In the Beatles' song, Michelle, what was the line sung in French?

The romantic, continental sound of The Beatles' 1965 ballad "Michelle" is largely defined by its memorable French lyrics. The key line, "sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble," translates to "these are words that go together well." This clever, self-referential phrase directly follows the opening "Michelle, ma belle," essentially commenting on how beautifully those initial words sound when sung in sequence.

The inclusion of French was Paul McCartney's idea, though he didn't actually speak the language. The song's origins trace back to a party piece where McCartney would pretend to be a French bohemian, singing in sophisticated-sounding gibberish. John Lennon encouraged him to turn it into a real song, so Paul sought help from Jan Vaughan, a French teacher and the wife of his old friend, Ivan Vaughan. She helped him find the perfect rhyme for Michelle ("ma belle") and crafted the famous line that became the song's lyrical centerpiece.

This simple but elegant addition was a stroke of genius, giving the track a unique character that set it apart. Featured on the groundbreaking album *Rubber Soul*, the song was a massive success, earning The Beatles the 1967 Grammy Award for Song of the Year and cementing its place as one of their most enduring and beloved ballads.