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).

Les feuilles mortes
Mireille Mathieu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes des jours heureux où nous étions amis
En ce temps là la vie était plus belle et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui

Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle tu voix je n'ai pas oublié
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle les souvenirs et les regrets aussi

Et le vent du nord les emporte dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
Tu vois je n'ai pas oublié la chanson que tu me chantais

C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble toi qui m'aimais et je t'aimais
Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais

Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment tout doucement sans faire du bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants désunis

Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment tout doucement sans faire du bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants désunis

Overall Meaning

Mireille Mathieu's Les Feuilles Mortes (The Dead Leaves) is a sentimental ballad about two friends who were separated by time, distance, and the ebb and flow of life. The singer gently implores her friend to remember the happy times they shared when they were young and carefree. She sings of a time when life was more beautiful, and the sun shone brighter, perhaps referring to a golden era from their past. The title and chorus, "The dead leaves are collected by the shovels," are metaphors for memories that can be grasped but never fully retrieved. The singer hasn't forgotten the past, and along with memories, she collects regrets.

The song's second stanza starts with a melancholic statement that the north wind carries off the dead leaves into the cold oblivion of the night. Despite the years that have passed, the singer hasn't forgotten the tune her friend used to sing. She recalls that it was a melody that reflects their own relationship, where one loved the other, and the love was reciprocated. They lived in harmony, two souls as one. Yet, as life is unpredictable, slowly and silently, without making any noise, it separates those who love each other. The sea eventually erases the footprints of the lovers who once walked on its sands, adding another poignant metaphor to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes des jours heureux où nous étions amis
I wish you could remember the happy days when we were friends

En ce temps là la vie était plus belle et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui
Back then, life was more beautiful and the sun shone brighter than it does today

Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle tu vois je n'ai pas oublié
The dead leaves are gathered by the shovelful, you see I haven't forgotten

Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
The dead leaves are gathered by the shovelful, along with memories and regrets

Et le vent du nord les emporte dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
And the northern wind carries them away into the cold night of forgetfulness

Tu vois je n'ai pas oublié la chanson que tu me chantais
You see, I haven't forgotten the song that you used to sing to me

C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble toi qui m'aimais et je t'aimais
It's a song that's like us, you who loved me and I loved you

Et nous vivions tous deux ensemble toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
And we both lived together, you who loved me and I loved you

Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment tout doucement sans faire du bruit
But life slowly separates those who love each other without making a sound

Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants désunis
And the sea erases on the sand the steps of lovers who are separated

Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment tout doucement sans faire du bruit
But life slowly separates those who love each other without making a sound

Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants désunis
And the sea erases on the sand the steps of lovers who are separated

Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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