 He was also a prolific writer of "chansons", many of which were recorded and popularized by French singers such as Juliette Gréco, Monique Morelli, Catherine Sauvage, and Germaine Montero.Born in Péronne, Somme, in northern France, Mac Orlan lived in Rouen and Paris as a young man, working at a variety of jobs and learning to play the accordion.In his twenties, he travelled widely in Europe, before returning to Paris and becoming a noted figure in Bohemian art circles.