Serge Reggiani (May 2, 1922 - July 23, 2004) was an Italian-born French sin… Read Full Bio ↴Serge Reggiani (May 2, 1922 - July 23, 2004) was an Italian-born French singer, painter and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan.

After acting school he was discovered by Jean Cocteau and appeared in a wartime production of Les parents terribles ("The Terrible Parents"). His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("The Doors of the Night"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including The Pianist (1998).

In 1965 he began a second career as a singer, with the help of Simone Signoret and her husband Yves Montand. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy image made him popular with both young and older listeners. His best known songs include "Les loups sont entres dans Paris" ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and "La femme qui est dans mon lit." ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed").

In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.

Serge Reggiani died of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel. He is interred in the Cimetière du Montparnasse.

Fugue
Serge Reggiani Lyrics

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Les gens qui n'ont plus rien à faire
Se suivent dans la rue
Comme des wagons de chemin d' fer, fer
Fer, fer, fer, fer, fer, fer
Faire quoi faire
Faire coiffeur

Fer à viser les bonnes femmes

Qui n'ont plus rien à faire
Férues de leur fer à friser
Zé zé zé zé zé zé
Faire friser la catastrophe
À leur mari qui s'approche
Et demande combien ça coûte
Oh ! Quoi ! Kot kot coûte
Coûte coûte coûte que coûte !
Combien ça coupe !

Les gens qui n'ont plus rien à faire
Voguent les p'tits navires chavirent
Le vent en poupe
Coupent le souffle et paient quand même
M'aimes-tu comme autrefois ?
Foi de mari, je t'aime, je t'aime autant
Autant en emporte le vent

La la la...

Faire faire faire...
Faire lonlaire !

Overall Meaning

The song "Fugue in 2-3" by Serge Reggiani talks about people who no longer have anything to do and wander aimlessly in the streets like railway wagons. The repetition of the word "fer" (iron) emphasizes the mechanical and repetitive nature of their actions. The phrase "fer à viser les bonnes femmes" (iron for aiming at good women) refers to the beauty salons where bored women go to get their hair done. The sound "zé zé zé" emphasizes the insignificance of these meaningless conversations between the women and the hairdresser.

The chorus "faire quoi faire, faire coiffeur" (what to do, hairdresser) expresses the singer's search for meaning and purpose in life. The second verse talks about people who have nothing to do but take a little boat ride, paying for it despite it being cut short by strong winds. Finally, the song ends with the chorus "faire faire faire, faire lonlaire" (to make make make, to make lullaby), a repetition of the same phrase as if to suggest that the singer is still searching for a meaningful activity or purpose.

Overall, the song highlights the theme of boredom and the search for meaning in life. The use of repetition in the lyrics and the melody adds to the mundane feeling of the song and emphasizes the monotony of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Les gens qui n'ont plus rien à faire
People who have nothing to do

Se suivent dans la rue
Follow each other on the street

Comme des wagons de chemin d' fer, fer
Like train wagons, iron wagons

Faire quoi faire
Do what, do what

Faire coiffeur
Become a hairdresser

Fer à viser les bonnes femmes
Iron to aim at good women

Qui n'ont plus rien à faire
Who have nothing to do

Férues de leur fer à friser
Enthusiastic about their curling iron

Zé zé zé zé zé zé
Shh shh shh shh shh shh

Faire friser la catastrophe
Make the disaster curly

À leur mari qui s'approche
To their husband who is coming closer