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

Il Y En A Encore
Michel Delpech Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Des gens qui font le signe de croix
Qui vivent dans des monastères
Dévots qui chantent des prières
Il y en a, il y en a encore.
Hier sur la colline de Tézée
Ils étaient plus de cinquante mille
Des types qui lisent les évangiles
Imagine qu'il y en a encore

Des gens qui croient en Dieu
Il y en a encore.

Il y aurait donc quelque part
Quelque part en-dessous de la nature
Quelqu'un qui aurait posé sa signature.
S'il y a vraiment quelque part
Quelqu'un qui regarde tout ça
Bravo le showman et be bop a lula!
Des Indiens qui ont vu Krishna
Des Juifs qui entendent Moïse
Des filles qui se marient à l'église
Il y en a, il y en a encore.

Et des toréadors à genoux
Des Saint François, des Michelange,
Et des brahmans au bord du Ganges
Et des simples d'esprit qui croient que c'est pas fini
Les mille fois qu'on est mort
Il y en a encore.

Il y aurait donc quelque part
Quelque part en-dessous de la nature
Quelqu'un qui aurait posé sa signature.

S'il y a vraiment quelque part
Quelqu'un qui regarde tout ça
Bravo le showman et be bop a lula!

S'il y a vraiment quelque part
Quelqu'un qui regarde tout ça
S'il y a vraiment quelqu'un qui regarde ça
S'il y a vraiment quelqu'un qui a fait tout ça
Bravo le showman et be bop a lula!

Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
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(ENGLISH VERSION)

People who sign of the cross
Who live in monasteries
Devotees who sing prayers
There are there still.
Yesterday on the hill Tézé
They were more than fifty miles
Types who read the Gospels
Imagine that there are still
People who believe in God
There are more.

There would have somewhere
Somewhere below the nature
Someone who would put his signature.
If there is really somewhere
Someone who looks at everything
Bravo and the showman Be Bop a Lula!
Indians who saw Krishna
Jews who hear Moses
Girls who marry in church
There are there still.

Toreador and kneeling
Saint Francis of Michelangelo,
Brahmin and at the edge of the Ganges
And simple-minded who believe that it is not finished
The thousand times that died
There are more.

There would have somewhere
Somewhere below the nature
Someone who would put his signature.

If there is really somewhere
Someone who looks at everything
Bravo and the showman Be Bop a Lula!

If there is really somewhere
Someone who looks at everything
If there is someone who really look at this
If there is someone who really has it all
Bravo and the showman Be Bop a Lula!

Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!
Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!

Be bop!
La la la la la la la la!

Overall Meaning

The song "Il Y En A Encore" by Michel Delpech reflects on the persistence of faith and religion in society, despite the advances of science and the increasing skepticism towards organized religion. Delpech mentions different religious figures, practices, and places from different parts of the world, emphasizing the wide and diverse spectrum of beliefs people still hold onto. The repetition of the title phrase "il y en a encore" (there are still) underlines the idea that these beliefs are not disappearing anytime soon, no matter how much society changes.

The song implies a sense of admiration for those who still believe, presenting the idea that the creator must be applauding the show, while the Be Bop a Lula chorus adds a touch of rock and roll element, almost suggesting that God is dancing to the rhythm of humanity's persistent faith. The lines "be bravo the showman and be bop a lula" and "clap your hands, it's not finished" add to the feeling of celebration and praise towards those who hold on to their faith.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the persistence of faith in an ever-changing society, celebrating those who still hold onto their beliefs, while acknowledging the diversity of religious practices and beliefs around the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Des gens qui font le signe de croix
There are still people who make the sign of the cross

Qui vivent dans des monastères
Those who live in monasteries

Dévots qui chantent des prières
Devoted people who sing prayers

Il y en a, il y en a encore.
There are still, there are still some.

Yesterday on the hill Tézé
Yesterday on Tézé's hill

They were more than fifty miles
There were over fifty thousand.

Types who read the Gospels
People who read the Gospels

Imagine that there are still
Imagine that there are still some

People who believe in God
People who believe in God

There are more.
There are others.

There would have somewhere
Somewhere there might be

Somewhere below the nature
Somewhere beneath nature

Someone who would put his signature.
Someone who left their mark.

If there is really somewhere
If there really is somewhere

Someone who looks at everything
Someone who sees everything

Bravo and the showman Be Bop a Lula!
Congratulations to the showman Be Bop a Lula!

Indians who saw Krishna
Indians who have seen Krishna

Jews who hear Moses
Jews who listen to Moses

Girls who marry in church
Girls who get married in church

There are there still.
There are still some.

Toreador and kneeling
Bullfighters kneeling

Saint Francis of Michelangelo,
Saint Francis of Michelangelo

Brahmin and at the edge of the Ganges
Brahmin at the Ganges River

And simple-minded who believe that it is not finished
Simple-minded people who believe that it's not over

The thousand times that died
The countless times they died

There are more.
There are others.

If there is someone who really look at this
If there really is someone who looks at this

If there is someone who really has it all
If there really is someone who has it all

Bravo and the showman Be Bop a Lula!
Congratulations to the showman Be Bop a Lula!

Be bop!
Be bop!