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.
La honte de pleurer
Serge Reggiani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De la rosée au bord des cils
Le cœur abruti de chagrin
Il se regarde dans la glace
Où vaguement un ange passe
Une femme au regard lointain
Et c'est peu dire qu'il vacille
Il entend les mots de l'adieu
Lui faire une blessure comme
Les meutrissures dont les hommes
Ont souiilé les mains du bon dieu
Il faudra bien qu'on me raconte
Pourquoi il faut toujours tricher
Que l'on m'explique où est la honte
Pour un homme de pleurer
Ce n'est pas grave non c'est pire
C'est le point de non revenir
C'est la sirène de la mort
Qui lui murmure des mots tendres
Des mots impossibles à entendre
Pour celui qui espère encore
A des milliers de kilomètres
Un chien peut retrouver son maître
Et lui ne craint pas ce chemin
Mais s'il venait lui rapporter
Le caillou qu'elle lui a jeté
Elle le rejetterait plus loin
Alors il fond, il se défait
Il devient son propre reflet
Il n'est plus que l'ombre de lui
Et comme son corps n'a plus de larmes
Il verse celles de son âme
Il verse celles de la pluie
Pourtant il ne veut pas mourir
Pourtant il ne veut pas pourrir
Parce qu'elle existe
Et parce qu'un jour pas impossible
Il la verra belle et paisible
Passer gaiement sur un trottoir
The song "La Honte de Pleurer" by Serge Reggiani is an emotional and powerful ballad about a man who is heartbroken over a woman. The lyrics describe a man who is devastated by their breakup, as he gazes into the mirror with tears in his eyes. He feels a deep sadness inside and finds it hard to let go. Despite his shattered heart, he cannot quite understand why society deems it unacceptable for men to show their emotions and cry.
The man is haunted by memories of their relationship and the pain of their separation. He feels as if he is spiraling out of control, unable to escape the heartache that consumes him. The lyrics touch on the idea of the inevitability of human deception and dishonesty, questioning why we must always trick ourselves and others in love. The song reflects the struggle that many people face in trying to process and move past the loss of love.
Overall, "La Honte de Pleurer" is a poignant and beautifully written song that explores the complexities of love and loss. It speaks to anyone who has experienced heartbreak and struggled to come to terms with their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Il est là comme un imbécile
He's standing there like a fool
De la rosée au bord des cils
Dew on his eyelashes
Le cœur abruti de chagrin
His heart numbed with grief
Il se regarde dans la glace
He looks at himself in the mirror
Où vaguement un ange passe
Where an angel passes vaguely
Une femme au regard lointain
A woman with a distant gaze
Et c'est peu dire qu'il vacille
And it's an understatement to say he's wavering
Il sent son corps piquer en vrille
He feels his body spiraling out of control
Il entend les mots de l'adieu
He hears the words of farewell
Lui faire une blessure comme
Inflicting a wound upon him as
Les meutrissures dont les hommes
The bruises which men
Ont souillé les mains du bon dieu
Have stained the hands of God
Il faudra bien qu'on me raconte
Someone will have to explain to me
Pourquoi il faut toujours tricher
Why we always have to cheat
Que l'on m'explique où est la honte
Explain to me where is the shame
Pour un homme de pleurer
For a man to cry
Ce n'est pas grave non c'est pire
It's not just bad, it's worse
C'est le point de non revenir
It's the point of no return
C'est la sirène de la mort
It's the siren of death
Qui lui murmure des mots tendres
Whispering tender words to him
Des mots impossibles à entendre
Words impossible to hear
Pour celui qui espère encore
For he who still hopes
A des milliers de kilomètres
Thousands of kilometers away
Un chien peut retrouver son maître
A dog can find its owner
Et lui ne craint pas ce chemin
And he is not afraid of the journey
Mais s'il venait lui rapporter
But if he were to bring back to him
Le caillou qu'elle lui a jeté
The stone she threw at him
Elle le rejetterait plus loin
She would reject him even further
Alors il fond, il se défait
Then he melts, he falls apart
Il devient son propre reflet
He becomes his own reflection
Il n'est plus que l'ombre de lui
He is nothing but a shadow of himself
Et comme son corps n'a plus de larmes
And since his body has no more tears
Il verse celles de son âme
He sheds the tears of his soul
Il verse celles de la pluie
He sheds the tears of the rain
Pourtant il ne veut pas mourir
Yet he doesn't want to die
Pourtant il ne veut pas pourrir
Yet he doesn't want to rot
Parce qu'elle existe
Because she exists
Et parce qu'un jour pas impossible
And because one day, not impossible
Il la verra belle et paisible
He will see her beautiful and peaceful
Passer gaiement sur un trottoir
Walking joyfully on a sidewalk
Contributed by Keira O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.