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
On Pourra Plus Siffler Les Filles
Michel Delpech Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les garçons d'Italie
Jamais ne s'ennuient
Pas plus que les garçons d'ici
Qui s'amusent en narguant les Américains
Qui veulent qu'on perde notre latin
À cause d'eux peut-être qu'un jour
On pourra plus siffler les filles
Oh mamma mia !
On pourra plus siffler les filles
Quel dommage, aux États-Unis
L'hypocrisie voudrait qu'on se méfie
Plus de nous-même que de celles qui abusent
En narguant nos profonds instincts
Ne vous faites plus refaire les seins
À cause d'eux peut-être qu'un jour
On pourra plus siffler les filles
Oh mamma mia !
Oh mamma mia !
Toutes les femmes ont quelque chose
Mais elles pensent à autre chose
Ces coups de sifflet, ce sont des fleurs
Jetées à des inconnues qu'on ne verra jamais nues
Toutes les femmes ont quelque chose
Mais elles rêvent à d'autres choses
Ces coups de sifflet, ce sont des fleurs
Il y a tellement d'inconnues qu'on ne verra jamais nues
Oh mamma mia !
Oh mamma mia !
On pourra plus siffler les filles
The song "On Pourra Plus Siffler Les Filles" by Michel Delpech talks about the freedom of young French boys to whistle at girls and have fun without worrying about any social consequences. The song starts by describing how boys in Italy enjoy themselves on the beaches of Rimini and French boys also have their fun by teasing the Americans. The singer then expresses concern that one day they won't be able to whistle at girls anymore, which is a sign of changing times and attitudes towards women.
The second part of the song is a lamentation of how hypocritical the United States is becoming. In the US, people are asked to be cautious of themselves rather than women who are abused daily. Women are also asked not to have breast augmentation done due to the US's changing attitudes. The lyrics suggest that the French feel that they're losing their freedom to express themselves and how they're anxious that they will no longer be able to whistle at girls.
The chorus of the song repeatedly says "Oh mamma mia, On pourra plus siffler les filles" which translates to "Oh my goodness, we won't be able to whistle at girls anymore". Throughout the song, Michel Delpech sings about the freedom of young boys to whistle at women and the belief that this freedom will soon be taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur les plages de Rimini
On the beaches of Rimini
Les garçons d'Italie
Italian boys
Jamais ne s'ennuient
Never get bored
Pas plus que les garçons d'ici
No more than the boys here
Qui s'amusent en narguant les Américains
Who have fun teasing the Americans
Qui veulent qu'on perde notre latin
Who want us to lose our cool
À cause d'eux peut-être qu'un jour
Maybe because of them one day
On pourra plus siffler les filles
We won't be able to whistle at girls anymore
Oh mamma mia !
Oh my God!
Quel dommage, aux États-Unis
What a pity, in the United States
L'hypocrisie voudrait qu'on se méfie
Hypocrisy would have us be cautious
Plus de nous-même que de celles qui abusent
More of ourselves than those who abuse
En narguant nos profonds instincts
Teasing our deep instincts
Ne vous faites plus refaire les seins
Don't get your breasts redone
Toutes les femmes ont quelque chose
All women have something
Mais elles pensent à autre chose
But they're thinking about something else
Ces coups de sifflet, ce sont des fleurs
These whistles are like flowers
Jetées à des inconnues qu'on ne verra jamais nues
Thrown at strangers we'll never see naked
Toutes les femmes ont quelque chose
All women have something
Mais elles rêvent à d'autres choses
But they dream of other things
Il y a tellement d'inconnues qu'on ne verra jamais nues
There are so many strangers we'll never see naked
On pourra plus siffler les filles
We won't be able to whistle at girls anymore
Oh mamma mia !
Oh my God!
Contributed by Wyatt Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.