He spent a long part of his childhood in the café which his parents owned, where he learned work jargon and slang. At the age of 14 he signed up to the conservatoire de musique de Toulouse and to a dramatic arts institute. In the mean time, he set up his first band of 4 musicians in his own name, with whom he played at events throughout the region. In 1957, he was snapped up by Eddie Barclay who signed him on. It was in the studio of Barclay where he met his future wife, Simone Mazaltarim.
In 1958 Perret carried on touring round Parisian cabaret bars and crossed France and Africa as a part of the American group, The Platters. In Novemeber that year, a pleurisy forced him to take two years off in a sanatorium.
A master of the subtleties of the French language and French slang (he even rewrote some of Jean de La Fontaine's fables), his songs are often cheeky (for example Le zizi (The willy)) , asking questions in a seemingly naive child's tone, but has written more serious political songs, such as La bête est revenue, La petite kurde, Vert de Colère ou Lily.
A L'eglise
Pierre Perret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Refrain
La La La La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La
I
Je ne l'entendais pas tant que je la regardais
Par sa robe entr'ouverte au loin je me perdais,
Devinant les dessous et brl d'ardeurs folles
Ce fut un baiser long comme une ternit
Qui tendit nos deux corps dans l'immobilit.
Elle se renversa rlant sous ma caresse;
Refrain
ii
Sa poitrine oppresse et dure de tendresse
Haletait fortement avec de longs sanglots
Sa joue tait brlante et ses yeux demi-clos
Et nos bouches et nos sens nos soupirs se mlrent
Refrain
iii
Puis dans la nuit tranquille o la campagne dort,
Un cri d'amour monta si terrible et si fort
Que des oiseaux dans l'ombre effars s'envolrent
Ainsi que deux forats rivs aux mmes fers
Un lien nous tenait, l'affinit des chairs.
Refrain
The song A L'eglise by Pierre Perret tells the story of a passionate encounter with a woman at a church. The singer describes how he was initially distracted by the woman's appearance, admiring her partially open dress and imagining what lay beneath. However, his desire soon turns into action, as he engages in a passionate kiss with the woman. The encounter is described in graphic detail, with the woman's breasts heaving and her eyes half-closed. The two become completely absorbed in each other, with their mouths and senses melding together. The encounter reaches its climax with a powerful cry of love that echoes through the silent countryside.
The lyrics of A L'eglise are notable for their frank depiction of sexuality and passion, as well as their evocative descriptions of the natural world. The singer's desire for the woman is portrayed as overwhelming and all-consuming, leading him to engage in a forbidden act that takes place in a sacred space. The song's use of vivid sensory imagery - from the woman's perfume to the sound of birds taking flight - adds to the intensity of the narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne l'entendais pas tant que je la regardais
I was so entranced by looking at her, that I hardly even heard her.
Par sa robe entr'ouverte au loin je me perdais,
Her slightly open dress caused me to lose myself in thought, looking at her from afar.
Devinant les dessous et brl d'ardeurs folles
I imagined what was hidden beneath and became consumed with passion.
Elle se dbattait, mais je trouvai ses lvres
She struggled at first, but then I found her lips.
Ce fut un baiser long comme une ternit
Our kiss lasted for what seemed like an eternity.
Qui tendit nos deux corps dans l'immobilit.
It caused our bodies to go still, as if frozen in time.
Elle se renversa rlant sous ma caresse;
She fell back, overcome with pleasure under my touch.
Sa poitrine oppresse et dure de tendresse
Her chest was both heavy and full of love.
Haletait fortement avec de longs sanglots
She breathed heavily and let out long sighs.
Sa joue tait brlante et ses yeux demi-clos
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes half-closed.
Et nos bouches et nos sens nos soupirs se mlrent
Our mouths and our senses intertwined, mingling our sighs together.
Puis dans la nuit tranquille o la campagne dort,
Then, in the quiet night where the countryside sleeps,
Un cri d'amour monta si terrible et si fort
A cry of love rose up, so terrible and strong.
Que des oiseaux dans l'ombre effars s'envolrent
Even the birds took flight, frightened by our passion.
Ainsi que deux forats rivs aux mmes fers
We were like two prisoners bound to the same chains.
Un lien nous tenait, l'affinit des chairs.
A bond held us together, the affinity of our bodies.
Refrain
La La La La La La La La La La La La La La La
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.