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.
Paris voici Paris
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'aime tes jours, j'aime tes nuits
Paris, Paris
J'aime ta joie, j'aime ton bruit
Paris, Paris
J'aime ton air gavroche et sans détours
J'aime ton luxe et tes faubourgs
Paris, j'aime tes amours
Paris, Paris
En toi le monde entier chante et sourit
Paris, Voici Paris
Comme un gros point d'orgue sur l'obélisque de minuit, la lune rit
Voici Paris
Au ciel étoilé, les blancs jets d'eau chantent, berceurs
Voici Paris parmi les fleurs
Et ses attraits dans un décor que rien n'égale
Sont réunis dans notre belle capitale
{au Refrain}
Partout sur la Terre, aimer est un fruit défendu
Ou bien un jeu plein d'inconnu
La femme rougit du fol amant qui se ruina
Pour la tenir entre ses bras
Pour quelques fleurs, la Parisienne, brune ou blonde
Avec fierté, crie son amour à tout le monde
{au Refrain}
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Paris voici Paris" express the singer's love for the city of Paris. The refrain emphasizes this love, as the singer declares his affection for the city's days, nights, joy, noise, gavroche air, luxury, suburbs, loves, chic, and spirit. The city is portrayed as a place where the whole world sings and smiles. The second verse describes the city's beauty and attractions, comparing it to no other. The description starts with a metaphor, as the moon is a big point of punctuation laughing in the obelisk of midnight. The starry sky, the white water jets, and the flowers are among the city's beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
J'aime tes jours, j'aime tes nuits
I love your days, I love your nights
Paris, Paris
J'aime ta joie, j'aime ton bruit
I love your joy, I love your noise
Paris, Paris
J'aime ton air gavroche et sans détours
I love your streetwise and straightforward nature
J'aime ton luxe et tes faubourgs
I love your luxury and your suburbs
Paris, j'aime tes amours
Paris, I love your loves
J'aime ton chic et ton esprit
I love your chic and your spirit
Paris, Paris
En toi le monde entier chante et sourit
In you, the whole world sings and smiles
Paris, Voici Paris
Paris, here is Paris
Comme un gros point d'orgue sur l'obélisque de minuit, la lune rit
Like a big exclamation mark on the midnight obelisk, the moon laughs
Voici Paris
Here is Paris
Au ciel étoilé, les blancs jets d'eau chantent, berceurs
In the starry sky, the white water jets sing, lulling
Voici Paris parmi les fleurs
Here is Paris among the flowers
Et ses attraits dans un décor que rien n'égale
And its attractions in a decor that nothing equals
Sont réunis dans notre belle capitale
Are gathered in our beautiful capital
{au Refrain}
Partout sur la Terre, aimer est un fruit défendu
Everywhere on Earth, loving is a forbidden fruit
Ou bien un jeu plein d'inconnu
Or a game full of unknowns
La femme rougit du fol amant qui se ruina
The woman blushes at the crazy lover who ruined himself
Pour la tenir entre ses bras
To hold her in his arms
Pour quelques fleurs, la Parisienne, brune ou blonde
For a few flowers, the Parisienne, brunette or blonde
Avec fierté, crie son amour à tout le monde
With pride, cries her love to everyone
{au Refrain}
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.