After spending her younger years in Erbray near Châteaubriant, Cherhal studied philosophy before moving to Paris. She started her singing career playing piano - solo, or accompanied by her guitarist Éric Löhrer in small concert venues. At the time she sported long, plaîtted hair. After a six-title CD (edited by Madame Suzie), she released an album entitled "Jeanne Cherhal" with the independent label Tôt ou tard.
Little by little, her renown increased. At the beginning she sang Georges Moustaki, Jacques Higelin, Thomas Fersen and Emir Kusturica; she was invited on by the group les Têtes Raides, sang as a double act with Vincent Delerm and sometimes as a trio with d'Albin de La Simone. She also performed in a series of concerts with Matthieu Bouchet, which culminated in the production of the CD-booklet [en même temps...] (produced in a limited edition of 1500 copies).
Cherhal's second album Douze fois par an (Twelve times a year), released in 2004; was a huge success. Along with this she received not only recognition from the music world, but also from a large and ever-increasing fan base.
Towards the end of 2005, she performed in the French version of "The Vagina Monologues"
In 2006 her third album, L'eau (Water), produced by Albin de la Simone. Musically speaking, it was much more polished and the themes contained at the same time more personal and more involved. This album would enable her once more to tour in France and abroad, performing in Belgium and Switzerland; in Berlin, London, Dublin and Beirut; in Canada, Congo, Central African Republic, in Gabon and in Angola.
Merci
Jeanne Cherhal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
D'où je vois toute la ville
Et pour le vent qui tourne autour
Des fenêtres de la tour
Pour le trottoir ruisselant
Pour le café les croissants
Et pour l'accordéon qui boite
Au fond du souterrain moite
Et pour sa bouche
Merci
Pour les matins sur l'oreiller
A cause des congés payés
Pour les écrans de cinéma
Posés dans la rue parfois
Pour les divas dévorées
Pour les odeurs adorées
Pour la mer car elle est gratuite
Et pour certains soirs de cuite
Pour les vieux murs sous les affiches
Et lherbe en friche
Merci
Pour cette pilule insensée
Que je prends sans y penser
Moi qui n'ai jamais fait l'amour
Avec un compte à rebours
Pour l'audace et le courage
De celles qui à mon âge
Ont su desserrer les coutures
Des générations futures
Pour ce plaisir qui nous dépasse
The song "Merci" by Jeanne Cherhal is a heartfelt expression of gratitude for life's simple pleasures and experiences. The lyrics are divided into three stanzas, each expressing the singer's appreciation for different aspects of everyday life. The first stanza is an ode to the view of the city from the high plateau of Belleville, the wind that blows through the windows of the tower and the small pleasures of life like the sound of the accordion playing in the underground station. The second stanza is a celebration of the mornings spent in bed, the cinema screens that are sometimes placed in the streets, the divas who are eaten up by their own fame, the sea and its free access, and the nights spent drinking. The final stanza is an expression of gratitude for the birth control pill and the audacity and courage of women who have fought for their rights, paving the way for the singer's own sense of freedom.
Through her simple yet evocative lyrics, Cherhal paints a vivid picture of the world around her and invites the listener to share in her appreciation for the small moments that make life worth living. Her gratitude extends beyond physical objects or experiences, encompassing also the emotions and feelings that come with them. By the end of the song, it is clear that the singer's gratitude is not just for the things themselves, but for the way they make her feel, for the sense of wonder and joy they bring to her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Pour le haut plateau de Belleville
I am grateful for the view of the whole city from the high plateau of Belleville.
D'où je vois toute la ville
I am grateful for being able to see the entire city from this vantage point.
Et pour le vent qui tourne autour
I appreciate the wind that swirls around the windows of the tower.
Des fenêtres de la tour
It gives me a sense of freedom and lightness.
Pour le trottoir ruisselant
I am grateful for the rain-soaked sidewalk.
Pour le café les croissants
I appreciate the simple pleasure of coffee and croissants.
Et pour l'accordéon qui boite
I am grateful for the off-beat sound of the accordion in the damp underground passageway.
Au fond du souterrain moite
It adds character and charm to the city.
Pour la nuit sur les bateaux-mouches
I appreciate the beauty of the night from the boats on the river.
Et pour sa bouche
And I am grateful for the person I share that experience with.
Merci
Thank you.
Pour les matins sur l'oreiller
I am grateful for the pleasure of lazy mornings in bed.
A cause des congés payés
Thanks to paid vacations.
Pour les écrans de cinéma
I appreciate the outdoor movie screens sometimes set up in the street.
Posés dans la rue parfois
It creates a sense of community and enjoyment for all.
Pour les divas dévorées
I am grateful for these powerful women I admire from afar.
Pour les odeurs adorées
I appreciate the smells that make the city unique.
Pour la mer car elle est gratuite
I am grateful for the free access to the sea.
Et pour certains soirs de cuite
And for those nights spent enjoying a bit too much alcohol.
Pour les vieux murs sous les affiches
I am grateful for the beauty and history of the old walls under the posters.
Et l'herbe en friche
And the wild grass that can still grow in unexpected corners of the city.
Pour cette pilule insensée
I am grateful for this crazy pill that I take without thinking too much about it.
Que je prends sans y penser
It might be a symbol for something else in my life, but right now I am just grateful for it.
Moi qui n'ai jamais fait l'amour
Even though I have never made love with a ticking clock.
Avec un compte à rebours
I am grateful for the courage I see in other people my age who have taken control of their futures.
Pour l'audace et le courage
I appreciate the bravery and boldness of people who do things differently.
De celles qui à mon âge
Especially the women who manage to shake off the constraints of society even when they are older.
Ont su desserrer les coutures
Who have broken free from the patterns of generations past.
Des générations futures
For the pleasure we feel that goes beyond all of this.
Pour ce plaisir qui nous dépasse
Thank you.
Contributed by Aria O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.