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
Le Restaurant Chinois
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Au potage jaune ou de concombre
A moins que vous me conseillez
La soupe aux ailerons de cachalots
Oh, oh, oh
Je viens pour la première fois
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Après j'hésite entre un dindon laqué
Et un hibou aux ananas
Ah, ah, ah
Pourtant je suis tenté par le cobra
Saucé aux germes de soja
Ah, ah, ah
Je viens pour la première fois
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
Honorable client
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Enfin je peux des lichis dont
Le nom me parait bien appétissant
Hon, hon, hon
Ou bien une salade de méduses
Aux vermicelles transparents
Hon, hon, hon
Je viens pour la première fois
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
Honorable client
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Vous me répétez cela depuis des heures
Et pourtant je n'ai toujours pas choisi
Hi, hi, hi
Certains sont arrivés bien après moi
Pourtant ils sont déjà servis
C'est inouì
Et moi, et moi, et moi
Maintenant ça suffit, dites-moi
Honorable client
Moi ne sais parler que le chinois
(Bon si vous le prenez sur ce ton
Je vais dîner chez laurette)
The lyrics of Michel Delpech's song "Le Restaurant Chinois" describe a humorous conversation between a first-time customer and the waiter of a Chinese restaurant. The customer is eager to try new dishes and asks for recommendations. He suggests trying the yellow or cucumber soup or the whale fin soup but is also tempted by the snake sautéed with soybeans. The customer struggles to make a decision despite the waiter's repeated attempts to guide him. Frustrated with his inability to choose, the customer jokingly threatens to go dine at another restaurant.
The song is a lighthearted commentary on the exoticism and unfamiliarity of Chinese cuisine to French-speaking audiences in the 1970s. The lyrics playfully depict the customer's confusion and the waiter's attempts to accommodate his picky tastes while also poking fun at the pretentiousness of French haute cuisine culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Pour commencer j'aimerai bien goûter
To begin, I would like to taste
Au potage jaune ou de concombre
Either yellow soup or cucumber soup
A moins que vous me conseillez
Unless you recommend
La soupe aux ailerons de cachalots
The soup with whale fin
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Je viens pour la première fois
I am coming for the first time
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
So please guide me
Honorable client
Honorable customer
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Welcome to the Chinese restaurant
Après j'hésite entre un dindon laqué
Then I hesitate between a lacquered turkey
Et un hibou aux ananas
And a pineapple owl
Ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah
Pourtant je suis tenté par le cobra
However, I am tempted by the cobra
Saucé aux germes de soja
Sauced with soybean sprouts
Je viens pour la première fois
I am coming for the first time
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
So please guide me
Honorable client
Honorable customer
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Welcome to the Chinese restaurant
Enfin je peux des lichis dont
Finally, I can have lychees
Le nom me parait bien appétissant
The name seems very appetizing
Hon, hon, hon
Hon, hon, hon
Ou bien une salade de méduses
Or maybe a jellyfish salad
Aux vermicelles transparents
With transparent vermicelli
Je viens pour la première fois
I am coming for the first time
Alors je vous en prie, guidez-moi
So please guide me
Honorable client
Honorable customer
Bienvenue au restaurant chinois
Welcome to the Chinese restaurant
Vous me répétez cela depuis des heures
You have been repeating this for hours
Et pourtant je n'ai toujours pas choisi
Yet I still haven't decided
Hi, hi, hi
Hi, hi, hi
Certains sont arrivés bien après moi
Some arrived much later than me
Pourtant ils sont déjà servis
Yet they are already served
C'est inouì
It's incredible
Et moi, et moi, et moi
And me, and me, and me
Maintenant ça suffit, dites-moi
Now that's enough, tell me
Honorable client
Honorable customer
Moi ne sais parler que le chinois
I only know how to speak Chinese
(Bon si vous le prenez sur ce ton
(Well, if you take it that way
Je vais dîner chez laurette)
I'll go have dinner at Laurette's)
Writer(s): michel delpech, hubert giraud, hubert yves adrien giraud, roland vincent
Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RomualdFlibustier
Le clip est vraiment travaillé c'est cool.
@DominiqueBuchs
Toujours pleins de surprises 😂 merci MICHEL ❤❤❤❤
@BenzaieLive2
gros clip
@antoineaubert1336
+BenzaieLive On te dis pas merci benzou pas facile d expliquer à sa famille pourquoi on écoute cette musique des enfers depuis 1ans en boucle.
@remysse2960
Ho ho ho
@asphodel7935
XD
@simonpokerlepandaroux7496
Ya du budget
@rawz8936
Lourd
@lolibos
Merci Benzou à nouveau x)
@itacharingan
Dommage que misterMV et Benzaie ne l'aient pas faite #Zevent