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.

Miss otis regrets
Jean Sablon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Miss Otis regrets
She's unable to lunch today

Madam
Miss Otis regrets
She's unable to lunch today

She is sorry to be delayed

But last evening down at lover's lane, she strayed

Madam
Miss Otis regrets
She's unable to lunch today

When she woke from her dream
And found that her love had gone

Madam
She ran to the man
Who had led her so far astray

And from under her velvet gown
She drew a gun and shot her lover down

Madam
Miss Otis regrets
She's unable to lunch today

Then the mob came and got her
And dragged her from the jail

Madam
They strung her upon
A willow across the way

And the moment before she died
She lifted up her lovely head and cried

Madam

Miss Otis regrets
She's unable to lunch today

Overall Meaning

The song "Miss Otis Regrets" tells the story of a woman named Miss Otis who is unable to attend a lunch meeting. When asked why she won't be able to make it, Miss Otis explains that she was delayed because she had been unfaithful and had gone to "lover's lane" with someone other than her partner. The morning after, she woke up to find that her lover had left her. This heartbreak was too much for her to bear and Miss Otis went to confront her former lover. However, upon seeing him, she drew her gun and shot him. This resulted in her arrest and eventual execution by hanging. The song ends with Miss Otis expressing her regret for not being able to attend the lunch meeting and explaining that she would be unable to show up because she had been put to death by the authorities.

The song's lyrics touch upon themes such as infidelity, heartbreak, and the consequences of one's actions. It tells a story of how a woman's choices led to her downfall, ultimately resulting in her execution. The lyrics also provide a glimpse into the societal expectations of the time period, where deviating from traditional gender roles was met with severe consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Miss Otis regrets
A lady named Miss Otis is sorrowful

She's unable to lunch today
She cannot have lunch on this day

Madam
Addressing a woman with respect

She is sorry to be delayed
Miss Otis apologizes for not being able to show up on time

But last evening down at lover's lane, she strayed
She went to a romantic spot last night, but didn't come back

When she woke from her dream
After she woke up

And found that her love had gone
She realized her lover had left her

She ran to the man
She went to her lover

Who had led her so far astray
He had deceived and misled her

And from under her velvet gown
She took out something from under her soft dress

She drew a gun and shot her lover down
She killed her lover with a firearm