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.
Parle Plus Bas
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Car on pourrait bien nous entendre
Le monde n'est pas prêt pour tes paroles tendres
Le monde n'est pas prêt pour nous
Il dirait tout simplement que nous sommes fous
Parle Plus Bas mais parle encore
De l'amour fou de l'amour fortParle Plus Bas
Car on pourrait bien nous surprendre
Tu sais très bien
Qu'il ne voudrait jamais comprendre
Que dans nos curs moi, j'ai trouvé
Ce que le monde refusait de nous donner
{Instrumental}
Parle Plus Bas mais parle encore
De l'amour fou de l'amour fort
Parle Plus Bas
Car on pourrait bien nous entendre
Tu sais très bien que nous ne pouvons rien attendre
De ceux qui ont fait des chansons
Sans un "je t'aime" où l'amour rime avec raison
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's "Parle Plus Bas" (Speak Lower) are a plea to keep quiet about the intense love the singer and his loved one share. They fear the judgment and misunderstanding of the world, which is not ready for their tender and passionate words. The song seems to be a love letter addressed to this person, encouraging them to keep talking, even if it's in a hushed tone, about the deep love they share. The singer knows that they won't be understood by people who have made songs without any mention of love, where this feeling hasn't been given its due place.
The lyrics subtly highlight the tension between the couple's intense emotions and the way the world sees them. In a world where passions are often repressed and love is reserved for the private sphere, the lyrics suggest that it's possible that the intensity of their love might be seen as madness. It's also possible that the singer and his loved one are outsiders, a couple whose personalities and love story are not in keeping with prevailing standards of normality. Nonetheless, the singer seems resolved to keep the flames of their love burning.
Line by Line Meaning
Parle Plus Bas
Speak more softly
Car on pourrait bien nous entendre
Because we might be overheard
Le monde n'est pas prêt pour tes paroles tendres
The world is not ready for your tender words
Le monde n'est pas prêt pour nous
The world is not ready for us
Il dirait tout simplement que nous sommes fous
It would simply say that we are crazy
Parle Plus Bas mais parle encore
Speak more softly but keep speaking
De l'amour fou de l'amour fort
Of crazy love and strong love
Car on pourrait bien nous surprendre
Because we might be surprised
Tu sais très bien
You know very well
Qu'il ne voudrait jamais comprendre
That it would never want to understand
Que dans nos cœurs moi, j'ai trouvé
That in our hearts, I found
Ce que le monde refusait de nous donner
What the world refused to give us
{Instrumental}
Musical interlude
Tu sais très bien que nous ne pouvons rien attendre
You know very well that we can't expect anything
De ceux qui ont fait des chansons
From those who made songs
Sans un "je t'aime" où l'amour rime avec raison
Without an "I love you" where love rhymes with reason
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@noelleverion6702
Ma petite maman adorait tino rossi ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@aureliaschenk3217
Bravo se la plus jolies version de set chanson BRAVo Tino Rossi je vous aima❤❤❤❤😊🎉
@pierrettedejong5278
J aime bien cette chanson le texte est superbe❤
@galinapungina155
Hurray ,TINO !!!!!
@lilianedeweer7828
sa voix de velours nous fait rèver une vrais chanson que seule lui pouver chanter
@issamrassoul1832
Mon dieu mon dieu je suis au paradis je veut pas ouvrir mes yeux
@valb1452
Magnifique, il m'a déjà séduite avec ses chansons de noël que l'on écoute tous les ans. Sa voix s'accorde très bien avec les paroles.
@bettyfuerstenau1007
Ich liebe diese Stimme!
@lamarettogino3981
Un vrai chanteur à voix avec des paroles qui ont du sens .
@rogerhonore
probablement la meilleure interprétation française.