After having worked with the group of Vigon, Lemons, he created the group King Set in 1966 with his friend and guitarist Alain Goldstein. Two radio successes make known his voice and his talent for the rhythm: an original composition, Apesanteur (Weightlessness), in 1967, and Jezebel in 1968. His solo career began slowly with a 45t at the end of 1968 under the name of Michel Kingset, the following in 1970 under his own name. He has to wait until 1974 to find a large audience with two simultaneous "tubes": Say to me and Super Nana.
Vieux Style
Michel Jonasz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
et son fils trouve ça débile
Blowin’ in the wind yes
connaît par cœur Blueberry Hill
Parle encore avec tristesse
de l’époque des anciens billets d’mille
se souvient du houla hop
et tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
Il dit qu’c’est dur aujourd’hui
sans Cochran Eddie sans Haley Bill
la radio sans Lucien Jeunesse
le tour de France sans Jacques Anquetil
Comment frimer les gonzesses
y’a plus d’belles automobiles
lui il a gardé sa DS
et tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
vieux style vieux style vieux style
tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
Simca mille et Dauphine
mon amour Marilyn
Brel sur scène
De Gaulle une embuscade
derrière les barricades
Kopa capitaine
Kopa capitaine Kopa capitaine
Mais les belles années disparaissent
comme les ch’wing à la vraie chlorophylle
adieu Cochran Eddie
adieu Buddy adieu Haley Bill
V’là les ch’veux qui s’font la malle
v’là la vieillesse qui s’profile
le dos qui fait un peu mal
le twist qu’est devenu difficile
et tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
Il dit qu’c’est dur aujourd’hui
sans Cochran Eddie sans Haley Bill
la radio sans Lucien Jeunesse
le tour de France sans Jacques Anquetil
comment frimer les gonzesses
y’a plus d’belles automobiles
lui il a gardé sa DS
et tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
vieux style vieux style vieux style
tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
Simca mille et Dauphine
mon amour Marilyn
Brel sur scène
De Gaulle une embuscade
derrière les barricades
Kopa capitaine
L’Algérie à la une
premier pas sur la lune
Just Fontaine
BB jouait Vadim
Youri Gagarine
mon amour Marilyn
mon amour Marilyn
mon amour Marilyn
Il siffle un air de sa jeunesse
et son fils trouve ça débile
The song "Vieux Style" by Michel Jonasz recounts the life of an elderly man who reminisces about his younger days to his disapproving son. In the first verse, he whistles a tune from his youth, and his son finds it silly. The man then mentions songs that he knows by heart, including "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Blueberry Hill." He talks with sadness about the days when thousand Franc notes were still in use and remembers the houla hop dance with fake tears in his eyes. Despite his son's opinion of him, the man enjoys hearing others refer to him as old-fashioned.
In the second verse, the man laments how difficult life is without Cochran Eddie or Haley Bill, and he notes the absence of Lucien Jeunesse on the radio and Jacques Anquetil in the Tour de France. He wonders how to impress girls when there aren't any more beautiful cars to show off in. However, the man still has his DS, a classic car from the 1950s or 60s, and he cherishes it. The final lines repeat the song's title and suggest that the man, despite his age, is content to live in a way that others find outdated.
Overall, "Vieux Style" is a nostalgic song that captures the essence of growing older and looking back at the past with both fondness and sadness. It presents the idea that even if things were simpler in earlier days, they were still special and worth holding on to.
Line by Line Meaning
Il siffle un air de sa jeunesse
He whistles a tune from his youth.
et son fils trouve ça débile
And his son thinks it's stupid.
Blowin’ in the wind yes
Yes, Blowin' in the Wind.
connaît par cœur Blueberry Hill
He knows Blueberry Hill by heart.
Parle encore avec tristesse
He still speaks with sadness.
de l’époque des anciens billets d’mille
Of the time of the old thousand franc bills.
se souvient du houla hop
He remembers the hula hoop.
avec des larmes de crocodile
With crocodile tears.
et tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
And everyone calls him old school.
Il dit qu’c’est dur aujourd’hui
He says it's hard today.
sans Cochran Eddie sans Haley Bill
Without Cochran Eddie and Haley Bill.
la radio sans Lucien Jeunesse
Radio without Lucien Jeunesse.
le tour de France sans Jacques Anquetil
The Tour de France without Jacques Anquetil.
Comment frimer les gonzesses
How to impress the girls.
y’a plus d’belles automobiles
There are no more beautiful cars.
lui il a gardé sa DS
He kept his DS.
vieux style vieux style vieux style
Old school, old school, old school.
tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
Everyone calls him old school.
Simca mille et Dauphine
Simca Mille and Dauphine.
mon amour Marilyn
My love Marilyn.
Brel sur scène
Brel on stage.
De Gaulle une embuscade
De Gaulle an ambush.
derrière les barricades
Behind the barricades.
Kopa capitaine
Kopa captain.
Mais les belles années disparaissent
But the beautiful years disappear.
comme les ch’wing à la vraie chlorophylle
Like ch'wing gum with real chlorophyll.
adieu Cochran Eddie
Farewell Cochran Eddie.
adieu Buddy adieu Haley Bill
Farewell Buddy and Haley Bill.
V’là les ch’veux qui s’font la malle
Here come the hair that's falling out.
v’là la vieillesse qui s’profile
Here comes old age that's looming.
le dos qui fait un peu mal
The back that hurts a little.
le twist qu’est devenu difficile
The twist that's become difficult.
He says it's hard today.
Il dit qu’c’est dur aujourd’hui
sans Cochran Eddie sans Haley Bill
without Cochran Eddie sans Haley Bill
la radio sans Lucien Jeunesse
the radio without Lucien Jeunesse
le tour de France sans Jacques Anquetil
The Tour de France without Jacques Anquetil
comment frimer les gonzesses
how to impress the girls
y’a plus d’belles automobiles
there are no more beautiful cars
lui il a gardé sa DS
he kept his DS
vieux style vieux style vieux style
old school, old school, old school
tous les gens l’appellent vieux style
everyone calls him old school
Simca mille et Dauphine
Simca Mille and Dauphine
mon amour Marilyn
My love Marilyn
Brel sur scène
Brel on stage
De Gaulle une embuscade
De Gaulle an ambush
derrière les barricades
behind the barricades
Kopa capitaine
Kopa captain
L’Algérie à la une
Algeria on the front page
premier pas sur la lune
first step on the moon
Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
BB jouait Vadim
BB played Vadim
Youri Gagarine
Yuri Gagarin
mon amour Marilyn
My love Marilyn
Il siffle un air de sa jeunesse
He whistles a tune from his youth
et son fils trouve ça débile
And his son thinks it's stupid
Lyrics © SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MICHEL JONASZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind