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.
Mélodie perdue
Tino Rossi Lyrics
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Tu es resté là bas
Sous les toits d'un vieux faubourg
Ou les amours sont rois
Un piano venait la nuit
Dans notre nid là haut
Nous bercer jusqu'au petit jourD'une mélodie d'amour
Mélodie des jours heureux
Tu es si loin si loin
Seul ami d'un rêve enfui
Au paradis perdu
Tu n'es plus, tu n'es plus rien
Qu'un vieux refrain connu
Qui s'ennuie et traîne les rues
Je ne t'entends plus
Tu as disparu
Toi la mélodie perdue.
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Mélodie perdue" tell the story of a lost melody that once brought happiness and love. The singer reminisces about the melody that resided in a rooftop apartment in an old neighborhood, where love reigned. The melody was accompanied by a piano, which would serenade them throughout the night, lulling them to sleep until dawn with a melody of love.
However, the melody now feels distant, lost in a paradise that has been forgotten. It is described as a dear friend, representing a dream that has faded away. The melody, once vibrant and cherished, has become nothing more than a familiar old tune, wandering the streets with a sense of boredom. The singer laments that they can no longer hear the melody, as it has vanished completely, leaving only memories behind.
The lyrics of "Mélodie perdue" evoke a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. They highlight the fleeting nature of happiness and the longing for a lost love. The melody serves as a symbol of that lost happiness and the search for meaning in memories. The song captures the longing for something that can never be recovered, yet remains etched in the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Mélodie des jours heureux
Song of happy days
Tu es resté là bas
You remained there
Sous les toits d'un vieux faubourg
Under the roofs of an old suburb
Ou les amours sont rois
Where love reigns
Un piano venait la nuit
A piano came at night
Dans notre nid là haut
In our nest up there
Nous bercer jusqu'au petit jour
To lull us until dawn
D'une mélodie d'amour
With a melody of love
Mélodie des jours heureux
Song of happy days
Tu es si loin si loin
You are so far away
Seul ami d'un rêve enfui
Only friend of a lost dream
Au paradis perdu
In the lost paradise
Tu n'es plus, tu n'es plus rien
You are no more, you are nothing
Qu'un vieux refrain connu
Just an old familiar tune
Qui s'ennuie et traîne les rues
That gets bored and wanders the streets
Je ne t'entends plus
I no longer hear you
Tu as disparu
You have disappeared
Toi la mélodie perdue
You, the lost melody
Lyrics © SEMI
Written by: Hubert GIRAUD, Jean BROUSSOLLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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