Sacha Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004), nephew of band leader Ray Ve… Read Full Bio ↴Sacha Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004), nephew of band leader Ray Ventura, was a French singer who had hits such as a cover version of the Academy Award winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (originally recorded by B.J. Thomas) Frank & Nancy Sinatra's Something Stupid and "Scoubidou". He was born in Paris to

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".

Mon beau chapeau
Sacha Distel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je m'suis payé un beau chapeau
Pour avoir l'air bien comme il faut
Quand je croise mes amis
Ils en crèvent de jalousie
En voyant mon beau chapeau
J'ai mis une plume à mon chapeau
Parce que ça fait plus rigolo
En m'voyant coiffé ainsi

Toutes les jolies filles s'écrient :
Oh la la, quel beau chapeau"
Je passe mon temps... soir et matin
Devant les glaces des magasins
Je me regarde... je me plais bien
Et le roi n'est pas mon cousin
Je l'mets d'côté, mon beau chapeau
Pour piloter ma p'tite auto
Comme ce n'est pas très pratique
J'ai fixé un élastique
Pour tenir mon beau chapeau

Je l'mets tout droit, mon beau chapeau
Lorsque j'appelle ma dactylo
Tout en dictant mon courrier
Je peux quand même l'embrasser
Sans quitter mon beau chapeau
J'ai mis au fond de mon chapeau
Le nom d'ma rue, le numéro
Comme ça quand je prends une cuite
Et que j'oublie où j'habite
J'ai qu'à lire dans mon chapeau
Le seul malheur, c'est qu'une nuit
Alors que j'étais un tout p'tit peu gris
On a changé à mon insu
Le nom et l'numéro d'ma rue
Moi, je m'suis fié à mon chapeau
Et je suis rentré directo
A l'adresse qui était marquée
C'est comme ça qu'j'ai réveillé
Le capitaine des pompiers
Faut un chapeau à cette chanson
Qui n'a ni rimes ni raisons
Je crois bien l'avoir trouvé

Car pour m'avoir écouté
Je vous tire mon chapeau

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sacha Distel's song "Mon beau chapeau" tell the story of a man who has bought himself a beautiful hat that makes him look elegant and fashionable. He enjoys showing it off to his friends, who envy him for his good taste. To make his hat even more stylish, he has added a feather, which catches the attention of pretty girls who admire him. He spends a lot of time contemplating himself in mirrors and is pleased with how he looks, feeling like royalty.

The man wears his hat even when driving his car, but this is not very practical, so he has fixed an elastic band to keep it in place. He wears it straight when he calls his secretary to dictate letters, and he can even kiss her without removing his hat. He has written his address on a piece of paper and placed it inside his hat so that if he ever forgets where he lives after a night of drinking, he can just read it from his hat. However, one night he got a little drunk, and somebody switched the name and number of his street. He relied on his hat to take him straight home, but he ended up waking up the fire captain instead.

"Mon beau chapeau" is a light-hearted and playful song that celebrates the vanity and frivolity of humans. It suggests that appearances matter and that a beautiful hat can not only make one look good but also attract attention and admiration. The use of humor and irony in the lyrics creates a light and joyful mood that invites listeners to tap into their own sense of frivolity and playfulness.

Line by Line Meaning

Je m'suis payé un beau chapeau
I bought myself a nice hat

Pour avoir l'air bien comme il faut
To look proper and well-dressed

Quand je croise mes amis
When I see my friends

Ils en crèvent de jalousie
They die of jealousy

En voyant mon beau chapeau
When they see my nice hat

J'ai mis une plume à mon chapeau
I put a feather in my hat

Parce que ça fait plus rigolo
Because it's more fun

En m'voyant coiffé ainsi
When they see me wearing it

Toutes les jolies filles s'écrient :
All the pretty girls exclaim:

Oh la la, quel beau chapeau
Oh la la, what a nice hat

Je passe mon temps... soir et matin
I spend my time... day and night

Devant les glaces des magasins
In front of store windows

Je me regarde... je me plais bien
I look at myself... I like what I see

Et le roi n'est pas mon cousin
And the king is not my relative

Je l'mets d'côté, mon beau chapeau
I put aside my nice hat

Pour piloter ma p'tite auto
To drive my little car

Comme ce n'est pas très pratique
Since it's not very practical

J'ai fixé un élastique
I attached an elastic band

Pour tenir mon beau chapeau
To keep my nice hat in place

Je l'mets tout droit, mon beau chapeau
I put my nice hat straight

Lorsque j'appelle ma dactylo
When I call my typist

Tout en dictant mon courrier
While dictating my mail

Je peux quand même l'embrasser
I can still kiss her

Sans quitter mon beau chapeau
Without taking off my nice hat

J'ai mis au fond de mon chapeau
I put at the bottom of my hat

Le nom d'ma rue, le numéro
The name and number of my street

Comme ça quand je prends une cuite
So when I get drunk

Et que j'oublie où j'habite
And I forget where I live

J'ai qu'à lire dans mon chapeau
I just have to read in my hat

Le seul malheur, c'est qu'une nuit
The only problem is that one night

Alors que j'étais un tout p'tit peu gris
While I was a little tipsy

On a changé à mon insu
They changed without my knowledge

Le nom et l'numéro d'ma rue
The name and number of my street

Moi, je m'suis fié à mon chapeau
I trusted my hat

Et je suis rentré directo
And I went straight home

A l'adresse qui était marquée
To the address that was written

C'est comme ça qu'j'ai réveillé
That's how I woke up

Le capitaine des pompiers
The fire chief

Faut un chapeau à cette chanson
This song needs a hat

Qui n'a ni rimes ni raisons
That has no rhyme or reason

Je crois bien l'avoir trouvé
I think I found it

Car pour m'avoir écouté
Because you listened to me

Je vous tire mon chapeau
I tip my hat to you

Contributed by Dominic M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Augustin Dorne

2y↑2

Toi mon grand-père qui me chantais toujours cette chanson lorsque je te rendais visite, que j'arrivais avec mon chapeau sur la tête et que ton sourire s'illuminait lorsque je passais le palier de la porte, MERCI. Depuis ce matin maintenant tu as rejoins l'autre monde mais jamais je ne t'oublierai avec mon "beau chapeau".
Je t'aime ❤🕊...