Mireille Mathieu (born July 22, 1946) is a French singer, who besides being… Read Full Bio ↴Mireille Mathieu (born July 22, 1946) is a French singer, who besides being very successful in her own country, became a star of international stature, recording in several languages.

She was born in Avignon, Vaucluse, France, the oldest daughter of a poor family of fourteen children. She began singing as a small child, appearing in public at the age of four, singing in her church. As a young girl she worked in a factory, where she saved her money to pay for singing lessons.

Discovered by Johnny Stark, manager of France's biggest star at the time, Johnny Hallyday, she was tutored by orchestra leader Paul Mauriat and song writer André Pascal who wrote "Mon crédo", "Viens dans ma rue", "La première étoile" and many other hits for her . After her television performance in 1965 and debut run at the Paris Olympia, she was immediately hailed as the next Édith Piaf, such was her haunting voice.

Singles such as "Mon Credo" and "C'est Ton Nom" made her a huge star in France and all over Europe while making her a big success in North America and Mexico. Her French cover of Engelbert Humperdinck's "The Last Waltz" generated much publicity in Great Britain and with hit after hit, she soon toured Canada and the United States where she appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Danny Kaye Show. In Las Vegas, she sang with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to great applause.

Still much in demand, she continues to perform regularly. She travels frequently, appearing at such venues as New York City's Carnegie Hall, Sport Palace in Montreal, Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and Ice Palace of St. Petersburg. She has sold about 150 million copies of her albums in her 40 year career, recorded about 1200 songs in 9 languages, and was the first western singer in history who gave concerts in China. Over the years she sang duets with such luminaries as Charles Aznavour, Barry Manilow, Paul Anka, Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Tom Jones and others.

Songs such as "Acropolis adieu," "Ne me quitte pas," and "Santa Maria de la mer," are considered classics. Her French version of Roy Orbison's ballad, "Blue Bayou", is regarded by many as one of the best covers of that popular song.

In 1989, President François Mitterrand invited Mireille Mathieu to sing a tribute to General de Gaulle. She gave a series of concerts at the Palais des Congrès in Paris in December 1990. Three years later, she released an album devoted to her all-time idol, Édith Piaf.

In January 1996, "Vous lui direz…" was released. Maxime le Forestier wrote one of the titles, "A la moitié de la distance". She did not choose to perform live in France to promote the album, preferring rather to go to Los Angeles USA, where she triumphed on November 14th with her vibrant tribute to another of her idols, Judy Garland. The performance was a tremendous success she was dressed by Provence couturier, Christian Lacroix and looked stunning for the performance. [1]

In 2002, she released her 37th French album De tes mains. Mathieu celebrated the 40th anniversary of her career at the Paris Olympia, in November 2005, after releasing her 38th French album, which reached number 14 on the charts in France (it remained in the top 100 for several months).

La Mer
Mireille Mathieu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tu gardes prisonnier
Au coeur d'un coquillage
Les vaisseaux de Colomb
Chargés d'or et d'épices
J'y vois le plus long jour
Naître sur Arromanches
J'y vois mourir Nelson
Glorieux à Cadix

Raconte-moi, la mer
Le roman que tu as écrit
À chaque vague de ta vie
Depuis le premier jour des temps
Raconte-moi, la mer
Aide-moi à comprendre aussi
L'univers dans lequel je vis
Cette larme dans l'océan

Parle-moi des géants
De cette île de Pâques
Qui posent des questions
Au monde d'aujourd'hui
Est-il vrai que tu caches
Des îles sous tes vagues
Qui sont nées un matin
Et mortes avant la nuit ?

Raconte-moi, la mer
Le roman que tu as écrit
À chaque vague de ta vie
Depuis le premier jour des temps
Raconte-moi, la mer
Aide-moi à comprendre aussi
L'univers dans lequel je vis
Cette larme dans l'océan

Raconte-moi, la mer
Le roman que tu as écrit
À chaque vague de ta vie
Depuis le premier jour des temps
Raconte-moi, la mer
Aide-moi à comprendre aussi

L'univers dans lequel je vis
Cette larme dans l'océan

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Mireille Mathieu's "La Mer" speak of the ocean's ability to imprison and harbor the ships of the famous explorer Christopher Colombus, filled with precious cargo in their holds. The imagery of the "coquillage," or seashells, that capture these vessels further reinforces the idea that the ocean can be both beautiful and dangerous. As the song progresses, Mathieu asks the ocean to share its story, to tell her of the life it has lived since the dawn of time. From the formation of its waves to the mysteries it hides beneath its depths, she wants to understand the universe through the lens of the ocean, a vast and enigmatic force of nature.

The next verse delves deeper into this sense of mystery, pointing to the giant statues on Easter Island that pose questions about our world, and the possibility that the ocean might conceal whole islands that rise from its depths only to disappear just as suddenly. The repeated refrain of "raconte-moi, la mer," or "tell me, the sea," underscores Mathieu's desire to understand and connect with something greater than herself. The song's theme may be seen as one of curiosity and wonder, an acknowledgement of the infinite diversity and complexity of life that exists beyond our everyday perceptions.

Line by Line Meaning

Tu gardes prisonnier
The sea holds captive

Au coeur d'un coquillage
In the heart of a seashell

Les vaisseaux de Colomb
Columbus' ships

Chargés d'or et d'épices
Loaded with gold and spices

J'y vois le plus long jour
I see the longest day

Naître sur Arromanches
Born on Arromanches

J'y vois mourir Nelson
I see Nelson die

Glorieux à Cadix
Glorious at Cadiz

Raconte-moi, la mer
Tell me, the sea

Le roman que tu as écrit
The novel you have written

À chaque vague de ta vie
With every wave of your life