Who sang "Et maintenant" in 1961?

"Et maintenant" is a song written in 1961 by Gilbert Bécaud. It tells the story of a love that has ended. At that time, Bécaud was already known for many successful songs about love, but this one focuses on the end of a relationship. Through a series of questions, the song expresses feelings of abandonment and the uncertainties that follow a breakup. These questions, directed at the absent lover, gradually turn into resignation and then rebellion.

The lyrics poignantly ask, "And now what will I do, with all this time that will be my life, with all these people who don't matter, now that you are gone, all these nights, why and for whom? And this morning that returns for nothing, this heart that beats, for whom, why? It beats too hard, too hard..."

Gilbert Bécaud chose to convey the intensity of the emotions described in the lyrics with a distinctive rhythm. He used a snare drum played to the haunting rhythm of a bolero. The despair and rebellion build up to a climax, culminating in the final lines: "I really have... nothing left!" As you will notice at the end of the performance, Bécaud takes several seconds to regain his composure, showing the emotional impact of his interpretation.