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.
Le bonhomme de neige
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il était rusé comme une fouine
C'était un gars qu'avait du cœur
Et qui dénichait des combines
Il vivait comme un grand seigneur
Et quand on rencontrait sa dame
On répétait sur toutes les gammes
Voilà la femme à dénicheur
Elle avait fait sa connaissance
Dans un bar, un soir, simplement
Ce fut le hasard d'une danse
Qui le fit devenir son amant
Il avait de jolies manières
Du tact et beaucoup d'instruction
Sachant faire de bonnes affaires
C'était là toute sa profession
Comme elle avait un peu d'argent
Ils se mirent en ménage tranquillement
(Ah-ah, ah-ah)
Il était rusé comme une fouine
(Ah-ah, ah-ah)
Et qui dénichait des combines
Il vivait comme un grand seigneur
Et quand on rencontrait sa dame
On répétait sur toutes les gammes
Voilà la femme à Dénicheur
C'est la java bleue
La java la plus belle
Celle qui ensorcelle
Et que l'on danse les yeux dans les yeux
Au rythme joyeux
Comme elle au monde, il n'y en a pas deux
C'est la java bleue
Il est au bal musette
Un air rempli de douceur
Qui fait tourner les têtes
Qui fait chavirer les cœurs
En écoutant jouer l'accordéon
C'est la java bleue
La java la plus belle
Celle qui ensorcelle
Et que l'on danse les yeux dans les yeux
Au rythme joyeux
Quand les corps se confondent
Comme elle au monde, il n'y en a pas deux
C'est la java bleue
Étoile des neiges
Mon cœur amoureux
S'est pris au piège
De tes grands yeux
Je te donne en gage
Cette croix d'argent
Et de t'aimer toute ma vie je fais serment
Dans un coin perdu des montagnes
Un tout petit Savoyard
Chantait son amour
Dans le calme du soir
Près de sa bergère au doux regard
Étoile des neiges
Mon cœur amoureux
S'est pris au piège
De tes grands yeux
Je te donne en gage
Cette croix d'argent
Et de t'aimer toute ma vie je fais serment
On est heureux comme des poissons dans l'eau
Sur le plancher des vaches
On peut guincher dans tous les caboulots
Sur le plancher des vaches
Le vin, les femmes, on a tout ça
Mais oui madame sur c'plancher-là
C'est presqu'un amiral le matelot
Sur le plancher des vaches
Quand du poste de vigie
On crie "terre à bâbord!"
Le marin, l'âme ravie
Se croit déjà au port
Il n'a plus qu'une pensée
Tirer une bordée
Il n'a plus que cette idée
Joyeux il chante alors
On est heureux comme des poissons dans l'eau
Sur le plancher des vaches
On peut guincher dans tous les caboulots
Sur le plancher des vaches
Le vin, les femmes, on a tout ça
Mais oui madame sur c'plancher-là
C'est presqu'un amiral le matelot
Sur le plancher des vaches
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song Le bonhomme de neige tell the story of a man named "le dénicheur," who was known for being cunning and resourceful. Despite being a schemer, he was also a man with a big heart who could always find a way to get ahead. The song speaks of his charm and his ability to make good deals, which ultimately led him to live like a grand lord. When people saw him with his lady, they would say "voila la femme à dénicheur," praising her for being with such a successful man.
The song then shifts to talk about a different type of music, one that is more joyful and lively - la java bleue. The lyrics describe it as the most beautiful type of java, one that enchants and mesmerizes those who dance to it. The song even goes on to depict an imaginary scene of a bal musette where everyone is dancing to this enchanting tune.
Next, the lyrics describe a love story between a Savoyard man and his bergère - Étoile des neiges. He sings his love to her in the calm of the night, ultimately giving her a silver cross as a token of his devotion and promising to love her for the rest of his life.
Finally, the song ends with a jovial depiction of sailors who are happy and carefree on "le plancher des vaches," or the dancefloor. They are described as being as happy as fish in water, dancing and guinching their way through the night.
Overall, the lyrics of Le bonhomme de neige take the listener through a journey of different types of music and love stories, ultimately ending with a joyful celebration of life and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
On l'appelait le dénicheur
He was called the Denicher
Il était rusé comme une fouine
He was as cunning as a weasel
C'était un gars qu'avait du cœur
He was a guy with a lot of heart
Et qui dénichait des combines
And who found some schemes
Il vivait comme un grand seigneur
He lived like a great lord
Et quand on rencontrait sa dame
And when we met his lady
On répétait sur toutes les gammes
We repeated on all the notes
Voilà la femme à dénicheur
Here is the Denicher's woman
Elle avait fait sa connaissance
She met him
Dans un bar, un soir, simplement
In a bar, one evening, simply
Ce fut le hasard d'une danse
It was the chance of a dance
Qui le fit devenir son amant
That made him her lover
Il avait de jolies manières
He had pretty ways
Du tact et beaucoup d'instruction
Tact and a lot of education
Sachant faire de bonnes affaires
Knowing how to do good business
C'était là toute sa profession
That was his entire profession
Comme elle avait un peu d'argent
As she had a little money
Ils se mirent en ménage tranquillement
They started living together quietly
(Ah-ah, ah-ah)
C'est la java bleue
This is the blue waltz
La java la plus belle
The most beautiful waltz
Celle qui ensorcelle
The one that bewitches
Et que l'on danse les yeux dans les yeux
And that we dance eyes in eyes
Au rythme joyeux
With a joyful rhythm
Quand les corps se confondent
When the bodies merge
Comme elle au monde, il n'y en a pas deux
There is none in the world like it
C'est la java bleue
This is the blue waltz
Il est au bal musette
He is at the musette ball
Un air rempli de douceur
A melody filled with sweetness
Qui fait tourner les têtes
That turns heads
Qui fait chavirer les cœurs
That capsizes hearts
En écoutant jouer l'accordéon
While listening to the accordion play
Étoile des neiges
Snow star
Mon cœur amoureux
My love-stricken heart
S'est pris au piège
Got trapped
De tes grands yeux
By your big eyes
Je te donne en gage
I give you as a pledge
Cette croix d'argent
This silver cross
Et de t'aimer toute ma vie je fais serment
And I swear to love you all my life
Dans un coin perdu des montagnes
In a remote corner of the mountains
Un tout petit Savoyard
A small Savoyard
Chantait son amour
Sang his love
Dans le calme du soir
In the calm of the evening
Près de sa bergère au doux regard
Near his gentle-looking shepherdess
On est heureux comme des poissons dans l'eau
We are happy as fish in the water
Sur le plancher des vaches
On the cowshed's floor
On peut guincher dans tous les caboulots
We can dance in all the taverns
Le vin, les femmes, on a tout ça
Wine, women, we have it all
Mais oui madame sur c'plancher-là
But yes madam, on that floor
C'est presqu'un amiral le matelot
The sailor is almost an admiral
Quand du poste de vigie
When from the lookout post
On crie "terre à bâbord!"
We shout "land to port!"
Le marin, l'âme ravie
The sailor, with a delighted soul
Se croit déjà au port
Already thinks he is at the port
Il n'a plus qu'une pensée
He has only one thought
Tirer une bordée
To take a long turn at the helm
Il n'a plus que cette idée
He only has this idea
Joyeux il chante alors
Happy, he sings then
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: Vincent Scotto, Noel Renard, Georges Konyn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nadinealibrandi2991
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