Renaud vs Coeur De Pirate : Mistral Gagnant

Mistral Gagnant is a song by French Singer, Renaud. It was amongst the 11 songs on his 7th album which was released in 1985 and share same name.

The singer wrote the song for his young daughter Lolita Séchan and never intended it for public hearing. In this beautiful song, he sang about his childhood and about how time fades away, just as the laughters of his daughter when she was a child.

In the song, Renaud invoked childhood memories, Mistral gagnant, a candy which is no longer in sale. The famous candy used to come in powder form in a paper sachet where a straw made of liquorice is inserted into it to suck it up. If you are lucky and find "winner" printed on the inside of the sachet, you get the right to have another one free.

Renaud, thinking the lyrics were too personal, and would not interest the general public decided he wouldn't include the song on his new album. But when he called his wife Dominique from the studio while recording his prospective album, he sang the song to her over the telephone she loved it. She threatened him: "Si tu ne l'enregistres pas, je te quitte..." (meaning:  if you don't record this song, I will leave you). That's how Mistral Gagnant got into the album which was also named after the song. This song became a classic and one of the greatest songs of the French artist.

In spring 2014, the Canadian singer Cœur de pirate interpreted the song in a tribute album to Renaud's songs called La Bande à Renaud. Her version became very popular. That's how I dscovered the song. I heard while listening to the radio one day at work, i wrote down a few lines of the song and searched for the title. On youtube, I found the version by Renaud and Cœur de pirate. I am in love with the two songs and decided to share it here with you guys.

Enjoy and tell me which you prefer. I can't seem to decide which version is the best. There are several other versions of the song by other big French artists such as : Yves Duteil, Amel Bent, Lara Fabian, Maxime Le Forestier in duo with Vanessa Paradis amongst others.

Parole de Mistral Gagnant :

A m´asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
Et regarder les gens tant qu´y en a
Te parler du bon temps qu´est mort ou qui r´viendra
En serrant dans ma main tes p´tits doigts
Pis donner à bouffer à des pigeons idiots
Leur filer des coups d´ pieds pour de faux
Et entendre ton rire qui lézarde les murs
Qui sait surtout guérir mes blessures
Te raconter un peu comment j´étais mino
Les bonbecs fabuleux qu´on piquait chez l´ marchand
Car-en-sac et Minto, caramel à un franc
Et les mistrals gagnants

A r´marcher sous la pluie cinq minutes avec toi
Et regarder la vie tant qu´y en a
Te raconter la Terre en te bouffant des yeux
Te parler de ta mère un p´tit peu
Et sauter dans les flaques pour la faire râler
Bousiller nos godasses et s´ marrer
Et entendre ton rire comme on entend la mer
S´arrêter, r´partir en arrière
Te raconter surtout les carambars d´antan et les cocos bohères
Et les vrais roudoudous qui nous coupaient les lèvres
Et nous niquaient les dents
Et les mistrals gagnants

A m´asseoir sur un banc cinq minutes avec toi
Et regarder le soleil qui s´en va
Te parler du bon temps qu´est mort et je m´en fou
Te dire que les méchants c´est pas nous
Que si moi je suis barge, ce n´est que de tes yeux
Car ils ont l´avantage d´être deux
Et entendre ton rire s´envoler aussi haut
Que s´envolent les cris des oiseaux
Te raconter enfin qu´il faut aimer la vie
Et l´aimer même si le temps est assassin
Et emporte avec lui les rires des enfants
Et les mistrals gagnants
Et les mistrals gagnants