At age 16, Distel became a professional jazz guitarist. Over his career he worked alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Tony Bennett and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the late 1950s after establishing himself as a French crooner.
Sacha Distel had a much publicized relationship with actress Brigitte Bardot but in 1963 he married skier Francine Bréaud. He reputedly broke off the relationship with Bardot after discovering her with another man.
In the 1960s, he composed 'La Belle Vie', a tune that made its way across the Atlantic as 'The Good Life', and most famously performed by Tony Bennett. French lyrics were added in the 1970s and it became Distel's signature tune. During the 1960s, he had his own variety show on French television.
During the 1970s, he became popular outside France, and once hosted the Miss World contest in London. In this decade, he spent more time in the UK than in France. Considered a Gallic heart throb in Britain he was a regular on British TV
Distel remained reasonably popular in France in the 1980s and 1990s, including a new show named after his song 'La Belle Vie'.
In 2001, Distel had a part as lawyer Billy Flynn in the London production of the musical Chicago. He did have an ambition to make a musical about the life of Maurice Chevalier, but this remained unfulfilled at the time of his death.
Sacha Distel died on 22 July 2004 near St Tropez,after a long battle with cancer.
His name was used in Peter Sarstedt's song "Where Do You Go To My Lovely".
Les filles moi j'aime ça
Sacha Distel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les faveurs de Marianne depuis six mois
Mais en voyant Christiane j'ai dis ça-va
Au lieu de deux, ça fera trois
Trois filles dans ma vie j'étais le roi
Mais voilà que Sylvie tombe dans mes bras
Mettez vous à ma place quatre à la fois
Ah les filles moi j'aime ça
J'aime ça, j'aime ça, j'aime ça
Ah les filles moi j'aime ça
J'aime ça c'est bien mon droit
Quand on a mon problème il faut surtout
User de stratagèmes un point c'est tout
C'est ainsi qu'aucune d'elles ne se doutait
Qu'elles étaient sept sans me vanter
J'ai fait de l'anémie j'ignore pourquoi
Et un jour c'est la vie j'suis mort de ça
Je revois l'infirmière qui me soignait
De quelle manière, c'est mon secret
Ah les filles moi j'aime ça
J'aime ça, j'aime ça, j'aime ça
Ah les filles moi j'aime ça
J'aime ça c'est bien mon droit
On m'a porté en terre un vendredi
Et dans le cimetière ah ce que j'ai ri
Tout autour de ma pierre à l'infini
Mes petites amies toutes réunies
J'ai frappé à la porte du paradis
De jolies femmes accortes m'ont accueillies
Que le diable m'emporte si je vous mens
Mais c'est épatant car depuis cent ans
J'ai deux mille enfants
Je suis le Don Juan
Du ciel
The song "Les Filles" by Sacha Distel tells the story of a man who loves women, and he loves them in big numbers. He starts the song by saying that when he met Suzanne, he was already with Marianne, but when he saw Christiane, he thought that three women were better than two. He feels like a king with three girls, but then Sylvie falls into his arms, and he suddenly has four. He believes that having multiple women is a sign of class.
To keep each of the women from finding out about each other, the singer of the song needs to be strategic. He creates a situation where none of them ever suspects that there are more than one.
The song takes a dark turn near the end, with the man dying of anemia, and his ghost recalling fondly the nurse who tended to him. Even in death, he seems to be surrounded by his little girlfriends, all gathered around his tombstone.
The song is a tongue-in-cheek homage to a certain kind of charming lady's man, or Casanova. It's meant to be taken as light-hearted and humorous.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand j'ai connu Suzanne j'avais déjà
When I met Suzanne, I was already involved with Marianne for six months.
Les faveurs de Marianne depuis six mois
I had been Marianne's lover for six months before meeting Suzanne.
Mais en voyant Christiane j'ai dis ça-va
But upon seeing Christiane, I thought it was okay to add another lover.
Au lieu de deux, ça fera trois
Instead of two lovers, now I'll have three.
Trois filles dans ma vie j'étais le roi
Having three women in my life made me feel like a king.
Mais voilà que Sylvie tombe dans mes bras
Then Sylvie falls for me and becomes my fourth lover.
Mettez vous à ma place quatre à la fois
Put yourself in my shoes, handling four lovers at the same time is not easy.
On a de la classe, ou on en a pas
We either have class or we don't, and I definitely have it being able to handle four lovers.
Ah les filles moi j'aime ça
Oh how I love women!
J'aime ça, j'aime ça, j'aime ça
I love it, I love it, I love it.
Quand on a mon problème il faut surtout
When one has my problem, one must above all be resourceful.
User de stratagèmes un point c'est tout
Use clever tactics to keep them all without suspicion.
C'est ainsi qu'aucune d'elles ne se doutait
That's how none of them suspected that they were one of seven.
Qu'elles étaient sept sans me vanter
I had seven lovers, but I didn't brag about it.
J'ai fait de l'anémie j'ignore pourquoi
I suffered from anemia for reasons unknown.
Et un jour c'est la vie j'suis mort de ça
One day, it took me, and I died from it.
Je revois l'infirmière qui me soignait
I remember the nurse who took care of me.
De quelle manière, c'est mon secret
In what way exactly, is a secret I'll keep.
On m'a porté en terre un vendredi
They buried me on a Friday.
Et dans le cimetière ah ce que j'ai ri
And in the cemetery, how I laughed.
Tout autour de ma pierre à l'infini
Around my tomb, I had an infinite number of lovers.
Mes petites amies toutes réunies
All my sweethearts were gathered together.
J'ai frappé à la porte du paradis
I knocked on the door of heaven.
De jolies femmes accortes m'ont accueillies
Beautiful and friendly women welcomed me.
Que le diable m'emporte si je vous mens
May the devil take me if I'm lying to you.
Mais c'est épatant car depuis cent ans
But it's amazing because for the past hundred years,
J'ai deux mille enfants
I have two thousand children.
Je suis le Don Juan
I am the Don Juan of heaven.
Du ciel
Of heaven.
Lyrics © EDITIONS METROPOLITAINES
Written by: Alex ALSTONE, Georges COULONGES, Maurice TEZE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lesdemsoul bramhs
SACHA DISTEL , les filles... moi j'aime ça
Sacha Distel, de son vrai nom Alexandre Sacha Distel, est un guitariste de jazz, compositeur et chanteur français d'origine russe, né à Paris (13e arrondissement) le 29 janvier 1933 et mort au Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer le 22 juillet 2004.
OLDIES POPCORN FRANCAIS
Daniel arsene
SACHA DISTEL , les filles... moi j'aime ça
lesdemsoul bramhs
mai il faut voir il avait le physique d un Adonis ET une voix il nous manque
DJ THEOSTENDMAN Soul Popcorn, Fiesta & Champagne
Super truc !!!!
Marc Knaeps
le tombeur de femmes auusi bien en chanson qu'en vrais
lefan andre
je pensais avoir tous ses 45t hé bien non pas celui-là.Jolie trouvaille
lesdemsoul bramhs