Born in a Parisian suburb in a wealthy family, he had a happy childhood. His father owned a small business. In high school, influenced by the great chansonniers of his time Luis Mariano, Charles Aznavour and Gilbert Bécaud, he formed with classmates a band.
Studying at the Petit Conservatoire de Mireille, where Yves Duteil and Françoise Hardy had been discovered, he made his first single, Anatole in 1963. He meets Roland Vincent who becomes his regular composer. Michels first hit Chez Laurette the following year is from the musical he plays in 'Copains-Clopant' . In 1966 appears his album Inventaire 66, while he is opening act for Leny Escudero. As Jacques Brel, in 1967, provides a series of farewell performances in the Parisian music theater Olympia, Delpech is the support act. Johnny Stark, the impresario of Mireille Mathieu, decides to accompany him. Michel is touring as a supporting act along with Mireille, to the US and the USSR.
In 1968 he won the French Grand Prix du Disque with "Il ya des jours où on ferait mieux de rester au lit".
In 1969 he composed the song hippie Wight is Wight in French about the British Isle of Wight Festival that summer. It became a huge hit in France, Sandie Shaw covered it the following year. In 1970 he regrets the break-up of The Beatles in the song Et Paul chantait Yesterday, brings the album Un coup de pied dans la montagne and he breaks up with Johnny Stark.
In 1971 Delpech scored a European hit with Pour un flirt; even in Britain it reached the charts. Further chansons by him were Que Marianne était jolie (1972) and Les divorcés (1974), Le Chasseur (1974) and Le Loir-et-Cher (1977).
The following years Delpech devoted primarily to composing and writing lyrics. He had a comeback in 1983 with the single Animaux, animaux and his successful album Loin d'ici in 1985, followed in 1989 by J'étais un ange. In 1992 with Roland Vincent he made the album Les Voix du Brésil. Delpech then took a five year sabbatical.
From 1997 Delpech was particularly productive. J'étais un ange is the title of an album in 2000 that heralds a tour with musician friends such as Alain Chamfort, Charlélie Couture, Claude Nougaro, Marc Lavoine and Pierre Richard providing inspiration for the album Comme vous (2004) and Live -album Ce lundi-là au Bataclan (2004).
In 2006 he even released an album consisting of five CDs Delpech inventaires followed by Michel Delpech & ... Delpech with repertoire old and new and of musical contemporaries like Bénabar, Francis Cabrel, Alain Souchon, Cali, Laurent Voulzy, Julien Clerc and Clarika. In 2008 appeared a live DVD, Live au Grand Rex, which is widely acclaimed as an excellent live recording.
Delpech fought three years against throat cancer. On January 2, 2016 Delpech died in Paris
62 nos quinze ans
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La bande aux copains
Les cocas, le cinй
Le Madison Twist
Et les petits baisers
Sur la bouche des fiancйes
C'йtait nos quinze
Les boutons le printemps
Les boums du Samedi
Les cibiches а cent francs
Le premier йtй sans parents
C'йtait en Vendйe
Sur ma mobylette
Je jouais pour toi
La fureur de vivre
Et je traоnais parfois
Pour te raccompagner chez toi
C'йtait nos quinze ans
La rйvolution sans rien faire
En parlant
Les films interdits
Aux moins de dix-huit ans
Les premiers cheveux dans le vent
C'йtait nos quinze
Salut les copains
Le lycйe le camping
Les Dimanches au golf
Et les photos d'Elvis
Qu'on collectionnait en rкvant
C'йtait en Vendйe
C'йtait sous la lune
J'ai jouй pour toi
Les jeux interdits
Tu ne connaissais rien
Je n'en savais pas plus que toi
C'йtait bien
The song "62 nos quinze ans" by Michel Delpech is a nostalgic recollection of teenage memories. The lyrics describe the experiences of the younger years, including dates, school, first love and rebellion. The singer speaks about the things he and his friends did when they were 15 years old. They were a group of friends who loved Coca-Cola, going to the cinema, dancing Madison Twist and stealing small kisses from their girlfriends.
The singer describes a simpler time, where even the smallest things mattered. They were carefree, enjoying the company of their friends and exploring the world of dating. The lyrics also touch on feelings of rebellion, including mentioning "forbidden" films and cigarettes. "Games Forbidden" is a reference to a French film where a young boy falls in love with his adult cousin. This is an example of the singer idealizing his past and the things he did without necessarily fully understanding the implications of his actions.
Overall, the song portrays the teenage years as a time of youthful naivety, where everything was exciting and new.
Line by Line Meaning
C'йtait nos quinze ans
We were only fifteen years old at the time
La bande aux copains
Our group of friends
Les cocas, le cinй
Drinking Coca Cola and going to the cinema
Le Madison Twist
Dancing to the Madison Twist
Et les petits baisers
And the little kisses
Sur la bouche des fiancйes
On the lips of our fiancйes
C'йtait nos quinze
We were just fifteen
C'йtait only you
It was only you
Les boutons le printemps
Springtime and discovering zits
Les boums du Samedi
Saturday night parties
Les cibiches а cent francs
Smoking cheap cigarettes for one hundred francs
Le premier йtй sans parents
Our first summer away from our parents
C'йtait en Vendйe
It was in Vendйe
Sur ma mobylette
Riding on my moped
Je jouais pour toi
I played for you
La fureur de vivre
The urge to live life to the fullest
Et je traоnais parfois
And sometimes I dragged my feet
Pour te raccompagner chez toi
To walk you home
C'йtait nos quinze ans
We were only fifteen years old at the time
La rйvolution sans rien faire
Revolutionary ideas without any action
En parlant
Just talking
Les films interdits
Watching movies that were forbidden for under 18s
Aux moins de dix-huit ans
For those under eighteen
Les premiers cheveux dans le vent
Our first taste of freedom
C'йtait nos quinze
We were just fifteen
Salut les copains
Hello friends
Le lycйe le camping
High school and camping trips
Les Dimanches au golf
Sundays spent at the golf course
Et les photos d'Elvis
And collecting photos of Elvis
Qu'on collectionnait en rкvant
That we collected while dreaming
C'йtait en Vendйe
It was in Vendйe
C'йtait sous la lune
It was under the moon
J'ai jouй pour toi
I played for you
Les jeux interdits
Playing forbidden games
Tu ne connaissais rien
You didn't know anything
Je n'en savais pas plus que toi
I didn't know any more than you did
C'йtait bien
It was good
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.