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

Viviane
Michel Delpech Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'étais assis depuis 11 heures
Sur les marches de l'église
Y avait du soleil
Je relaçais mes chaussures
En attendant

Mais je n'étais pas dans le cœur de Viviane
J'étais dans ma bêtise

Par le cœur de Viviane
Oh non

J'ai été
Été dans sa vie
Dans des hôtels italiens
Avec elle, j'ai vu la mer
Comme je ne l'avais jamais vu
J'étais dans sa vie
Mais pas dans le cœur de Viviane

J'étais dans des trains
Dans des salles de bal
À 4 heures du matin

J'étais dans son téléphone
Dans son lit, dans ses miroirs de fille
Dans sa tête, dans ses pensées
Et j'étais devant sa pharmacie

Mais je n'étais pas dans le cœur de Viviane
J'étais dans ma bêtise
Par le cœur de Viviane
Oh non

J'ai été
Été dans sa vie
Dans des hôtels italiens
Avec elle, j'ai vu la mer
Comme je ne l'avais jamais vu
J'étais dans sa vie
Mais pas dans le cœur de Viviane

J'étais dans des trains

Dans des salles de bal
À 4 heures du matin

Overall Meaning

The song "Viviane" by Michel Delpech is a reflection on a past love affair in which the singer was never truly present in the heart of the titular Viviane. The first verse sets the scene of the singer waiting for Viviane on the steps of the church, but even in this moment, he knows that he is not in her heart. The repetition of the phrase "Par le cœur de Viviane" ("Through Viviane's heart") adds to the sense of distance and unrequited love.

The second verse describes the times when the singer and Viviane were together, in hotels in Italy and seeing the sea. But even then, he was still not truly in her heart. The third verse lists all the different places where the singer felt he existed in Viviane's life - on trains, in ballrooms, in her phone, her bed, her thoughts, and even outside her pharmacy. Despite all this, he still feels a sense of disconnect from her and his own foolishness for not being able to capture her heart.

Line by Line Meaning

J'étais assis depuis 11 heures
I was seated for 11 hours

Sur les marches de l'église
On the steps of the church

Y avait du soleil
There was sunshine

Je relaçais mes chaussures
I was tying my shoes

En attendant
While waiting

Mais je n'étais pas dans le cœur de Viviane
But I wasn't in Viviane's heart

J'étais dans ma bêtise
I was in my foolishness

Par le cœur de Viviane
Through Viviane's heart

Oh non
Oh no

J'ai été
I have been

Été dans sa vie
Been in her life

Dans des hôtels italiens
In Italian hotels

Avec elle, j'ai vu la mer
I saw the sea with her

Comme je ne l'avais jamais vu
As I had never seen it

Mais pas dans le cœur de Viviane
But not in Viviane's heart

J'étais dans des trains
I was in trains

Dans des salles de bal
In ballrooms

À 4 heures du matin
At 4 in the morning

J'étais dans son téléphone
I was in her phone

Dans son lit, dans ses miroirs de fille
In her bed, in her girl mirrors

Dans sa tête, dans ses pensées
In her head, in her thoughts

Et j'étais devant sa pharmacie
And I was in front of her pharmacy

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michel Jacques Cywie, Michel Delpech, Jean Michel Franck Rivat

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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