Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film acto… Read Full Bio ↴Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film actor.

Born Constantino Rossi in Ajaccio, Corsica, France, he became a tenor of French cabaret and one of the great romantic idols of his time. Gifted with an operatic voice, a "Latin Lover" persona made him a movie star as well. Over his career, Rossi made hundreds of records and appeared in more than 25 films, the most notable of which was the 1953 production, Si Versailles m'était conté directed by Sacha Guitry. His romantic ballads had women swooning and his art-songs by Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Reynaldo Hahn (1875-1947), and other composers helped draw sold out audiences wherever he performed.

As a young man, he played guitar and sang at a variety of small venues in his hometown of Ajaccio before going on to perform in Marseilles and at resort clubs along the French Riviera. In the early 1930s he went to Paris and within a few years achieved enormous success, joining a Columbia Records roster that included the biggest stars of the day such as Lucienne Boyer, Damia, Pills et Tabet, Mireille, and Jean Sablon.

Rossi's success was greatly aided by songwriter Vincent Scotto (1876-1952), who wrote his first hits and collaborated with him for many years, composing and arranging many Rossi songs. Prior to World War II. Rossi was a major box office attraction in the French speaking world but expanded his audience to America with a 1938 visit followed up by wartime tours across the USA and Canada. In 1946, his song "Petit Papa Noël" sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. A Christmas classic for the family, the song still sells by the thousands each Yuletide season. The recipient of many musical awards, including the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque, Tino Rossi is the most popular personality to ever come from Corsica other than Napoleon Bonaparte.

In 1947 he married Lilia Vetti, a young dancer he met while making a film. They would have a son together in a marriage that lasted for a lifetime. A star of film and the operetta scene, Tino Rossi's career also evolved into the television era, appearing in a number of popular variety shows. Age, and the advent of rock and roll in the 1960s saw him take backstage with the new generation of music lovers but he remained enormously popular with a following built up over fifty years of performing.

In 1982, for his contribution to France and its culture, President François Mitterrand named Tino Rossi a Commander of the Legion of Honor. That same year Rossi gave his last public performance at the Casino de Paris, a show that popular demand turned into a three month stint.

Tino Rossi died of pancreatic cancer in 1983 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France. His body returned to his native Ajaccio for burial in the family plot at the local cemetery. His hometown named a street and the sailing harbor in his honor and at Nogent-sur-Marne, on the River Marne in Paris, there is a square named Tino Rossi Square.

La Cucaracha
Tino Rossi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Le matin, dès qu'on se lève,
L'esprit tout embué de rêve,
Quand nous allons sous la douche,
Cet air est sur notre bouche
Et tandis que l'eau ruisselle
Chaque goutte nous appelle,
Le robinet la commente
Et toute la maison chante

{Refrain:}
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
Ah c'est fou c'que j'adore ça!
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
C'est bien plus beau que la java!
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
On frissonne de haut en bas!
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
Essayez vous verrez ça!

Cette danse est à la mode
Car elle vient des antipodes,
Tout le monde la serine
Avec l'accent d'origine,
La T.S.F. nous la donne,
Dans la rue on la fredonne,
Elle est sur toutes les ondes,
Chantons comme tout le monde

{au Refrain}

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tino Rossi's "La Cucaracha" describe how the tune of the song has become entrenched in the minds of the people who hear it. Specifically, it talks about how the song can even be heard in people's heads while they are taking a shower in the morning. The lyrics convey how each note of the song seems to be talking to the listener, and even the sound of water running from the tap joins in, leading to the whole house humming the tune. The catchy tune of "La Cucaracha" is so well-known that even people who don't know how to play it on an instrument sing it in the shower or in the street.

The song relates to the joy and pleasure one experiences when they come across something they enjoy, and although it may not have any specific meaning, it has the power to make people happy. The refrain repeats the phrase "La Cucaracha" several times, implying that the song has unique powers to make people feel happy and enjoy their lives. Overall, the lyrics of "La Cucaracha" emphasize how this simple melody has found a place in the hearts of people all over the world and how it never fails to capture their attention.

Line by Line Meaning

Le matin, dès qu'on se lève,
As soon as we wake up in the morning,

L'esprit tout embué de rêve,
With our minds still foggy from dreams,

Quand nous allons sous la douche,
As we head into the shower,

Cet air est sur notre bouche
This tune is on our lips

Et tandis que l'eau ruisselle
And as the water runs

Chaque goutte nous appelle,
Each drop beckons us

Le robinet la commente
Our faucet adds its own commentary

Et toute la maison chante
And the whole house sings along

La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,

Ah c'est fou c'que j'adore ça!
Oh how I love that!

La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,
La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha,