jean Sablon (Nogent-sur-Marne 25 March 1906 – 24 February 1994 at Cannes) w… Read Full Bio ↴Jean Sablon (Nogent-sur-Marne 25 March 1906 – 24 February 1994 at Cannes) was a popular French singer and actor.

The son of a composer, with brothers and sisters who had successful careers of their own in musical entertainment, Jean Sablon studied piano at the Lyceé Charlemagne in Paris. He left before graduating to enroll at the Paris Conservatoire in order to concentrate on a vocal career. He started in the cabarets of Paris at the age of 17, and was subsequently accompanied on his first album by the pianist/composer Mireille, whose song Couchés dans le foin became a great success. Later, he partnered the wildly popular Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris and boosted his career considerably. He was the first cabaret singer to use a microphone in his stage act. In the 1920s he spent time in Brazil where his recordings remain extremely popular today.
In 1937 he won the Grand Prix du Disque for the song "Vous qui passez sans me voir," written for him by Charles Trenet and Johnny Hess. That same year, he went to the United States, where he sang on live radio broadcasts for CBS and made several records in the English language. On Broadway, he worked with luminaries such as Cole Porter and George Gershwin. He returned to Paris but with the German occupation of France in World War II, he went back to America for the duration.
Jean Sablon became one of the most widely acclaimed male French singers, considered second only in overall lifetime popularity to Maurice Chevalier. His records sold in the millions around the world and he is frequently referred to as the French equivalent of America's Bing Crosby. During his career, he recorded with some of the world's top musicians, including Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Sablon is credited with arranging Reinhardt's debut in a fashionable cabaret in 1933. He is also recognized for his talents as a lyricist and a composer. Sablon appeared in a number of motion pictures and television films performing as a vocalist or pianist, his last coming in 1984 when he sang "April in Paris" in Mistral's Daughter, the popular American TV miniseries filmed in France.
Jean Sablon died in 1994 and was interred in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.

Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous
Jean Sablon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

L'existence, je suppose,
Souvent n'est qu'une chanson
Que nous chantons de mille façons
Couplet joyeux et couplet morose
Si vraiment notre destin
N'est qu'un refrain

Cette chanson est pour vous, Madame,

A l'unisson nous la redirons
Elle sera plus fervente qu'un poème
A chaque vers, nous écrirons "Je t'aime"
Je veux y voir une ardente gamme
Des mots d'espoir redits chaque soir
Tendre frisson, bonheur d'aimer
C'est notre programme
Car la vie, Madame, n'est qu'une chanson.

Cette chanson est pour vous, Madame,
A l'unisson nous la redirons
Tendre frisson, bonheur d'aimer

C'est notre programme
Car la vie, Madame, n'est qu'une chanson

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from Jean Sablon's song "Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous," which translates to "This Song Is For You." The lyrics talk about how life is just like a song that we sing in different ways - some joyful, some sad. The singer then addresses a woman and tells her that this song is for her. They will sing it together in unison, and it will be more fervent than a poem. They will write "I love you" in every verse, and they will make it an ardent song filled with words of hope. The singer sees the song as a program for life - a way to experience the tender thrill and happiness of love, which is the essence of life.

The song is a beautiful tribute to love and life. It talks about how we should cherish every moment and fill it with love and hope. The lyrics are simple yet profound, and they paint a picture of a life that is lived with passion and purpose. The song's melody is just as lovely, with a classic, romantic feel that evokes a bygone era of French music.

Line by Line Meaning

L'existence, je suppose,
I suppose that existence is often nothing more than a song.

Souvent n'est qu'une chanson
Often our entire existence is just a song.

Que nous chantons de mille façons
We sing it in so many different ways.

Couplet joyeux et couplet morose
Sometimes it's a happy verse, and sometimes it's a sad one.

Si vraiment notre destin
If our destiny truly is a refrain,

N'est qu'un refrain
Then let us sing this song together, Madame.

Cette chanson est pour vous, Madame,
This song is for you, Madame,

A l'unisson nous la redirons
We will sing it together in harmony.

Elle sera plus fervente qu'un poème
It will be more passionate than any poem.

A chaque vers, nous écrirons "Je t'aime"
With each new verse, we will write 'I love you.'

Je veux y voir une ardente gamme
I want to see a passionate range of emotions in this song.