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.
J'Habite En France
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vivent d'amour et de vin frais
Et que toutes les filles d'ici
Habitent au Casino de Paris
Y en a qui pensent que le champagne
Sort des gargouilles de Notre-Dame
Et qu'entre deux Alka-Seltzers
On se ballade la culotte en l'air
À les entendre on croirait bien
Qu'on est pinté tous les matins
Mais voilà, j'habite en France
Et la France c'est pas du tout ce qu'on dit
Si les Français se plaignent parfois
C'est pas de la gueule de bois
C'est en France qu'il y Paris
Mais la France c'est aussi un pays
Où y a quand même pas cinquante millions d'abrutis
Y en a qui pensent que notre musique
Balance comme une bière de Munich
Que toutes nos danseuses ont la classe
Mais swinguent à côté de leurs godasses
Y en a qui disent qu'il y a sûrement
Deux, trois cafés par habitant
Que nos rythmiques sont des fanfares
Nos succès des chansons à boire
À les entendre on croirait bien
Qu'en France il n'y a pas de musiciens
Mais voilà, j'habite en France
Et la France c'est pas du tout ce qu'on dit
Si les Français se plaignent parfois
C'est pas de la gueule de bois
C'est en France qu'il y a Paris
Mais la France c'est aussi un pays
Où y a quand même pas cinquante millions d'abrutis
Y en a qui pensent et c'est certain
Que les Français se défendent bien
Toutes les femmes sont là pour le dire
On les fait mourir de plaisir
À les entendre on croirait bien
Que y a que les Français qui font ça bien
C'est pourquoi j'habite en France
Et la France c'est beaucoup mieux que ce qu'on dit
Si elles rêvent d'habiter chez moi
C'est qu'il y a de quoi
C'est pourquoi j'habite en France
Et la France c'est beaucoup mieux que ce qu'on dit
Si elles rêvent d'habiter chez moi
C'est qu'il y a de quoi
C'est pourquoi j'habite en France
The song "J'Habite En France" by Michel Sardou is a patriotic anthem that challenges the common misconceptions about France and its people. The first verse talks about how some people believe that the French live on love and fresh wine, and that all the girls live in the Casino de Paris. They also think that the champagne flows from the gargoyles of Notre-Dame, and that everyone leisurely walks around with their underwear in the air. Sardou rebuts these ideas, saying that he lives in France and it's not at all what people say it is.
The second verse addresses the idea that French music is nothing more than drinking songs and fanfares. People believe that all French dancers have class, but can't dance well. They think that there are two or three cafes per person, and that success is simply a matter of singing songs about drinking. Sardou again challenges these beliefs, saying that he lives in France and it's not like that at all.
The final verse talks about how some people believe that the French are good at defending themselves and that French women are the best lovers. They also think that only the French can do things well. Sardou once again challenges this perspective, saying that it's not true and that he lives in France and knows that it's much better than what they say.
In essence, the song is a message of national pride and a defense of French culture against common stereotypes.
Line by Line Meaning
Y en a qui disent que les Français
Vivent d'amour et de vin frais
Et que toutes les filles d'ici
Habitent au Casino de Paris
Some people say that the French live on love and fresh wine, and that all the girls here live at the Casino de Paris.
Y en a qui pensent que le champagne
Sort des gargouilles de Notre-Dame
Et qu'entre deux Alka-Seltzers
On se ballade la culotte en l'air
Some people think that champagne comes out of the gargoyles of Notre-Dame and that we wander around with our underwear in the air, taking Alka-Seltzers in between.
À les entendre on croirait bien
Qu'on est pinté tous les matins
Listening to them, you would think that we are drunk every morning.
Mais voilà, j'habite en France
Et la France c'est pas du tout ce qu'on dit
Si les Français se plaignent parfois
C'est pas de la gueule de bois
C'est en France qu'il y Paris
Mais la France c'est aussi un pays
Où y a quand même pas cinquante millions d'abrutis
But here I am, living in France, and it's not at all like what people say. If French people complain sometimes, it's not because of a hangover. France has Paris, but it's also a country with fewer than fifty million idiots.
Y en a qui pensent que notre musique
Balance comme une bière de Munich
Que toutes nos danseuses ont la classe
Mais swinguent à côté de leurs godasses
Some people think that our music swings like a Munich beer, that all our dancers have class but swing next to their shoes.
Y en a qui disent qu'il y a sûrement
Deux, trois cafés par habitant
Que nos rythmiques sont des fanfares
Nos succès des chansons à boire
Some say that there are surely two or three cafes per person, that our rhythms are fanfares, and our successes are drinking songs.
À les entendre on croirait bien
Qu'en France il n'y a pas de musiciens
Listening to them, you would think that there are no musicians in France.
Mais voilà, j'habite en France
Et la France c'est pas du tout ce qu'on dit
Si les Français se plaignent parfois
C'est pas de la gueule de bois
C'est en France qu'il y a Paris
Mais la France c'est aussi un pays
Où y a quand même pas cinquante millions d'abrutis
But here I am, living in France, and it's not at all like what people say. If French people complain sometimes, it's not because of a hangover. France has Paris, but it's also a country with fewer than fifty million idiots.
Y en a qui pensent et c'est certain
Que les Français se défendent bien
Toutes les femmes sont là pour le dire
On les fait mourir de plaisir
Some people think, and it's certain, that the French defend themselves well, and all the women are there to say that we make them die of pleasure.
À les entendre on croirait bien
Que y a que les Français qui font ça bien
Listening to them, you would think that only the French do it well.
C'est pourquoi j'habite en France
Et la France c'est beaucoup mieux que ce qu'on dit
Si elles rêvent d'habiter chez moi
C'est qu'il y a de quoi
C'est pourquoi j'habite en France
That's why I live in France, and France is much better than what people say. If they dream of living with me, it's because there are plenty of reasons. That's why I live in France.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Revaud, Michel Sardou, Vline Buggy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind