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.
Loin des guitares
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Où nous chantions à deux sur la grève
Les guitares rythmaient nos chansons
Notre amour hélas n'est plus qu'un rêve
Et pourtant chérie malgré le temps
Loin des guitares
Aux chants si douxLoin des guitares
Sans cesse je pense à vous
À votre voix dont la beauté m'avait grisé
À nos espoirs à nos serments nos plus tendres baisers
Par les nuits chaudes autour de moi
Sans cesse rode le souvenir d'autrefois
Et mon cur mon pauvre cur
S'en va vers vous
Loin des guitares
Aux chants si doux
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Loin des guitares" speak to the nostalgia and longing for past romance. The singer reminisces about the mysterious evenings spent by the beach with his lover, singing to the rhythm of the guitars that accompanied their songs. He laments that their love has now become nothing more than a distant dream. Despite the passage of time, he still feels a deep connection to his former partner, and cannot help but think of her.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this sense of separation and longing, as the singer wistfully recalls the soft melodies of the guitars and how they used to be together. He remembers the beauty of her voice, their shared hopes and promises, and their tender kisses. The memories of their romance haunt him in the warm nights, and his heart goes out to her, far away from the guitars and their sweet songs.
Overall, Tino Rossi's "Loin des guitares" is a poignant reflection on the power of music to evoke memories of lost love, and the enduring pain of separation.
Line by Line Meaning
Où sont-ils les soirs mystérieux
Where have the mysterious nights gone?
Où nous chantions à deux sur la grève
Where we sang together on the beach
Les guitares rythmaient nos chansons
Where the guitars rhythmically accompanied our songs
Notre amour hélas n'est plus qu'un rêve
Our love, unfortunately, is now just a dream
Et pourtant chérie malgré le temps
And yet my dear, despite the passage of time
Loin des guitares
Far away from the guitars
Aux chants si doux
And their sweet melodies
Sans cesse je pense à vous
I constantly think of you
À votre voix dont la beauté m'avait grisé
Of your enchanting voice that once caused me to lose my head
À nos espoirs à nos serments nos plus tendres baisers
Of the hopes we shared, the promises we made, and our most tender kisses
Par les nuits chaudes autour de moi
During the warm nights around me
Sans cesse rode le souvenir d'autrefois
The memory of the past constantly haunts me
Et mon cur mon pauvre cur
And my heart, my poor heart
S'en va vers vous
Yearns for you
Loin des guitares
Far away from the guitars
Aux chants si doux
And their sweet melodies
Writer(s): Georges Konyn, Marcel Jules Alcide Tilloy, Emile Audiffred, Vincent Baptiste Scotto
Contributed by Grace R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@galinapungina155
The ONLY FOR EVER-TINO,TINO !
@georgeslabatut3103
Merci à tino rossi j ai 74 ans je l ai vu 3 fois sur scène et toujours émerveillé par ce chanteur exceptionnel avec les trémolos dans sa voix unique au monde irremplaçable MR TINO ROSSI
@victordiongre6967
Merci pour ce merveilleux cocktail de chansons qui nous rappel L' inoubliable Tino Rossi à la voix si douce et enchanteresse .Victor Diongre 87 ans.
@GracianeLascaux
Mon papa jouait cette chanson à l accordéon et moi petite je chantais moi qui aimait Johnny et Beatles 😂😂😂😂merci papa de ces moments
❤❤❤❤
@killerpro1902
J'adore les anciens musiques même si je suis un jeune garçon. Je voudrais vivre à cette époque ou tout le monde jouait dehors pas comme maintenant.
@Ron13579
Quelle voix, quelle chanson!
@mireilleboulos9438
Merci pour toutes les chansons d’autrefois .... me rappelle mon enfance et ma jeunesse ..... 🤗👍👍💞
@annettearchambault9138
Une voix inoubliable,
@bettyschneider6527
J'aime beaucoup Tino Rossi et tout ces vielles chansons, que des beaux souvenirs
Milles fois Merci !
@margotlorraine4432
Cette chanson me rappelle mes jeunes années, j'aimais beaucoup écouter Tino, trop tôt disparu lui aussi. Cordialement.