Souchon signed his first contract in 1971, but had no success until he began to collaborate with composer/arranger Laurent Voulzy ; they would write together, but each released albums under his own name. Souchon's first hit was "J'ai 10 ans" (1974), from the album of the same name. Souchon's biggest hit was probably "Foule Sentimentale" from 1995's C'est Deja ca. His recent album is from 2005, called La Vie Theodore which features his song "Et si en plus, y'a personne" [What if, even more, there is no one], a song condemning religious intolerance.
He wrote the theme for François Truffaut's 1979 film Love on the Run (L'amour en fuite).
Les cadors
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
Des mains font des vers à lire
D'autres des revolvers qui tirent
Le monde voit le monde en riant
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
On aime le sud et le gel
On veut de la musique et des choses pareilles
Qui poussent les gens devant
Le vent
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
Le même désir de pas d'mort
De l'amour encore et encore
Les enfants sont comme les enfants
Et pourtant
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
Tombés aux mêmes dentelles fines
A la même jolie Sade les même jeans
Pareillement sous la pluie longtemps
Attendant, pourtant
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
Le même goût du chaud soleil
Le nez la bouche les oreilles
Le garde des sceaux les gangstifs
C'est kif-kif, n'empêche
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
Nickel
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Plus de ciel
Alain Souchon's song Les cadors paints a picture of a society divided by social class, with the elites or "cadors" occupying the beautiful places and the rest relegated to less desirable ones. The lyrics use the imagery of hands writing poetry versus hands holding guns, reflecting the contrast between creative and destructive tendencies. The world is portrayed as laughing at itself, despite the underlying tensions and inequalities between the different groups of people. The chorus repeats the contrast between the "cadors" found in the nicest places, compared to the "others" who are left with nothing but the Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace and no sky to look up to.
The song also touches on universal desires, like the need for love, music and the warmth of the sun. The mention of "children" being like "children" highlights the idea that despite the differences between people, there are some things that are the same for everyone, no matter their social standing. The repeated line "Et pourtant" (And yet) adds a melancholic tone to the song, suggesting that despite the similarities between people, there are still significant differences that keep them apart.
Overall, Les cadors is a poignant commentary on society's divisions, seen through the lens of class differences. It highlights the contrasts between the lifestyles and aspirations of different groups of people while also acknowledging a shared humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Les cadors on les retrouve aux belles places
The elite can always be found in fancy places
Nickel
All good
Les autres c'est Saint-Maur Châteauroux Palace
Everyone else is stuck in middle-of-nowhere towns
Plus de ciel
No more sky
Des mains font des vers à lire
Some have the talent for writing poetry
D'autres des revolvers qui tirent
Others are skilled at shooting guns
Le monde voit le monde en riant
People look at the world through rose-colored glasses
Et pourtant
Nevertheless
On aime le sud et le gel
We like the warm south and the cold north
On veut de la musique et des choses pareilles
We want music and similar things that bring us together
Qui poussent les gens devant
That motivate people
Le vent
The wind
Le même désir de pas d'mort
The same desire for not dying
De l'amour encore et encore
For love again and again
Les enfants sont comme les enfants
Children are the same everywhere
Et pourtant
Nevertheless
Tombés aux mêmes dentelles fines
Doing the same things
A la même jolie Sade les même jeans
Wearing the same fashionable clothes
Pareillement sous la pluie longtemps
Being subjected to the same hardships
Attendant, pourtant
Waiting, nevertheless
Le même goût du chaud soleil
Liking the same hot sun
Le nez la bouche les oreilles
Sharing the same facial features
Le garde des sceaux les gangstifs
Sharing the same interests, despite outward differences
C'est kif-kif, n'empêche
It's all the same, nevertheless
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Written by: Alain Souchon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind