After the very famous song Mon amant de Saint-Jean (my lover from Saint-Jean), in 1942, Lucienne Delyle became the most popular French female singer of 1950s.
Born in Paris, she was a fully educated pharmacist. First she sung as an amateur singer, until 1939, when she was heard and immediately engaged by Jacques Canetti, the artistic director of Radio Cité. In 1940 she married the jazzman Aimé Barelli (1917-1995), who guided her career ever since. With him she had a daughter, Minouche Barelli (1947-2004). After the immense success of the song "Mon amant de Saint-Jean" (My Lover From Saint-Jean), in 1942, Lucienne Delyle became the most popular French female singer in France. She was most popular during the 1950s. In 1953, Bruno Coquatrix invited her and young Gilbert Bécaud to be the stars for the gala opening concert at the „Olympia". Delyle's career declined rapidly in the end of the 1950s, due to the progress of the leukemia she suffered from. In 1960 she gave the last series of concerts on the stage of „Bobino". She died in Monte Carlo, in 1962.
Mais Le Trompette
Lucienne Delyle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Est tout c' qu'il y a, tout c' qu'il y a d' chouette
Rien qu' pour un solo d' ses chansonnettes
J' ferais à vélo des kilomètres
Quand il est parti, c'est une merveille
On dirait qu'un p'tit rayon d' soleil
Fait chanter la vie à vos oreilles
S'il vous joue boogie-woogie
On en sort complètement groggy
Un p'tit coup d' Louis Armstrong
Et l'on n'entend même plus le gong
Si j'ajoute à ça qu'il est beau mâle
Vous direz comme moi, et c'est normal
"L'orchestre n'est pas mal mais le trompette"
Tant pis si je m' répète
Est chouette
Cheveux qui frisent, oui, mais pas trop
La taille bien prise, des pectoraux
Sa petite gueule, ses yeux paillards
Pour une femme seule valent des milliards
L'orchestre n'est pas mal mais le trompette
Est tout c' qu'il y a, tout c' qu'il y a d' chouette
Rien qu' pour un solo d' ses chansonnettes
J' ferais à vélo des kilomètres
J'ai peut-être tort de tant l' vanter
Ce n'est pas très fort mais permettez
Essayez d'abord de l' kidnapper
Vous aurez d' quoi vous occuper
Aïe, aïe, aïe, quand je l'ai voulu
Entre Gershwin et Cole Porter
Quel travail il m'a fallu
Pour m' faire une p'tite place dans son cœur
Maintenant qu' j'y suis comme un coq en pâte
Y a pas d' danger que je m' carapate
Pour croquer la pomme jusqu'à perpète
Quand on aime un trompette
C'est chouette !
The title of the song is "Mais Le Trompette", meaning "But the Trumpet", which is also the repeated line in the song indicating that the entire band is great, but the trumpet stands out. The singer, Lucienne Delyle, expresses her love for the trumpet and how she would go the extra mile just to hear him play his solos. The trumpet, in her opinion, adds a ray of sunshine and joy to the music that is irreplaceable. She describes how the trumpet playing boogie-woogie leaves the audience in a daze, but when he switches to playing like Louis Armstrong, it is so good that it drowns out everything else. The singer also finds the trumpeter handsome with his curly hair, good build, and captivating eyes.
In the latter part of the song, she reveals her struggles to win the trumpeter's affection but is finally content being in a relationship with him. Lucienne Delyle uses a lot of metaphors in the song, referring to the trumpeter as a "little ray of sunshine," and his playing making people want to join in. The song's overall theme is about the ability of music to bring happiness and the joy the trumpet player adds to the band.
Line by Line Meaning
L'orchestre n'est pas mal mais le trompette
The orchestra isn't bad, but the trumpet
Est tout c' qu'il y a, tout c' qu'il y a d' chouette
Is all that there is, all that's great
Rien qu' pour un solo d' ses chansonnettes
Just for one of his songs' solos
J' ferais à vélo des kilomètres
I would ride kilometers on my bike
Quand il est parti, c'est une merveille
When he starts playing, it's a marvel
On dirait qu'un p'tit rayon d' soleil
It's like a little ray of sun
Fait chanter la vie à vos oreilles
Making life sing in your ears
Ça donne envie de faire pareil
It makes you want to do the same
S'il vous joue boogie-woogie
If he plays boogie-woogie for you
On en sort complètement groggy
You'll come out completely groggy
Un p'tit coup d' Louis Armstrong
A little bit of Louis Armstrong
Et l'on n'entend même plus le gong
And you won't even hear the gong
Si j'ajoute à ça qu'il est beau mâle
If I add to that that he's a handsome man
Vous direz comme moi, et c'est normal
You'll say like me, and that's normal
"L'orchestre n'est pas mal mais le trompette"
"The orchestra isn't bad, but the trumpet"
Tant pis si je m' répète
Too bad if I repeat myself
Est chouette
It's great
Cheveux qui frisent, oui, mais pas trop
Curly hair, yes, but not too much
La taille bien prise, des pectoraux
A well-built body, with pecs
Sa petite gueule, ses yeux paillards
His little face, his lustful eyes
Pour une femme seule valent des milliards
To a single woman, they're worth billions
J'ai peut-être tort de tant l' vanter
Maybe I'm wrong to praise him so much
Ce n'est pas très fort mais permettez
It's not a lot, but indulge me
Essayez d'abord de l' kidnapper
First try to kidnap him
Vous aurez d' quoi vous occuper
You'll have something to keep you busy
Aïe, aïe, aïe, quand je l'ai voulu
Oh, when I wanted him
Entre Gershwin et Cole Porter
Between Gershwin and Cole Porter
Quel travail il m'a fallu
What work it took me
Pour m' faire une p'tite place dans son cœur
To make a little place in his heart for me
Maintenant qu' j'y suis comme un coq en pâte
Now that I'm happy as can be
Y a pas d' danger que je m' carapate
There's no danger I'll run away
Pour croquer la pomme jusqu'à perpète
To enjoy to the end
Quand on aime un trompette
When you love a trumpet player
C'est chouette !
It's great!
Contributed by Aria W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.