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10 September 2023

I’m back again for the umpteenth time for holidays with my beloved wife, in that lovely little village called Puget-sur-Argens – between Nice and St-Tropez – just a couple of miles from the blissfully beautiful Mediterranean Sea/French Riviera in the South Of France

The best thing, besides the delicious food and delectable wine, the colourful nature
and the glaring sun is a relaxing car drive along the blue sea with all windows open, inhaling the refreshing air, while listening to JACQUES DUTRONC the legendary
French singer/songwriter/rocker/actor/playboy, now 80, still married, although
living divorced for years now, with the wonderful singer and sixties sex symbol
Françoise Hardy.

Way back in the sixties (and still now) Dutronc was unquestionably the coolest French rocker around, writing politically loaded chansons and no nonsense rockers. Outside
of France he was a cult figure and the provocative exponent for French garage rock.
The two biggest bands of that era, the Fab Four and the Stones were devoted fans.

One of his many hits is the immortal story-telling song of Paris waking up, named IL EST CINQ HEURES PARIS S’EVEILLE (‘It’s five o’clock, Paris wakes up’). A sublime song, viewed from a guy who was all night up partying and seeing so much going on when his city awakes in the early morning.

I translated, as good as a possible, the lyrics in English.

I am the dauphin of Place Dauphine
And the Place Blanche looks bad
The trucks are full of milk
The sweepers are full of brooms
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
Paris is waking up

Transvestites will go and shave
The strippers are dressed
The bolsters are crushed
Lovers are tired
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
Paris is waking up

The coffee is in the cups
Cafes clean their ice cream
And on Boulevard Montparnasse
The station is no more than a carcass
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
Paris is waking up

The Eiffel Tower has cold feet
The Arc de Triomphe is revived
And the Obelisk is well erected
Between night and day
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
Paris is waking up

The commuters are in the stations
At La Villette, we slice the bacon
Paris by night, get back to the coaches
Bakers make bastards
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
Paris is waking up

Newspapers are printed
The workers are depressed
People stand up, they are bullied
It’s time for me to go to bed
It’s five o’clock
Paris is waking up
It’s five o’clock
I’m not sleepy

Want more Dutronc?

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JACQUES DUTRONC: Website – Biography