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
Mon Ami Est Ridicule
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ça lui donne envie de se faire teindre
Mon ami dit que le monde se divise en deux
Se divise en jeunes et en vieux
"Je suis enfin moi-même
Et c'est comme ça qu'elle m'aime"
Il parle évidemment
De cette fille de vingt ans
D'une voiture qui le ruine forcément
"Je suis enfin moi-même
Et c'est comme ça qu'elle m'aime"
Il parle sexuellement d'elle
Et c'en est gênant
Inventer, mentir, me vanter
Il voudrait que j' le suive
Pour me trouver marrant
Je ris en sa présence
Mon ami est ridicule
Je manque d'indulgence
Mon ami est si crédule
Mon ami ne veut plus qu'on l'appelle monsieur
Il est si sûr de lui
Que son gourou c'est lui
Il est toujours joignable
À portée des portables
Son régime
Son retour à la gym
Il voudrait que j' le suive
Que je montre les dents
Je ris en sa présence
Mon ami est ridicule
Je manque d'indulgence
Mon ami est si crédule
Mon ami ne veut plus qu'on l'appelle monsieur
Ami
Ridicule
Ami
Ridicule
(Ami ridicule)
Ami
Ridicule
(Ami ridicule)
Ridicule
Ami
Ridicule
(Ami ridicule)
Ami
(Ami ridicule)
Ridicule.
The song "Mon ami est ridicule" by Michel Delpech is a critique on the destructive consequences that come with obsessing over external validation and conforming to societal norms. The singer of the song is repeatedly described as ridiculous by the singer for changing himself to suit his younger girlfriend's tastes, using over-the-top language to describe his self-improvement regimen, and constantly trying to impress others through false stories and exaggerated achievements. The lyrics are punctuated by the recurring line "Mon ami ne veut plus qu'on l'appelle monsieur" which means "My friend no longer wants to be called sir." This line can be interpreted in two ways: either the singer is trying to shed his formal, older persona to be more appealing to his young girlfriend, or he is trying to distance himself from his identity as a conformist, middle-aged man.
Throughout the lyrics, Delpech employs irony and sarcasm to comment on the sadness of the singer's situation. The singer is not laughing at his friend's antics out of malice, but rather out of pity for his willingness to mold himself in a way that he thinks will grant him acceptance from others. The repeated assertion that "Je ris en sa présence" translates to "I laugh in his presence" but can also be interpreted as a wry comment on the hypocrisy of the singer, as he himself is not immune to conforming to society's expectations.
Overall, "Mon ami est ridicule" paints a poignant portrait of the struggle to maintain a sense of self-worth and identity in a world that can often value youth, beauty, and social status above individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Mon ami ne veut plus qu'on l'appelle monsieur
My friend doesn't want to be called 'sir' anymore because it makes him want to dye his hair
Ça lui donne envie de se faire teindre
Being called 'sir' makes him feel old and he wants to change his appearance
Mon ami dit que le monde se divise en deux
My friend believes that the world is divided into two categories
Se divise en jeunes et en vieux
The world is divided into young people and old people
"Je suis enfin moi-même
"I can finally be myself
Et c'est comme ça qu'elle m'aime"
And that's why she loves me"
Il parle évidemment
He's obviously talking
De cette fille de vingt ans
About the twenty-year-old girl
Qui klaxonne au volant
Who honks her horn while driving
D'une voiture qui le ruine forcément
From a car that's ruining him financially
"Je suis enfin moi-même
"I can finally be myself
Et c'est comme ça qu'elle m'aime"
And that's why she loves me"
Il parle sexuellement d'elle
He's talking about her sexually
Et c'en est gênant
And it's embarrassing
Inventer, mentir, me vanter
He wants me to follow him by inventing, lying, and boasting
Il voudrait que j' le suive
He wants me to follow him
Pour me trouver marrant
So that he can find me funny
Je ris en sa présence
I laugh in his presence
Mon ami est ridicule
My friend is ridiculous
Je manque d'indulgence
I'm not very patient with him
Mon ami est si crédule
My friend is so gullible
Il est si sûr de lui
He's so confident
Que son gourou c'est lui
That he thinks he's his own guru
Il est toujours joignable
He's always available
À portée des portables
Within reach of his phone
Son régime
His diet
Son retour à la gym
His return to the gym
Il voudrait que j' le suive
He wants me to follow him
Que je montre les dents
And that I show my teeth
Ami
Friend
Ridicule
Ridiculous
(Ami ridicule)
(Ridiculous friend)
(Ridicule)
(Ridiculous)
Writer(s): Pierre Andre Grillet, Michel Delpech, Fabrice Chapuis
Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.