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.
Parce que je vous aime
Jean Sablon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fait les gros yeux
Oui monsieur les gros yeux
C'est très audacieux
J'ai dansé c'est bien mon droit
Ce fox-trot ou deux ou trois
Vous boudez dites moi pourquoi
Tout simplement
Comme dans les poèmes
Ou dans les romans
Parc'que je vous aime
Tout simplement
C'est la raison suprême
De tous les amants
Pourquoi suis je jaloux
Quand on danse avec vous
Une fois
Pour quoi vous ai je dit
Des mots si hardis
De quel droit
Pour quelle raison
Dans quel sentiment
Parce que je vous aime
Tout simplement
Et dites moi s'il vous plaît
Que je sois inquiet ou gai après tout
Qu'est ce que ça vous fait
Et que vous importe après tout
Que je sois ou non jaloux
Et pourquoi en souffririez vous
Parce que je vous aime
Tout simplement
Comme dans les poèmes
Ou dans les romans
Parc'que je vous aime
Et vous aimant
J'ignorais tout moi même
De mon sentiment
Soudain à vos aveux
J'ai senti comme un feu m'envahir
Et sous l'amour naissant
Ma joue en rosissant me trahit
Pour quelle raison
Dans quel sentiment
Parce que je vous aime
Tout simplement
Pour quelle raison
Dans quel sentiment
Parce que je vous aime
Tout simplement
In Jean Sablon's song "Parce que je vous aime" or "Simply Because I Love You," the singer is addressing a man who seems angry with him for dancing with the woman the man is presumably in love with. The singer pleads with the man, wondering why he has made angry faces, maybe even said some harsh words because of a dance. Alluding to literature, the singer explains that love is why he danced with her and why he is feeling so strongly for her. He continues to ask what their actions towards each other matters to the man and why he should feel love or jealousy towards her. Finally, the singer admits that he too is in love with the woman and had no idea until now that his feelings for her ran so deeply.
The song, "Parce que je vous aime," was originally recorded in 1935 by Jean Sablon, a French singer and actor, and has since been covered many times by various musicians. Its charm comes from its lyrics, melody, and Sablon's serene, sweet alto voice. The song was written by Léo Ferré, a French singer-songwriter, and his then-wife Lysiane Moncouyoux. The song's melancholic yet lilting melody has earned it the title of a "romantic ballad," typical of the chanson française genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Pourquoi m'avez vous monsieur
Why did you glare at me, sir?
Fait les gros yeux
Giving me a disapproving look
Oui monsieur les gros yeux
Yes, sir, the disapproving look
C'est très audacieux
It's quite daring
J'ai dansé c'est bien mon droit
I danced, it's my right
Ce fox-trot ou deux ou trois
Either two or three fox-trots
Vous boudez dites moi pourquoi
You're sulking, tell me why
Parc'que je vous aime
Because I love you
Tout simplement
Simply put
Comme dans les poèmes
Like in poems
Ou dans les romans
Or in novels
C'est la raison suprême
It's the ultimate reason
De tous les amants
For all lovers
Pourquoi suis je jaloux
Why am I jealous
Quand on danse avec vous
When someone else dances with you
Des mots si hardis
Words so bold
De quel droit
By what right
Pour quelle raison
For what reason
Dans quel sentiment
In what feeling
Et dites moi s'il vous plaît
And tell me, please
Que je sois inquiet ou gai après tout
Whether I'm worried or happy after all
Qu'est ce que ça vous fait
Why does it matter to you
Et que vous importe après tout
And why does it matter to you after all
Et pourquoi en souffririez vous
And why would you suffer because of it
Et vous aimant
And loving you
J'ignorais tout moi même
I didn't even know myself
De mon sentiment
About my own feelings
Soudain à vos aveux
Suddenly, at your confession
J'ai senti comme un feu m'envahir
I felt a fire engulf me
Et sous l'amour naissant
And with love newly born
Ma joue en rosissant me trahit
My blushing cheek gave me away
Writer(s): MARTIN CELESTINE
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Petr Šrůtka
Beautifull song
l8tbloomer
I bought this recording thru itunes as part of the work "Rare Django". Of course, there was no info about who else was on the recording. Many thanks for supplying that. I have to ask -- what is the source of your recording? And your information? Also, what is "vcl"?
Heinz Becker
vcl =vocal = singer - I know its really to bad that iTunes does not deliver any info. Books and better distrubuter
Heinz Becker
There are books about Django Reinhardt. A good company for cds for example is Fremeaux & Associes. And please DON'T SCREAM AT ME
l8tbloomer
Who is your distributer? What books?
l8tbloomer
Thanks.