Dassin was born in New York City to Jules Dassin (Yiddish actor and film noir director) and Béatrice Launer. He began his childhood first in New York and Los Angeles, California. However after his father became a victim of the anti-communist policies of Senator Joseph McCarthy, he and his family moved from place to place across Europe.
After studying at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, Dassin moved back to the United States to go to college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan after doing very well on his bachelor's exam. After college, he moved back again to France where, while working at a radio station, a record label convinced him to begin to record his songs.
By the early 1970s, Dassin's songs topped the charts in France and he became well known. Probably as a recognition of his parents' left leanings, Dassin's records were officially released in the USSR. However, the political views of his parents were not well known to the general public in the USSR, and Dassin's popularity in the USSR should be connected to his talent only. He was also a talented polyglot, recording songs in German, Spanish, Italian and Greek, as well as French and English.
He died of a heart attack during a vacation to Tahiti on August 20, 1980. He is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Songs:Les Champs-Élysées ,L'été indien ,Ça va pas changer le Monde ,Et si tu n'existais pas, Salut ....
Excuse Me Lady
Joe Dassin Lyrics
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Avec ton nez au ciel
Et tes yeux qui papillonnent
Ton p'tit chien qui frissonne
Oh, tu ne me trompes pas
Va, va avec ton cinéma, mm-hmm
Ta robe et tes chaussures
De la couleur de ta voiture
Excuse me, lady
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
Tu étais jeune et tendre
Il était bien trop riche
Vous deviez vous comprendre
Lui, le loup et toi, la biche
Pour un double coup de foudre
C'est vraiment très heureux
Et tu peux jeter de la poudre
Aux yeux de qui tu veux, mais
Excuse me, lady
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
Excuse me, lady
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
Te souviens-tu quand même
Quand on était bohèmes
C'était toujours la fête
On vivait d'amour et de café crème
Toi, tu as pris ta route
Moi, j'ai suivi la mienne
Tu m'as bien manqué sans doute
Mais depuis tout à l'heure
Je n'en ai plus, de peine
Excuse me, lady
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
Oh non, à d'autres, mais pas à moi, pas à moi
À d'autres, mais pas à moi
À quelqu'un d'autre, si tu veux
In Joe Dassin's song "Excuse me lady," the singer addresses a woman who has changed her appearance and behaviors. She now walks with her nose in the air and flutters her eyes, accompanied by her shivering little dog. The singer insists that she is not fooling him and her charades are best left for someone else. The woman is then reminisced in her past, where she used to be young and tender, and the man she was with was rich, but perhaps not compatible with her. The two were like a wolf and a deer who fell for each other, creating a double strike of lightning. However, the singer expresses that he does not care and that she may try to influence others with her facade but not him. The song concludes on a nostalgic note, with the singer thinking back to the time when they were bohemians living off coffee and love, but since then, their paths have diverged, and he no longer feels the pain of missing her.
This song highlights the idea that people change and grow apart, resulting in different paths and different priorities. The woman whom the singer addresses has chosen a life centered on materialism, which no longer resonates with him. In contrast, the singer's priorities have shifted to a more simplistic and artistic way of life. The song's tone is cynical, as the singer is dismissive of the woman's attempts to impress him or anyone else with her new persona.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu as bien changé d'allure
You've changed your appearance a lot
Avec ton nez au ciel
With your nose in the air
Et tes yeux qui papillonnent
And your fluttering eyes
Ton p'tit chien qui frissonne
Your little dog shivering
Tu ne me trompes pas
You're not fooling me
Va avec ton cinéma
Go along with your drama
Ta robe et tes chaussures
Your dress and shoes
De la couleur de ta voiture
Same color as your car
Excuse me lady, à d'autres mais pas à moi
Excuse me lady, to others but not to me
Tu étais jeune et tendre
You were young and tender
Il était bien trop riche
He was way too rich
Vous deviez vous comprendre
You were supposed to understand each other
Lui le loup et toi la biche
Him the wolf and you the deer
Pour un double coup de foudre
For a double love at first sight
C'est vraiment très heureux
It's really happy
Et tu peux jeter de la poudre
And you can throw powder
Aux yeux de qui tu veux
In anyone's eyes
Mais.
But.
Te souviens-tu quand même
Do you still remember
Quand on était bohèmes
When we were bohemians
C'était toujours la fête
It was always a party
On vivait d'amour et de café crème
We lived on love and coffee
Toi, tu as pris ta route
You took your own path
Moi, j'ai suivi la mienne
I followed mine
Tu m'as bien manqué sans doute
I definitely missed you
Mais depuis tout à l'heure
But since a little while ago
Je n'en ai plus de peine
I don't feel sad anymore
A d'autres mais pas à moi
To others but not to me
Oh non, à d'autres mais pas à moi, pas à moi
Oh no, to others but not to me, not to me
A quelqu'un d'autre si tu veux.
To someone else if you want.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Art Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind