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).
Tous les Enfants Chantent Avec Moi
Mireille Mathieu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'en chantant avec son cœur
On faisait chanter le monde
Et je crois bien que c'est vrai, car
Dès que je chante cet air là
Je ne sais pas très bien pourquoi
Tous les enfants chantent avec moi
Et quelque fois même en dormant
Tous les enfants chantent avec moi
Je les entends reprendre en chœur
Et j'ai un petit coup au cœur
Quand les enfants font, la la la
Je me revois comme autrefois
Sur les bancs de mon école
C'est la fête autour de moi
La la la la
Je me revois comme autrefois
Sur les bancs de mon école
C'est la fête autour de moi
Si je fredonne cette mélodie
En fa en sol ou même en mi
Tous les enfants font, la la la
Sous le grand soleil du midi
Ou même les pieds dans la pluie
Tous les enfants font, la la la
C'est difficile à expliquer
Mais j'ai le cœur tout chaviré
J'étais comme eux et j'aimais ça
Mais la musique me poursuit
Et aujourd'hui quand je chante
Même les grands chantent avec moi
La la la la
Chantons puisqu'on aime la vie
Et pour que la vie nous aime
Venez chanter avec moi
La la la la
The lyrics of Mireille Mathieu's song "Tous les Enfants Chantent Avec Moi" convey a message about the joyful, unifying power of music. Mireille explains that she has always been told that when she sings with her heart, she can make the world sing along with her. She believes this to be true, as whenever she sings this particular song, she notices that all the children start singing with her as well. They sing while working, playing, and even sleeping. Mireille hears them singing the same melody in unison and feels a sense of nostalgia and warmth in her heart. She remembers herself sitting on the school bench and feeling happy while singing along with her classmates.
Moreover, the song emphasizes the universality of music. Mireille sings in various keys and notes that it doesn't matter what tone she chooses, the children will always follow and sing with her. The song brings people together, whether they are under the Mediterranean sun or in the pouring rain. Mireille encourages everyone to join her in singing because music makes people happy and brings love into their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
On m’a toujours dit
I have always been told
Qu’en chantant avec son cœur
That by singing with your heart
On faisait chanter le monde
You make the world sing
Et je crois bien que c’est vrai, car
And I believe that's true, because
Dès que je chante cet air-là
As soon as I sing this tune
Je ne sais pas très bien pourquoi
I don't really know why
Tous les enfants chantent avec moi
All the children sing along with me
En travaillant en s’amusant
Working and playing at the same time
Et quelque fois même en dormant
And sometimes even in their sleep
Je les entends reprendre en chœur
I hear them singing along in unison
Et j’ai un petit coup au cœur
And it gives me a little thrill
Quand les enfants font, la la la
When the children sing, la la la
Je me revois comme autrefois
I remember myself as before
Sur les bancs de mon école
In my school days
C’est la fête autour de moi
It's a celebration around me
La la la la
La la la la
Si je fredonne cette mélodie
If I hum this melody
En fa en sol ou même en mi
In fa, sol or even mi
Sous le grand soleil du midi
Under the great midday sun
Ou même les pieds dans la pluie
Or even with their feet in the rain
C’est difficile à expliquer
It's hard to explain
Mais j’ai le cœur tout chaviré
But my heart is all aflutter
J’étais comme eux et j’aimais ça
I was like them and I loved it
Mais la musique me poursuit
But the music follows me
Et aujourd’hui quand je chante
And even today when I sing
Même les grands chantent avec moi
Even the grown-ups sing along with me
Chantons puisqu’on aime la vie
Let's sing because we love life
Et pour que la vie nous aime
And so that life will love us
Venez chanter avec moi
Come sing with me
La la la la
La la la la
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thierry
on J'ai gardé l'accent
Mireille is born in Avignon, not in Marseille.
Thierry
on J'ai gardé l'accent
In the song "J'ai gardé l'accent" (I kept the accent), Mireille Mathieu sings about her pride in maintaining her native Provencal accent, which she developed growing up in Marseille. The lyrics describe various elements of Provencal culture and geography that are associated with the accent. For example, she mentions garlic from the garden, olive oil from the trees, and grapes from the vine. She also references the sound of the cicadas that populate the micocoulier tree and the color of the sky when the Mistral wind blows.
The song is also a celebration of Provencal identity and culture. Mireille Mathieu sings about the pride she feels in her accent and in the traditions and customs of her region. She references well-known cultural figures from Provence, such as the writer Marcel Pagnol and the poet Frederic Mistral. She also invokes the night sky and the stars that are so visible in the countryside.
Pascale Balan Amayed
on Il ne reste plus rien
POUR LA VIE ??? seul DIEU .... PEUT LE DIRE !!! ;)