The Gendarme of Saint-Tropez: do you know the origin of the famous song from the film?

That it would be the success of the first part of the saga of Jean Girault without its cult soundtrack. In 1964, the actress Geneviève Grad (Nicole Cruchot, the daughter of the famous gendarme played by Louis de Funès) played Douliou douliou Saint-Tropez in a scene from the film where she partied with friends on the Côte d’Azur. While her father thinks she is sleeping peacefully at home.

Written by lyricist André Pascal and composer Raymond Lefebvre, this piece would become a hit that would punctuate summer evenings in the 1960s. If some of you really think you know the chorus by humming Do you, do you Saint -Tropez, you have it all wrong. For Planet, film journalist Henry-Jean Servat returns to the true meaning of this song. “In Provençal, it means “sweet place” of Saint-Tropez”.

As the actress Geneviève Grad hummed between two frenzied twist steps, Douliou douliou Saint-Tropez takes on a Frenglish accent over time. “Afterwards, the pronunciation has changed over time, but that doesn’t mean anything at all,” the writer assures us. This will not prevent this vintage pop hit from crossing generations, becoming part of French musical culture.

“Love is like the sea in Saint-Tropez / It changes every day in Saint-Tropez / For only one lost, ten are found / We don’t die of love in Saint-Tropez”, sang the actress in the film. Given the success of the film, the musical theme will also be used in the other parts of Jean Girault’s saga. “Nobody imagined at the time that there would be six films in the series”, is surprised today the journalist Henry-Jean Servat.

Discover these stars who have sung the city of Saint-Tropez

Before Le Gendarme, other artists will be inspired by the city of Saint-Tropez to release their own song. From the blues of Marie Laforêt (1960) to the twist in Saint-Tropez of Les Chats sauvage (1961), without forgetting Madison in Saint-Tropez by Chris Carol (1962) and the famous Madrague by Jean-Max Rivière, popularized by Brigitte Bardot (1963 ). More surprisingly, the artist and DJ Quentin Mosimann (winner of season 7 of Star Academy) took over an electro and franglisé version of Geneviève Grad’s hit!