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.
Mimi La Rose
Lucienne Delyle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mon p'tit nom c'est Gisèle
Mais tout le monde m'appelle
"Mimi la rose"
C' n'est pas original
Comme Gladys ou Chantal
Mais c'est bien plus normal
Car j' vends des roses
Dans une de ces p'tites fleurs
C'est donc un peu d' mon cœur
Que j' vous propose
De boutique j' n'en ai pas
Mais j'ai Paris pour moi
Parlez d'une veine qu'elle a
Mimi la rose
Allons, messieurs, laissez-vous faire
Un d' mes bouquets c'est du bonheur pour pas bien cher
Et puis madame est si jolie
Il sera très fier de vivre en sa compagnie
Je suis née à Grenelle
Mon p'tit nom c'est Gisèle
Mais tout le monde m'appelle
"Mimi la rose"
Les fleurs c'est d' la gaieté
C'est facile à porter
Mais pour les vendre, croyez,
Ça c'est autre chose
Un jour j'aimerais pourtant
Qu'un monsieur très galant
M'embrassant gentiment
M'offre une rose
Mais ces choses-là ne sont
Qu' dans les romans-feuilletons
Et pas dans la chanson
D' Mimi la rose
Il faut jamais s'en faire
Je l'ai, mon milliardaire
Un milliardaire d'amour, faut pas confondre
Milliardaire d'amour pour Mimi la rose
The song "Mimi la rose" by Lucienne Delyle is a story about a woman named Gisèle from Grenelle who everyone calls "Mimi la rose" because she sells roses. She explains that her name may not be as unique as Gladys or Chantal, but it is more appropriate for someone who sells roses. She grew up around flowers, and so selling them is a piece of her heart that she offers to others. She doesn't have a shop, but she has Paris as her market. She offers her roses to the listeners of the song and encourages them to buy one to add some happiness to their lives.
Mimi la rose has a dream that someday a very courteous gentleman will kiss her gently and offer her a rose, just like in romance novels. However, she believes that this is something that only happens in books and not in real life. She then declares that she already has her billionaire - a billionaire of love - but not to be confused with real millionaires. This last line can be interpreted to mean that she has found the love she needs in her life, and that is enough for her.
The lyrics of this song can be seen as a commentary on the struggles of working-class women in France during the 1940s, who were often relegated to selling flowers or other small items on the street. Mimi la rose's story is a reminder of the hard work that goes behind selling roses, but also the simple joys that can be found in the midst of that work.
Line by Line Meaning
Je suis née à Grenelle
I was born in Grenelle
Mon p'tit nom c'est Gisèle
My real name is Gisèle
Mais tout le monde m'appelle
But everyone calls me
"Mimi la rose"
"Mimi the rose"
C' n'est pas original
It's not original
Comme Gladys ou Chantal
Like Gladys or Chantal
Mais c'est bien plus normal
But it's much more common
Car j' vends des roses
Because I sell roses
Comme j'ai poussé d'ailleurs
As I grew up in one of those little flowers
C'est donc un peu d' mon cœur
So it's a bit of my heart
Que j' vous propose
That I offer you
De boutique j' n'en ai pas
I don't have a shop
Mais j'ai Paris pour moi
But I have Paris for myself
Parlez d'une veine qu'elle a
Talk about a stroke of luck
Mimi la rose
Mimi the rose
Allons, messieurs, laissez-vous faire
Come on, gentlemen, let yourself be tempted
Un d' mes bouquets c'est du bonheur pour pas bien cher
One of my bouquets is happiness for not much money
Et puis madame est si jolie
And then the lady is so beautiful
Il sera très fier de vivre en sa compagnie
He will be very proud to live with her
Les fleurs c'est d' la gaieté
Flowers bring joy
C'est facile à porter
It's easy to carry
Mais pour les vendre, croyez,
But believe me, to sell them
Ça c'est autre chose
That's another story
Un jour j'aimerais pourtant
One day, however, I would like
Qu'un monsieur très galant
For a very gallant man
M'embrassant gentiment
To kiss me gently
M'offre une rose
To offer me a rose
Mais ces choses-là ne sont
But these things are not
Qu' dans les romans-feuilletons
Only in romantic novels
Et pas dans la chanson
And not in this song
D' Mimi la rose
Of Mimi the rose
Il faut jamais s'en faire
You should never worry
Je l'ai, mon milliardaire
I have it, my billionaire
Un milliardaire d'amour, faut pas confondre
A billionaire of love, don't confuse
Milliardaire d'amour pour Mimi la rose
Billionaire of love for Mimi the rose
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
emmanuel TOKO
Jolie chanson que de souvenirs ❤️ merci beaucoup ❤️👍
Suomi Finland
Magnifique chanson !!
Vasile Dan Ungur
Douce! 😘😍💋❤💕
ANDRE QUIER
Qu elle voix!!! pour toujours, merci
tychaton08
Merci!