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.
Quand l'amour vous fait signe
Pierre Perret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les montagnes marchaient doucement du bout des rochersquand l'amour vous fait signe
Le soleil s'est piqu? Sur la plume de mon chapeau
Le vent dans les bl? S s? Chait les blessures des coquelicots
{Refrain:}
Quand l'amour vous fait signe
Suivez-le suivez-le
Y a plus d'amis plus de famille
Quand l'amour vous fait signe
Suivez-le suivez-le
Une vol? E de baisers vint se poser sur mon bec
Mes muscles s'amollirent et mon palais? Tait sec
Quand elle m'a dit je t'aime j'ai voulu prendre un ton blagueur
Mais j'avais l'air d'un type qu'on vient d'appeler chez le directeur
{au Refrain}
Pour toi mon fr? Re paum? Qui? Tait jusqu'ici seul
Arrivera un jour celle qui aura le b? Guin de ta p'tite gueule
Alors laisse tout tomber que rien au monde ne t'emp? Che
De suivre le p'tit mec quand il d? Barque avec ses fl? Ches
{au Refrain}
A toi la fille fan? E qui craignait tant de voir le loup
Qui ne fus pas malmen? E par un amant trop jaloux
A vous les Don Juan tristes qui avait? Pous? Des sous
A tous ceux qui savent pas encore comment on devient fou
{au Refrain}
In Pierre Perret's song Quand l'amour vous fait signe, the lyrics describe the transformative power of love. The singer recalls a moment in their life where everything changed after falling in love for the first time. The mountains moved slowly, the sun was shining brighter, and the wind blew gently through the fields, healing even the wounds of the poppies. The chorus repeats the phrase "Quand l'amour vous fait signe" (When love beckons you), emphasizing the importance of following one's heart, even if it means leaving behind friends and family. The second verse describes the physical reactions to falling in love, with the singer's muscles going weak and their mouth becoming dry. They also struggle to say "I love you" without sounding too serious.
The final verse offers advice to those who have not yet experienced love. The singer encourages those who feel lost to keep an open mind and to be prepared to follow their heart when love beckons. The song concludes with a final refrain emphasizing the importance of following love's call, no matter where it leads.
Line by Line Meaning
Il a suffit d'une fois ma vie s'est endimanch? E
It took only once, my life became somber
Les montagnes marchaient doucement du bout des rochersquand l'amour vous fait signe
The mountains moved gently from the tips of the rocks when love signals you
Le soleil s'est piqu? Sur la plume de mon chapeau
The sun got stuck on the feather of my hat
Le vent dans les bl? S s? Chait les blessures des coquelicots
The wind in the wheat fields healed the wounds of poppies
{Refrain:} Quand l'amour vous fait signe, Suivez-le suivez-le, N'importe ou mais suivez-le, Y a plus d'amis plus de famille, Quand l'amour vous fait signe, Suivez-le suivez-le
When love signals you, follow it, follow it, anywhere, but follow it, there are no more friends or family when love signals you, follow it, follow it
Une vol? E de baisers vint se poser sur mon bec
A flight of kisses landed on my beak
Mes muscles s'amollirent et mon palais? Tait sec
My muscles softened and my palate was dry
Quand elle m'a dit je t'aime j'ai voulu prendre un ton blagueur
When she said I love you, I wanted to take a joking tone
Mais j'avais l'air d'un type qu'on vient d'appeler chez le directeur
But I looked like someone who has just been called to the principal's office
{au Refrain}
Repeat the chorus
Pour toi mon fr? Re paum? Qui? Tait jusqu'ici seul
For you, my lost brother who was alone until now
Arrivera un jour celle qui aura le b? Guin de ta p'tite gueule
One day, she will come who will have a crush on your little face
Alors laisse tout tomber que rien au monde ne t'emp? Che
So, drop everything, let nothing stop you
De suivre le p'tit mec quand il d? Barque avec ses fl? Ches
To follow the little guy when he disembarks with his arrows
{au Refrain}
Repeat the chorus
A toi la fille fan? E qui craignait tant de voir le loup
To you, the shy girl who was afraid of seeing the wolf
Qui ne fus pas malmen? E par un amant trop jaloux
Who was not mistreated by a too jealous lover
A vous les Don Juan tristes qui avait? Pous? Des sous
To you, the sad Don Juan who thought having money was important
A tous ceux qui savent pas encore comment on devient fou
To all those who still do not know how one becomes crazy
{au Refrain}
Repeat the chorus
Contributed by Callie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.