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.
Les Ricains
Michel Sardou Lyrics
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Vous seriez tous en Germanie
À parler de je ne sais quoi
À saluer je ne sais qui
Bien sûr les années ont passé
Les fusils ont changé de mains
Est-ce une raison pour oublier
Qu'un jour on en a eu besoin?
Un gars venu de Géorgie
Qui se foutait pas mal de toi
Est v'nu mourir en Normandie
Un matin où tu n'y étais pas
Bien sûr les années ont passé
On est devenus des copains
À l'amicale du fusillé
On dit qu'ils sont tombés pour rien
Si les Ricains n'étaient pas là
Vous seriez tous en Germanie
À parler de je ne sais quoi
À saluer je ne sais qui
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song "Les Ricains" speak of the impact that the American forces had during World War II. The opening line of the chorus "Si les Ricains n'étaient pas là" (If the Americans weren't here) suggests that if the American forces were not present during the war, the French people would have been living under the German regime, speaking their language and saluting unknown figures. This line captures the gratitude that France had towards the US for its role in freeing their country.
As the song progresses, it reveals the realities of war and how people become intertwined with each other's lives. When the French were fighting with Americans, they were just mere acquaintances, but as time passed, they became friends. The second verse talks about a soldier from Georgia who died in Normandy. Though his origin, language, culture was different, it didn't matter, and he fought for the same cause. The war brought people together, and the friendships formed carried forward even after the war.
The song highlights the historical significance of the events that happened during World War II while also revealing the human story of bonds that are formed when fighting a common enemy. The lyrics pay tribute not only to the soldiers and forces but also to the civilians who lived through those times.
Line by Line Meaning
Si les Ricains n'étaient pas là
If the Americans weren't there
Vous seriez tous en Germanie
You would all be in Germany
À parler de je ne sais quoi
Talking about who knows what
À saluer je ne sais qui
Saluting who knows who
Bien sûr les années ont passé
Of course, the years have passed
Les fusils ont changé de mains
The guns have changed hands
Est-ce une raison pour oublier
But is that a reason to forget
Qu'un jour on en a eu besoin?
That one day we needed them?
Un gars venu de Géorgie
A guy from Georgia
Qui se foutait pas mal de toi
Who didn't give a damn about you
Est v'nu mourir en Normandie
Came and died in Normandy
Un matin où tu n'y étais pas
On a morning when you weren't there
Bien sûr les années ont passé
Of course, the years have passed
On est devenus des copains
We became friends
À l'amicale du fusillé
At the society of those shot
On dit qu'ils sont tombés pour rien
They say they fell for nothing
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Guy Magenta, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind