Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina (née Simoni) and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in 1923. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's barber shop, and later on the docks. He began a career in show business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris and she made him part of her act, becoming his mentor and lover.
Montand went on to international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in numerous films. His recognizably crooner songs, especially those about Paris, became instant classics.
He was one of the most famous performers at Bruno Coquatrix's famous Paris Olympia music hall.
In 1951, he married the actress Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers. The marriage was, by all accounts, fairly harmonious, lasting until her death in 1985, although Montand had a number of well-publicised affairs, notably with Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of her last films, Let's Make Love. During his career, Montand acted in a number of American motion pictures as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a Cesar Award for "Best Actor" in 1980 for "I comme Icare" and again in 1984 for "Garçon!"
In the French dubbings of Looney Tunes, the character Pepé Le Pew is an Italian skunk named "Pépé le putois". The voice characterization was often based on Montand's performances.
In 1986, after his international box-office draw power had fallen off considerably, the 65-year-old Montand gave one of his most memorable performances, as the scheming uncle in the two-part film: Jean de Florette, co-starring Gérard Depardieu, and Manon des Sources, co-starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film was a worldwide critical hit and raised Montand's profile in the U.S., where he made an appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman."
Montand's only child, Valentin, his son by his second wife Carole Amiel, was born in 1988. In a paternity suit that rocked France, another woman accused Montand of being the father of her daughter and went to court to obtain a DNA sample from him. Montand refused, but the woman persisted after his death. In a court ruling that made international headlines, the woman won the right to have Montand exhumed and a sample taken. It subsequently showed that he was not the girl's father.
Montand embarked on an affair with Marilyn Monroe during filming of the ill fated film Let's Make Love. He had been personally recommended by Arthur Miller after Miller saw him acting in a foreign movie version of his play The Crucible called Les Sorcières de Salem. Montand always expressed regret over the affair as he considered Miller a "good friend".
In his later years he maintained a home in St Paul de Vence, Provence until his death.
Montand died from a heart attack. In an interview, Jean-Jacques Beineix said, "[H]e died on the set [of IP5: The Island of Pachyderms]... On the very last day, after his very last shot. It was the very last night and we were doing retakes. He finished what he was doing and then he just died. And the film tells the story of an old man who dies from a heart attack, which is the same thing that happened!"
He is buried next to Simone Signoret in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France.
In 2004, Catherine Allégret, Montand's stepdaughter and Simone Signoret's daughter from her first marriage, published a book titled World Upside Down (Un monde à l'envers ISBN 2-253-11442-1) in which she contended that Montand had abused her sexually since she was five years old.
Grands boulevards
Yves Montand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grands boulevards
Paroles: Jacques Plante. musique: Norbert Glanzberg 1952
© MCA Caravelle
Y a tant de choses, tant de choses
Tant de choses à voir
On n'a qu'à choisir au hasard
On s'fait des ampoules
A zigzaguer parmi la foule
J'aime les baraques et les bazars
Les étalages, les loteries
Et les camelots bavards
Qui vous débitent leurs bobards
Ça fait passer l'temps
Et l'on oublie son cafard
Je ne suis pas riche à million
Je suis tourneur chez Citroën
J'peux pas me payer des distractions
Tous les jours de la semaine
Aussi moi, j'ai mes petites manies
Qui me font plaisir et ne coûtent rien
Ainsi, dès le travail fini
Je file entre la porte Saint-Denis
Et le boulevard des Italiens
J'aime flâner sur les Grands boulevards
Y a tant de choses, tant de choses
Tant de choses à voir
On y voit des grands jours d'espoir
Des jours de colère
Qui font sortir le populaire
Là vibre le cur de Paris
Toujours ardent, parfois frondeur
Avec ses chants, ses cris
Et de jolis moments d'histoire
Sont écrits partout le long
De nos Grands boulevards
J'aime flâner sur les Grands boulevards
Les soirs d'été quand tout le monde
Aime bien se coucher tard
On a des chances d'apercevoir
Deux yeux angéliques
Que l'ont suit jusqu'à République
Puis je retrouve mon petit hôtel
Ma chambre où la fenêtre donne
Sur un coin de ciel
D'où me parviennent comme un appel
Toutes les rumeurs, toutes les lueurs
Du monde enchanteur
Des Grands boulevards
The song "Grands Boulevards" sung by Yves Montand speaks of the pleasures of wandering around the famous boulevards of Paris. The singer loves to stroll along the wide sidewalks filled with people, lights, and storefronts where he can see everything and forget about his worries. He talks about his modest life as a Citroen lathe operator and how he can't afford expensive entertainment, which is why he enjoys his little habits like taking a walk after work. This is the time when he heads towards the Porte Saint-Denis and the Boulevard des Italiens, which are his favorite spots for strolling.
