Michel Delpech (Jean-Michel Delpech, Courbevoie, January 26, 1946 - Paris,… Read Full Bio ↴Michel Delpech (Jean-Michel Delpech, Courbevoie, January 26, 1946 - Paris, January 2, 2016) was a French chansonnier, novelist and actor.

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

Bruxelles
Michel Delpech Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tu me disais que tu m'aimais
Que tu m'aimais, que tu m'aimais
Mais aujourd'hui, je suis tout seul
En plein Bruxelles dans un tramway
Tu me disais que tu m'aimais
Que tu m'aimais, que tu m'aimais
Mais aujourd'hui, je suis tout seul
En plein Bruxelles dans un tramway

Il pleut des cordes sur la Place de Brouckère
C'est fou le cafard que j'ai
Il pleut des cordes sur la Place de Brouckère
C'est fou le cafard que j'ai

Et je cherche un endroit
Genre le bus ou les bâches
Où la sono me fait sauter la tête
Et je cherche un joujou
Qui me fasse oublier tout
Qui m'ferait croire un moment que je m'en fous

Tu me disais que tu m'aimais
Que tu m'aimais, que tu m'aimais
Je ne savais pas qu'il y avait
Un revolver sous l'oreiller

Tu me disais que tu m'aimais
Que tu m'aimais, que tu m'aimais
Mais aujourd'hui, je suis tout seul
En plein Bruxelles dans un tramway

Il pleut des cordes sur la Place de Brouckère
C'est fou le cafard que j'ai
Il pleut des cordes sur la Place de Brouckère
C'est fou le cafard que j'ai

Et je cherche un endroit
Genre le bus ou les bâches
Où la sono m'fait sauter la tête
Et je cherche un joujou
Qui m'fasse oublier tout
Qui m'ferait croire un moment que je m'en fous

Et je cherche un endroit
Genre le bus ou les bâches
Où la sono m'fait sauter la tête
Et je cherche un joujou
Qui m'fasse oublier tout
Qui m'ferait croire un moment que je m'en fous

Et je cherche un endroit
Genre le bus ou les bâches
Où la sono m'fait sauter la tête
Et je cherche un joujou

Qui m'fasse oublier tout
Qui m'ferait croire un moment que je m'en fous

Overall Meaning

The song "Bruxelles" by Michel Delpech is about a love that was once real but has now ended, and the singer finds himself alone in a tramway in the rain in Brussels. The lyrics speak of how the singer's former love used to tell him that she loved him, but he is now alone and struggling to cope with the breakup. The singer is trying to find a distraction from his sadness, and he seeks solace in music and going out to forget his troubles momentarily.

The song's title refers to the city of Brussels, which is the setting of the song, and the rainy weather is used to reflect the singer's mood. The typically upbeat music of Delpech's songs is toned down in this song to match the more melancholic lyrics. As the song progresses, the singer talks about his search for distractions and something that will help him forget his sadness.

Overall, "Bruxelles" is a poignant song about lost love, loneliness, and finding comfort in fleeting moments of distraction.

Line by Line Meaning

Tu me disais que tu m'aimais
You used to tell me that you loved me

Que tu m'aimais, que tu m'aimais
Repeated for emphasis

Mais aujourd'hui, je suis tout seul
But today I am all alone

En plein Bruxelles dans un tramway
In the middle of Brussels on a tram

Il pleut des cordes sur la Place de Brouckère
It's raining cats and dogs on the Place de Brouckère

C'est fou le cafard que j'ai
It's crazy how depressed I feel

Et je cherche un endroit
And I'm looking for a place

Genre le bus ou les bâches
Like the bus or under some covering

Où la sono me fait sauter la tête
Where the sound system makes my head jump

Et je cherche un joujou
And I'm looking for a toy

Qui me fasse oublier tout
That would make me forget everything

Qui m'ferait croire un moment que je m'en fous
Which would make me believe for a moment that I don't care

Je ne savais pas qu'il y avait
I didn't know that there was

Un revolver sous l'oreiller
A gun under the pillow

Lyrics © HIPPOCAMPUS MONKEY, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jean-Michel Rivat, Michel Delpech, Roland Vincent

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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