He was bor… Read Full Bio ↴Michel Sardou (born January 26, 1947) is a French singer.
He was born in Paris, the son of Fernand Sardou and Jackie Rollin (Jackie Sardou). Contrary to what has been written at the beginning of his career, he is not the grandson of the dramatist Victorien Sardou.
He is known for songs dealing with various social and political issues, such as the rights of women in Islamic countries, clerical celibacy and colonialism. Another sometimes controversial theme found in some of his songs ("Les Ricains," for example) is respect and support for the culture and foreign policies of the United States. Another notable fact about his career is that he has focused his full attention on his homeland, ignoring the prospect of an international audience, although his 1981 single "Les lacs du Connemara" did manage to become a big international hit. A number of his hit songs were written in collaboration with Jacques Revaux, a few others (most notably "En chantant") with Italian singer Toto Cutugno.
Even in the 21st century, Michel Sardou remains immensely popular in France, selling out 18 consecutive dates at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in 2001, while his 2004 album "Du plaisir" went straight to the no. 1 spot on the French album charts.
He has been married three times, first to a French dancer, then to Babette (the mother of his children) and lastly to an lifelong friend who edits the French version of Vogue.
He is currently (2023) at the center of a controversy over a song he wrote fifty years ago: the lakes of Connemara. Juliette Armanet, a French pop starlet answering a question about a song that would made her leave a party and it was LES LACS DU CONNEMARA. Sardou, an idol of the French right, in spite of himself, is stuck between the left which finds him corny and the right which does not support that one attacks its institutions. Music is a strong force and nobody fights harder than those who LOVE certain songs. Amazingly this song has nothing to do with politics.
En Chantant
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je repassais mes leçons
En chantant
Et bien des années plus tard
Je chassais mes idées noires
En chantant
C'est beaucoup moins inquiétant
De parler du mauvais temps
En chantant
Et c'est tellement plus mignon
De se faire traiter de con
En chanson
La vie c'est plus marrant
C'est moins désespérant
En chantant
La première fille de ma vie
Dans la rue je l'ai suivie
En chantant
Quand elle s'est déshabillée
J'ai joué le vieil habitué
En chantant
J'étais si content de moi
Que j'ai fait l'amour dix fois
En chantant
Mais je n'peux pas m'expliquer
Qu'au matin elle m'ait quitté
Enchantée
L'amour c'est plus marrant
C'est moins désespérant
En chantant
Tout les hommes vont en galère
À la pêche ou à la guerre
En chantant
La fleur au bout du fusil
La victoire se gagne aussi
En chantant
On ne parle à Jéhovah
À Jupiter à Bouddha
Qu'en chantant
Qu'elles que soient nos opinions
On fait sa révolution
En chanson
Le monde est plus marrant
C'est moins désespérant
En chantant
Puisqu'il faut mourir enfin
Que ce soit côté jardin
En chantant
Si ma femme a de la peine
Que mes enfants la soutiennent
En chantant
Quand j'irai revoir mon père
Qui m'attend les bras ouverts
En chantant
J'aimerais que sur la Terre
Tous mes bons copains m'enterrent
En chantant
La mort c'est plus marrant
C'est moins désespérant
En chantant
Quand j'étais petit garçon
Je repassais mes leçons
En chantant
Et bien des années plus tard
Je chassais mes idées noires
En chantant
C'est beaucoup moins inquiétant
De parler du mauvais temps
En chantant
Et c'est tellement plus mignon
De se faire traiter de con
En chanson
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana
The lyrics of Michel Sardou’s song En chantant are about the power of singing to help overcome life’s difficulties. The first verse explains that when he was a child, he used to sing while studying his lessons, and he still sings today to chase away his dark moods. The chorus affirms that life is funnier and less desperate when we sing. The second verse is about the joy of love and how singing can help us enjoy it more. Sardou sings about following a girl he likes and being pleased with himself for making love to her. However, he is puzzled by her leaving him the morning after. The third verse is about how singing can help to overcome hardships in life, such as war, and change the world around us. The fourth verse is about facing death and how singing can make it less desperate. The last verse echoes the first, and the song ends with the repetition of the chorus.
Overall, the song is uplifting and shows the value of music in our lives. It has become a classic of French music and a symbol of hope for many.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand j'étais petit garçon
When I was a young boy
Je repassais mes leçons
I reviewed my lessons
En chantant
While singing
Et bien des années plus tard
And many years later
Je chassais mes idées noires
I chased away my dark thoughts
En chantant
While singing
C'est beaucoup moins inquiétant
It's much less worrying
De parler du mauvais temps
To talk about bad weather
En chantant
While singing
Et c'est tellement plus mignon
And it's so much cuter
De se faire traiter de con
To be called a fool
En chanson
In a song
La vie c'est plus marrant
Life is more fun
C'est moins désespérant
It's less despairing
En chantant
While singing
La première fille de ma vie
The first girl of my life
Dans la rue je l'ai suivie
In the street, I followed her
En chantant
While singing
Quand elle s'est déshabillée
When she undressed
J'ai joué le vieil habitué
I played the old hand
En chantant
While singing
J'étais si content de moi
I was so happy with myself
Que j'ai fait l'amour dix fois
That I made love ten times
En chantant
While singing
Mais je n'peux pas m'expliquer
But I can't explain
Qu'au matin elle m'ait quitté
Why she left me in the morning
Enchantée
Delighted
L'amour c'est plus marrant
Love is more fun
C'est moins désespérant
It's less despairing
En chantant
While singing
Tout les hommes vont en galère
All men go through hardship
À la pêche ou à la guerre
Fishing or war
En chantant
While singing
La fleur au bout du fusil
The flower at the end of the rifle
La victoire se gagne aussi
Victory is also won
En chantant
While singing
On ne parle à Jéhovah
We don't talk to Jehovah
À Jupiter à Bouddha
To Jupiter or Buddha
Qu'en chantant
Only in song
Qu'elles que soient nos opinions
Whatever our opinions may be
On fait sa révolution
We make our revolution
En chanson
In a song
Le monde est plus marrant
The world is more fun
C'est moins désespérant
It's less despairing
En chantant
While singing
Puisqu'il faut mourir enfin
Since we must finally die
Que ce soit côté jardin
Let it be on the garden side
En chantant
While singing
Si ma femme a de la peine
If my wife is upset
Que mes enfants la soutiennent
Let my children support her
En chantant
While singing
Quand j'irai revoir mon père
When I go see my father again
Qui m'attend les bras ouverts
Who awaits me with open arms
En chantant
While singing
J'aimerais que sur la Terre
I would like on Earth
Tous mes bons copains m'enterrent
All my good friends to bury me
En chantant
While singing
La mort c'est plus marrant
Death is more fun
C'est moins désespérant
It's less despairing
En chantant
While singing
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Nanana nananana, nanana nananana
Lyrics © CURCI EDIZIONI MUSICALI, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Salvatore Cutugno, Pierre Delanoe, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind