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
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Un seul train en provenance de Lyon
Il y avait les mouettes grises au-dessus des chalutiers
Qui poussaient leurs cris de nouveau-nés
J′aurais bien voulu que tu m'aimes encore ce dimanche
Mais tu restais là, silencieuse et froide comme la Manche
Car ferry, British Railways
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Nous étions les seuls dîneurs au restaurant de frégate
La boite en bas passait les Stray Cats
Deux hommes et un chien au bar se préparaient à partir
Tout est là, précis, dans mon souvenir
J′aurais bien voulu que tu m'aimes encore ce dimanche
Mais tu restais là, silencieuse et froide comme la Manche
Car ferry, British Railways
Une enseigne qui brillait sur la gare maritime
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Tout est là, précis, dans mon souvenir
Car ferry, British Railways
Une enseigne qui brillait sur la gare maritime
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Car ferry, British Railways
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Car ferry, British Railways
The song "Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene" by Michel Delpech is a nostalgic reflection on a failed relationship that took place during a trip to a coastal town in England. The opening lines set the scene with vivid sensory details, invoking the smell of petrol and fish, the sound of seagulls, and the sight of fishing boats in the harbor. The singer then recalls his desire for his former love to still care for him on this particular Sunday, but she remains silent and distant.
The references to Graham Greene - a British author known for his novels that often dealt with themes of love, betrayal, and moral ambiguity - suggest that the singer sees his own story as fitting into a similar mold. The repeated refrain of "Car ferry, British Railways, une enseigne qui brillait sur la gare maritime" adds to the nostalgia and emphasizes the feeling of being a small part of a greater story.
Overall, the song captures a feeling of wistfulness and the longing for a relationship that has been lost, set against the backdrop of a specific time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
Il y avait une odeur de mazout et de poisson
The air was filled with the scent of fuel and fish
Un seul train en provenance de Lyon
Only one train arrived from Lyon
Il y avait les mouettes grises au-dessus des chalutiers
Grey seagulls circled over the trawlers
Qui poussaient leurs cris de nouveau-nés
Squawking like newborns
J′aurais bien voulu que tu m'aimes encore ce dimanche
I wish you still loved me this Sunday
Mais tu restais là, silencieuse et froide comme la Manche
But you remained there, silent and cold like the Channel
Car ferry, British Railways
Car ferry owned by British Railways
Une enseigne qui brillait sur la gare maritime
A sign that shone on the harbor station
Comme dans un roman de Graham Greene
Like in a Graham Greene novel
Nous étions les seuls dîneurs au restaurant de frégate
We were the only diners at the frigate restaurant
La boite en bas passait les Stray Cats
The jukebox downstairs played the Stray Cats
Deux hommes et un chien au bar se préparaient à partir
Two men and a dog at the bar were getting ready to leave
Tout est là, précis, dans mon souvenir
Everything is precise and clear in my memory
Writer(s): Jean-michel Rivat, Michel Pelay
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
zoy vasilevna
Доброго времени суток! Уникальное Исполнение!👍👍👍💯💕 Прекрасные Песни.... и Видео....Волнующие Душу... 😍💖😍💖😍БРАВО....!!! 👍💥👍Благодарю Вас,за то, что делитесь с нами!👏👏👏🙌😘💕
Carinne
Magnifique !
JANGAU
merci