“Comme un manouche sans guitar” is a jazz song from 2007. It is a romantic tale about a man who does not feel like himself without his lover. Passionate themes of absent partners and unrequited love are very popular in French love songs.
“Comme un manouche sans guitar” by Thomas Dutronc, is a jovial gypsy jazz song from 2007. It is a romantic tale about a man who does not feel like himself without his lover. Passionate themes of absent partners and unrequited love are very popular in French love songs. The word “manouche” recalls manouche (or gipsy) jazz, which was popular in France during the 1930s and was bolstered by the work of Jean “Django” Reinhardt. “Manouche” is a French nickname for the Romani gypsies, and the song's title refers to the love a manouche jazz player has for his guitar, his iconic instrument.
Thomas Dutronc sings about how he feels after his lover has gone. He compares his situation to that of people, places, and things that would not be the same without a certain part of who or what they are. The song's main rhetorical devise is “Comme un (A) sans sa (B),” that is: “As an (A) without its (B).” Repetitive strategies like this one were very popular in manouche jazz, and Dutronc expresses his love in a passionate and crazed way that fits well with the lyrics.
The song makes many references to iconic French symbols. Dutronc mentions the famous castles along the Loire River, arguing that the Lorie would not be the same without them. Normandy is famous for a particular style of closet, so “Normande sans armoire” is a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Normans would not be able to live without their closets. Meanwhile, “Comme un corse sans petard” reproduces the stereotype that all people from Corsica are terrorists and, thus, would not be themselves without their “petards” (bombs). In another line, “Un pâté sans sa croûte,” the singer explains that the famous French duck liver paste would be nothing without the bread crust on which it is traditionally cooked.
The singer feels he is becoming a fool without his love around. “Je suis sur les point com” is a slangy way of saying that he is surfing the web. He feels stupid because he is specifically visiting porn and dating sites, such as “Meetic,” and spending his time on the wrong priorities, like Viagra and Rolexes. He thinks he is going crazy with his 18 watches and becoming more and more foolish, “la bêbête qui monte.” Using the word “bêbête” emphasizes his childishness, as it is a word used for children who are acting too silly. This childishness is underscored when the singer talks about pizzas without their olives or television ads without their washing liquid: “Une page de pub sans lessive.” (French television ads focus strongly on food and cleaning products.) Finally, the lover admits that he is acting like a “con” (idiot), so he “j’ai plus de neurons” (loses his mind) and falls off his throne of love.
Lyrics:
Comme un manouche sans guitare
Comme un château sans la Loire Quand t'es pas là
Je suis comme ça Comme un rasta sans pétard
Comme un corse sans pétard
Une normande sans armoire
Comme t'es pas là
Je suis sur les points com Meetic, pornographique
Et je suis comme... un con Je suis aphone
Jai plus d'neurones J'tombe de mon trône
Quand t'es pas là J'n'existe pas
Comme Sherlock sans sa loupe
Comme Tintin sans sa houppe
Comme un mondain sans sa coupe
Comme une pizza sans olive
Une page de pub sans lessive
Si t'es pas là Je n'suis plus moi
Comme un arbre sans racines
Comme le théâtre sans Racine Sur cette plage sans
Aline Comme t'es pas là
Je suis sur les points com Rollex, viagra, tout ça
Et je suis comme...
un con J'ai dix-huit montres
J'me rends plus compte
La bêbête qui monte
Quand t'es pas là J'n'existe pas
Comme un martien sans soucoupe
Comme un coiffeur sans un scoop
Comme un pâté sans sa croûte
Je suis aphone Jai plus d'neurones
J'tombe de mon trôneQuand t'es pas là
J'n'existe pas Comme t'es pas là
Je suis sur les points com Meetic, pornographique
Et je suis comme... un con
J'ai dix-huit montres J'me rends plus compte
La bêbête qui monte Quand t'es pas là J'n'existe pas
Comme un manouche sans guitare
Comme un château sans la
Loire Une Normande sans armoire
