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
Cadeau De Noël
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand tu lui demandes ce qu'il pense de ta frime
Un pied dans la jeunesse, l'autre sur une peau de banane
Elle veut mettre son charme sous cellophane
Elle passe un paréo et elle se fait des tresses
Pour masquer de ses yeux la détresse
Et moi je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
Elle veut pas faire comme celles qui ont peur des kilogrammes
Qui ravalent leur façade et leurs larmes
Elle qui a tout juste l'âge des artères de sa ville
Reconstruite après guerre dans le civil
Je lui dis qu'elle est belle comme une église gothique
Qu'une église neuve c'est pas catholique
Et puis je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
Elle passera pas son temps à colmater les brèches
Elle dit ça en regardant dans ses mèches
Si y a pas un cheveu blanc qu'elle n'a pas vu la veille
Qui s'amuse à la rendre déjà vieille
L'amour vraiment aveugle, voilà ce qu'elle voudrait
Pour ne pas que je la voie s'abîmer
Mais moi je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
Aussi belle
The song Cadeau de Noël by Michel Delpech talks about a woman who is entering an age where the mirror does not reflect her as it used to. She is at a point where she is confused about her appearance and seeks to hide her charm under cellophane. The woman dresses up, hiding her distress as she does not want to confront it. However, the singer watches her and sees her as a gift and someone who has never looked more beautiful. The woman is at an age where she no longer wants to conform to society's unrealistic beauty standards, where women are expected to be thin and perfect. The singer reassures her that she is beautiful just as she is, and he sees her as a beautiful gothic church. He tells her that being new, like a new church or trying to fit in, is not authentic or right. The woman does not want to focus on the flaws but instead wants to believe in real love, which is blind and will not see her age.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle arrive juste à l'âge où le miroir se défile
She's just at the age where the mirror starts to distort
Quand tu lui demandes ce qu'il pense de ta frime
When you ask her what she thinks of your show-off
Un pied dans la jeunesse, l'autre sur une peau de banane
One foot in youth, the other on a banana skin
Elle veut mettre son charme sous cellophane
She wants to wrap up her charm in cellophane
Elle passe un paréo et elle se fait des tresses
She puts on a sarong and braids her hair
Pour masquer de ses yeux la détresse
To hide the distress in her eyes
Et moi je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
And I look at her like a Christmas present
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
She's never been so beautiful
Elle veut pas faire comme celles qui ont peur des kilogrammes
She doesn't want to be like those who are afraid of weight gain
Qui ravalent leur façade et leurs larmes
Who swallow their pride and tears
Elle qui a tout juste l'âge des artères de sa ville
She, who is just the age of the arteries of her city,
Reconstruite après guerre dans le civil
Rebuilt after the war in civilian life
Je lui dis qu'elle est belle comme une église gothique
I tell her she's as beautiful as a Gothic church
Qu'une église neuve c'est pas catholique
That a new church is not Catholic
Et puis je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
And then I look at her like a Christmas present
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
She's never been so beautiful
Elle passera pas son temps à colmater les brèches
She won't spend her time patching up the cracks
Elle dit ça en regardant dans ses mèches
She says this while looking at her hair
Si y a pas un cheveu blanc qu'elle n'a pas vu la veille
If there's a white hair she hasn't seen the night before
Qui s'amuse à la rendre déjà vieille
That's making her feel old already
L'amour vraiment aveugle, voilà ce qu'elle voudrait
Love that's truly blind, that's what she would like
Pour ne pas que je la voie s'abîmer
So I don't see her deteriorating
Mais moi je la regarde comme un cadeau de Noël
But I look at her like a Christmas present
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
She's never been so beautiful
Elle n'a jamais été aussi belle
She's never been so beautiful
Writer(s): Francis Pierre Basset, Jean Baptiste Brimont
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.