Born in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, Henriette Ragon began her working life as a typist, then a factory worker, a shoeseller and an antique dealer.
In 1948, with her husband Jean Billon she took over a cabaret-restaurant in Montmartre, called Patachou. (Their son Pierre Billon had some success as a singer in the 1970s and wrote J'ai oublié de vivre for Johnny Hallyday.) She began to sing in the bistro, and journalists began to call her Patachou after the name of her cabaret (pâte-à-choux means cream puff dough). Georges Brassens sang there, and together they sang the duet "Maman, papa". She was the first to interpret other songs he composed such as "Le bricoleur", "La chasse aux papillons", etc.
The evening she sang them for the first time, she suggested her audience stay to the end of the show and meet the writer of these songs, and Brassens went up on to the Patachou stage for the first time and sang Le Gorille and P..de toi. Sometimes she would collect half-ties (she would snip the neckties of customers reluctant to join in the singing) – Thomas Dewey and Errol Flynn were among her victims.
Her first records were released in 1952. She appeared at the 'Bobino', a Montparnasse music-hall, toured in France and then further afield. From 1953 onwards, she could be seen on-stage at the Palladium, the Waldorf Astoria, and Carnegie Hall, and throughout the United States. From the beginning of the 1970s she toured Japan and Sweden where 'L'eternal Parigot', with her cheeky Parisian register, was popular.
Patachou was made Officier of the Légion d'honneur on 1 January 2009.
Patachou died on 30 April 2015 at the age of 96.
Maman Papa
Patachou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maman, maman, je r'deviens petit garçon
Alors je suis sage en classe
Et, pour te faire plaisir
J'obtiens les meilleures places
Ton désir
Maman, maman, je préfère à mes jeux fous
Maman, maman, demeurer sur tes genoux
Maman, maman, maman, maman
Papa, papa, en faisant cette chanson
Papa, papa, je r'deviens petit garçon
Et je t'entends sous l'orage
User tout ton humour
Pour redonner du courage
À nos cœurs lourds
Papa, papa, il n'y eut pas entre nous
Papa, papa, de tendresse ou de mots doux
Pourtant on s'aimait, bien qu'on ne se l'avouât pas
Papa, papa, papa, papa
Maman, papa, en faisant cette chanson
Maman, papa, je r'deviens petit garçon
Et, grâce à cet artifice
Soudain je comprends
Le prix de vos sacrifices
Mes parents
Maman, papa, toujours je regretterai
Maman, papa, de vous avoir fait pleurer
Au temps où nos cœurs ne se comprenaient encore pas
Maman, papa, maman, papa
In Patachou's song "Maman papa," the singer is reminiscing about his childhood and reflecting on the relationship he had with his parents. Through the power of music, he feels like he's becoming a little boy again, something he longs for. He sings to his mother, acknowledging her desire for him to excel in school, and how he would prefer to sit on her lap and listen to her charming songs. He remembers his father, who he says would use his humor to give them courage during times of stormy weather, even though they didn't openly express tenderness towards one another. Through the act of making this song, he understands the sacrifices his parents made for him.
The lyrics in this song are very personal and relatable to anyone who grew up with parents. The singer touches on themes of nostalgia, regret, and appreciation for the people who raised him. He paints a vivid picture of his childhood, with his mother's musical talent and his father's sense of humor. The song is a reminder to cherish the memories we have of our parents and to understand that their sacrifices were made out of love for us.
Line by Line Meaning
Maman, maman, en faisant cette chanson
I am singing this song for you, mama
Maman, maman, je r'deviens petit garçon
When I sing for you, mama, I feel like a little boy again
Alors je suis sage en classe
To make you happy, I behave well in class
Et, pour te faire plaisir
I do it to make you happy
J'obtiens les meilleures places
And I get the best grades
Ton désir
Because that's what you want
Maman, maman, je préfère à mes jeux fous
I would rather sit on your lap than play wild games
Maman, maman, demeurer sur tes genoux
And listen to your soothing songs without saying a word
Et, sans un mot dire, entendre tes refrains charmants
That's how special you are to me, mama
Maman, maman, maman, maman
You mean the world to me, mama
Papa, papa, en faisant cette chanson
This song is for you too, dad
Papa, papa, je r'deviens petit garçon
When I sing for you, dad, I feel like a little boy again
Et je t'entends sous l'orage
I remember how you used your humor to lift our spirits during tough times
User tout ton humour
That's how amazing you are, dad
Pour redonner du courage
You always find a way to give us hope and strength
À nos cœurs lourds
Even when our hearts are heavy
Papa, papa, il n'y eut pas entre nous
Even though we didn't express it, we loved each other
Papa, papa, de tendresse ou de mots doux
You never showed your affection with soft words or gestures
Pourtant on s'aimait, bien qu'on ne se l'avouât pas
But I know we loved each other, even though we never said it out loud
Papa, papa, papa, papa
You mean the world to me, dad
Maman, papa, en faisant cette chanson
This song helps me realize the sacrifices you both made for me
Maman, papa, je r'deviens petit garçon
When I sing for both of you, I feel like a little boy again
Et, grâce à cet artifice
Thanks to this song
Soudain je comprends
I suddenly understand
Le prix de vos sacrifices
The cost of your sacrifices
Mes parents
And how much I deeply appreciate you, mom and dad
Maman, papa, toujours je regretterai
I will always regret making you cry when we didn't understand each other
Maman, papa, de vous avoir fait pleurer
But I promise to make it up to you and never make you cry again
Au temps où nos cœurs ne se comprenaient encore pas
When we didn't understand each other yet
Maman, papa, maman, papa
You mean the world to me, mom and dad
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Poopita0602
Tout Brassens que j'aime pour ses bons textes et son authenticité..Je ne me lasse jamais de réentendre tous ces textes merveilleux à mon coeur.. Merci à tous qui apprécient aussi..
@louisemichel9999
Merci a toi Georges pour tes merveilleuses chansons. Toutes mes Amitiés Camarades 🏴☠️🐕💗
@fernanda1397
Super Patachou et Brassens chanter ensembles! Deux Grands chanteurs de l’époque !👍🎼🎤🌠🌿🕊🇵🇹
@sabaudialain
Je l'avais oubliée cette chanson tellement touchante et pleine d'amour, ce qui manque aujourd'hui chez beaucoup
@simonepascal7807
BRASSENS/PATACHOU DUO MAGNIFIQUE.TENDRESSE ET DOUCEUR. MERCI .
@happymonday9562
C'est exactement ce qui m'est arrivé avec les miens, aujourd'hui disparus malheureusement.
Je pense à eux chaque jour que Dieu fait !!!
@MAMADOV3e
j'ai appris cette chanson en CM2, et c'est un classique qui devrait être connu par bcp + de personnes !!! C'est juste magnifique !!!!!!!!!! merci pour cette excellente vidéo !!!
@jeancharles1963
Que dire de cette chanson....tellement touchante
@krautfrog
Que ces deux voix vont bien ensemble! Grand plaisir de les entendre chanter.
@anelise5584
Gênio.Bisous du Brésil