"Ménilmontant" is a French chanson written, composed and sung by Charles Trenet (1913-2001). Published in 1938 on a 78 rpm disc for Columbia EMI, it was recorded on 6 April 1939 in Paris, with Trenet accompanied by Wal-Berg and his orchestra. Its lyrics evoke the Ménilmontant district of the 20th arrondissement, with its old station and church. Inspired by 1930s American swing and jazz-blues as well as Parisian accordion and bal musette, the song is classed as French song, variété française, French jazz-zazou and music-hall, with a moderate tempo. It was a hit of Trenet's career and remains a classic of French song and of songs about Paris.
Later versions include those by Coco Aslan with Ray Ventura (1941), Colette Renard (1957), Caterina Valente (1962), Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli's Hot Club quintet in a jazz manouche version (1971), Patrick Bruel with Charles Aznavour (2002), and the Avalon Jazz Band (2016).