Montand captures the atmosphere of the Grands Boulevards with its pulsating energy and its ability to make people forget their woes. He appreciates the diversity, the chaos, and the vibrant life that one can witness on the boulevards, where the heart of Paris beats ardent and sometimes rebellious, with its songs, cries, and moments of history being written. Even on summer evenings, when everyone enjoys going to bed late, Montand prefers to walk around the boulevards and watch people until he reaches his hotel with its small room and a window overlooking a corner of the sky. He hears all the noises and sees all the lights of the enchanting world of the Grands Boulevards, which call him back again and again.
Line by Line Meaning
J'aime flâner sur les Grands boulevards
I love to stroll along the Grands boulevards
Y a tant de choses, tant de choses
There are so many, so many things
Tant de choses à voir
So many things to see
On n'a qu'à choisir au hasard
We just have to pick randomly
On s'fait des ampoules
We get blisters
A zigzaguer parmi la foule
As we zigzag among the crowd
J'aime les baraques et les bazars
I love the stalls and bazaars
Les étalages, les loteries
The displays, the lotteries
Et les camelots bavards
And the talkative peddlers
Qui vous débitent leurs bobards
Who deliver their tales
Ça fait passer l'temps
It helps pass the time
Et l'on oublie son cafard
And we forget our worries
Je ne suis pas riche à million
I'm not a millionaire
Je suis tourneur chez Citroën
I work as a lathe operator at Citroën
J'peux pas me payer des distractions
I can't afford expensive entertainment
Tous les jours de la semaine
Every day of the week
Aussi moi, j'ai mes petites manies
So I have my little quirks
Qui me font plaisir et ne coûtent rien
That bring me pleasure and cost nothing
Ainsi, dès le travail fini
So, as soon as work is done
Je file entre la porte Saint-Denis
I head to the Saint-Denis gate
Et le boulevard des Italiens
And the Boulevard des Italiens
On y voit des grands jours d'espoir
We see great days of hope
Des jours de colère
Days of anger
Qui font sortir le populaire
That stir up the common people
Là vibre le cœur de Paris
There, the heart of Paris beats
Toujours ardent, parfois frondeur
Always passionate, sometimes rebellious
Avec ses chants, ses cris
With its songs, its shouts
Et de jolis moments d'histoire
And some beautiful moments of history
Sont écrits partout le long
Are written everywhere along
De nos Grands boulevards
Our Grands boulevards
Les soirs d'été quand tout le monde
On summer evenings when everyone
Aime bien se coucher tard
Likes to go to bed late
On a des chances d'apercevoir
We have a chance to spot
Deux yeux angéliques
Two angelic eyes
Que l'ont suit jusqu'à République
That we follow all the way to République
Puis je retrouve mon petit hôtel
Then I find my small hotel
Ma chambre où la fenêtre donne
My room where the window overlooks
Sur un coin de ciel
A corner of the sky
D'où me parviennent comme un appel
From where I hear, like a call
Toutes les rumeurs, toutes les lueurs
All the sounds, all the lights
Du monde enchanteur
Of the enchanting world
Des Grands boulevards
Of the Grands boulevards
Contributed by Luke I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edmario Soares Diniz
Chanson très douce. Très sympa. Yves Montand avait une voix très sublime!
Maria José Rios
Sublime chanson bien adorable avec la jolie voix de Yves Montant que j'adore !
Nic Dra
Great, great, great! It was my favorite song many years ago when I vas a childe!
Iren Stern
Jamie cette musique!je ce connais pour une tres longue temps
Tempus Fugit
A voir si il aimerait se balader sur les grands biulevards de nos jours...
Sébastien Lefebvre
Yves Montand quel belle chanson dans les grands boulevards jusqu'à coté a la place de l'opéra de Paris
NOIR SHADOWS
J'adore cette chanson 😍
Daniil Ivannikov
O petit minute
Marius - Paul Munteanu
Ca signifie PARIS .... pour moi !
Daniele Clauzel
pour beaucoup ;)