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
Les Belles Et L'Automne
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sirènes, je vais faire comme Ulysse
Me boucher les oreilles, cloîtrer mon cœur
Merci à toutes celles qui se donnaient cash
Merci les dilettantes, les adultères
Je sens qu'il est temps d'être sage, temps de ne plus lorgner en arrière
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
Fini les œillades, les derniers verres
Les clairons du diable m'appellent au calme
Un temps pour effeuiller, un temps pour l'heure
Loin des piscines aux nuits bleu gitane
La roue tourne, vous n'me tournerez plus la tête
Belles sublimes qui pourriez être mes filles
J'n'ai plus qu'à vous regarder en esthète
Qu'à passer sous vos fenêtres aux matines
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
Tendre ironie du sort, dans ce feu d'artifices
Toutes celles que j'ai aimées m'appelaient l'égoïste
Mais dussé-je faire entorse à ma modestie, j'l'étais pas à chaque fois
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir.
The lyrics of Michel Delpech's song "Les Belles Et L'Automne" depict a farewell to seductresses and the beautiful but fleeting moments of youth. The singer acknowledges the allure and temptations of past relationships and encounters but now recognizes the need to mature and move forward. He bids farewell to those who freely gave themselves, the dilettantes, and the adulterous affairs, implying a desire for a more stable and grounded existence.
The arrival of autumn is seen as a suitable companion for this transition. The changing season symbolizes the passage of time and the inevitability of aging. The singer acknowledges that life has passed quickly and that it is now late in the day. Similarly, he welcomes the coming of winter, bidding farewell to the beautiful women who have captivated him. The tone throughout the song suggests a bittersweet acceptance of the transience of youth and the need to embrace a more settled, contemplative phase of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Adieu à toutes les séductrices, adieu les indolentes, adieu les fleurs
Farewell to all the seductresses, farewell to the lazy ones, farewell to the flowers
Sirènes, je vais faire comme Ulysse
Sirens, I will do as Ulysses did
Me boucher les oreilles, cloîtrer mon cœur
Plug my ears, confine my heart
Merci à toutes celles qui se donnaient cash
Thank you to all those who gave themselves freely
Merci les dilettantes, les adultères
Thank you, the amateurs, the adulterous ones
Je sens qu'il est temps d'être sage, temps de ne plus lorgner en arrière
I feel that it is time to be wise, time to stop looking back
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
Since you are here, autumn, you suit me, autumn
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
It went by quickly, it is true that it is late
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
And you too, winter, you can come, winter, farewell to the beauties, goodbye
Fini les œillades, les derniers verres
No more glances, the last drinks are over
Les clairons du diable m'appellent au calme
The devil's trumpets call me to calmness
Un temps pour effeuiller, un temps pour l'heure
A time to pluck petals, a time for the hour
Loin des piscines aux nuits bleu gitane
Far from pools with Gypsy blue nights
La roue tourne, vous n'me tournerez plus la tête
The wheel spins, you will no longer turn my head
Belles sublimes qui pourriez être mes filles
Sublime beauties who could be my daughters
J'n'ai plus qu'à vous regarder en esthète
I only have to look at you as an aesthete
Qu'à passer sous vos fenêtres aux matines
Than to pass under your windows at dawn
Tendre ironie du sort, dans ce feu d'artifices
Tender irony of fate, in this firework
Toutes celles que j'ai aimées m'appelaient l'égoïste
All those whom I loved called me selfish
Mais dussé-je faire entorse à ma modestie, j'l'étais pas à chaque fois
But even if I have to disregard my modesty, I was not always
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
Since you are here, autumn, you suit me, autumn
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
It went by quickly, it is true that it is late
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
And you too, winter, you can come, winter, farewell to the beauties, goodbye
Puisque t'es là, l'automne, tu me conviens, l'automne
Since you are here, autumn, you suit me, autumn
C'est passé vite, c'est vrai qu'il est tard
It went by quickly, it is true that it is late
Et toi aussi, l'hiver, tu peux venir, l'hiver, adieu les belles, au revoir
And you too, winter, you can come, winter, farewell to the beauties, goodbye
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS PIERRE BASSET, JEAN MICHEL DELPECH, FRANCOIS MAURIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martine FAUVEAUX
très beau montage, merci de nous offrir cette si belle chanson de Michel
Françoise Fouine
merci pour cette jolie vidéo que je partage sur le groupe officiel de Michel,
Chami Shaw
On avait aussi fait une émission spéciale consacrée à Michel Delpech :
https://www.mixcloud.com/michel-chayer/je-reviens-te-chercher-30-avril-2015-michel-delpech/