Pierre Perret

The music of Pierre Perret captured the lives of the French working class with uncommon precision. A supremely gifted lyricist renowned for his mordant wit and playful eroticism, his songs employed everyday slang to startlingly poetic effect. Born in Castelsarrazin, Perret spent much of his adolescence in his father's restaurant, Le Café du Pont, absorbing the streetsmart patois of the local workers who comprised its core clientele. The single "Le Tord Boyaux" proved a blockbuster hit, selling more than 100,000 copies and establishing the acerbic wit that would remain the hallmark of his lyrics for the duration of his career. ~ Jason Ankeny