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.
L'absence
Serge Reggiani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'est une dйchirure lйgиre
Sur le drap oщ naguиre
Tu as posй ton bras
Cependant qu'en bas
La rue parle toute seule
Quelqu'un vend des mandarines
Une dame bleu-marinePromиne sa filleule
L'absence, la voilа
L'absence
D'un enfant, d'un amour
L'absence est la mкme
Quand on a dit je t'aime
Un jour...
Le silence est le mкme
C'est une nuit qui tombe
C'est une poйsie aussi
Oщ passaient les colombes
Un soir de jalousie
Un livre est ouvert
Tu as touchй cette page
Tu avais fкlй ce verre
Au retour d'un grand voyage
Il reste les bagages
L'absence, la voilа
L'absence
D'un enfant, d'un amour
L'absence est la mкmeQuand on a dit je t'aime
Un jour...
Le silence est le mкme
C'est un volet qui bat
C'est sur un agenda, la croix
D'un ancien rendez-vous
Oщ l'on se disait vous
Les vases sont vides
Oщ l'on mettait les bouquets
Et le miroir prend des rides
Oщ le passй fait le guet
J'entends le bruit d'un pas
L'absence, la voilа
L'absence
D'un enfant, d'un amour
L'absence est la mкme
Quand on a dit je t'aime
Un jour...
Le silence est le mкme.
Serge Reggiani's song "L'absence" (Absence) is a haunting and poignant exploration of the feeling of absence, and how it can pervade even the most mundane and ordinary aspects of everyday life. The song's opening lines introduce the image of a fluttering shutter, a slight tear on a sheet where once an arm was placed. Meanwhile, outside, the sounds of street life continue, with someone selling mandarins and a woman in navy blue walking with her goddaughter. Reggiani sings that this is what absence is - a presence that permeates even in moments when life carries on, but it is also a silence that echoes in the emptiness.
Throughout the song, Reggiani uses vivid imagery to evoke different forms of absence. In the second verse, he sings about a night falling and a poem, and touches on the idea that absence can sometimes be a source of inspiration. There is also a sense of nostalgia and regret as he sings about a broken glass from a long journey, and bags left behind. Towards the end, the focus shifts to an agenda, a forgotten rendezvous, and empty vases where flowers once stood, emphasizing how absence leaves behind tangible voids.
Through its unique blend of storytelling and musical expression, "L'absence" emerges as an achingly beautiful composition that captures the essence of missing someone or something deeply. Its use of everyday scenarios makes it relatable, while its underlying emotions give it depth.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est un volet qui bat
The sound of the shutter flapping
C'est une déchirure légère
A small tear or cut
Sur le drap où naguère
On the sheet where once
Tu as posé ton bras
You placed your arm
Cependant qu'en bas
While down below
La rue parle toute seule
The street speaks to itself
Quelqu'un vend des mandarines
Someone is selling mandarins
Une dame bleu-marine
A navy lady
Promène sa filleule
Walking with her goddaughter
L'absence, la voilà
Here is the absence
D'un enfant, d'un amour
Of a child or love
L'absence est la même
The absence is the same
Quand on a dit je t'aime
When one has said I love you
Un jour...
One day...
Le silence est le même
The silence is the same
C'est une nuit qui tombe
Night falls
C'est une poésie aussi
It is also poetry
Où passaient les colombes
Where the doves used to pass
Un soir de jalousie
One evening of jealousy
Un livre est ouvert
A book is open
Tu as touché cette page
You touched that page
Tu avais fêlé ce verre
You had cracked that glass
Au retour d'un grand voyage
Upon returning from a big trip
Il reste les bagages
Only the luggage remains
C'est un volet qui bat
The sound of the shutter flapping
C'est sur un agenda, la croix
The cross on a calendar
D'un ancien rendez-vous
Of a past appointment
Où l'on se disait vous
Where we called each other "vous"
Les vases sont vides
The vases are empty
Où l'on mettait les bouquets
Where we used to put bouquets of flowers
Et le miroir prend des rides
And the mirror shows signs of aging
Où le passé fait le guet
Where the past is lurking
J'entends le bruit d'un pas
I hear the sound of a step
L'absence, la voilà
Here is the absence
D'un enfant, d'un amour
Of a child or love
L'absence est la même
The absence is the same
Quand on a dit je t'aime
When one has said I love you
Un jour...
One day...
Le silence est le même
The silence is the same
Contributed by Aiden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.