Born in Dunrea, Manitoba, Canada, his mother was a musician and he learned to play piano at a young age. In 1967, Lavoie won a singer-songwriter competition for the Société Radio-Canada French language television program, Jeunesse oblige which gave him his first major publicity.
The young franco-manitoban played and sang in English and French with two different groups but his singing career began to blossom following a 1970 tour in the province of Quebec. Within a few years he was equally as popular in France as he was in Canada, headlining at Bobino and the Olympia in Paris. His album Nirvana bleu (recorded in 1979) was one of his bestsellers ever.
Daniel Lavoie starred in the highly successful musical play, Notre-Dame de Paris, in which he played the part of Frollo. He has written music for motion pictures including the Ludovic series of animated short films.
Carmen
Daniel Lavoie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cerne son œil de gitana.
Ses cheveux sont d'un noir sinistre,
Sa peau, le diable la tanna.
Les femmes disent qu'elle est laide
Mais tous les hommes en sont fous
Et l'archevêque de Tolède
Car, sur sa nuque d'ambre fauve,
Se tord un énorme chignon
Qui, dénoué, fait dans l'alcôve
Une mante à son corps mignon
Et, parmi sa pâleur, éclate
Une bouche aux rires vainqueurs,
Piment rouge, fleur écarlate,
Qui prend sa pourpre au sang des cœurs.
Ainsi faite, la moricaude
Bat les plus altières beautés
Et, de ses yeux, la lueur chaude
Rend la flamme aux satiétés.
Elle a dans sa laideur piquante,
Un grain de sel, de cette mer
D'où jaillit, nue et provocante,
L'âcre Vénus au goût amer.
Carmen est maigre, - un trait de bistre
Cerne son œil de gitana.
Ses cheveux sont d'un noir sinistre,
Sa peau, le diable la tanna.
The lyrics of Daniel Lavoie's "Carmen" paint a vivid picture of the eponymous character, who is described as thin with a touch of bistre around her gypsy-like eyes. Carmen's black hair and devilishly tanned skin add to her striking appearance, and though some women claim she is unattractive, all men are captivated by her. Even the archbishop of Toledo sings mass at her feet.
One of Carmen's most striking features is her enormous bun on the back of her amber-hued neck, which, when untied, becomes a mantle for her small frame. Her mouth, with its victorious laughter, is like a red pepper or scarlet flower, taking on a purple hue from the hearts of those she seduces. Despite her unconventional beauty, Carmen is considered more desirable than even the most elegant of ladies. Her warm, intense gaze brings passion back into those who have long been satiated. The song describes Carmen as a captivating and alluring figure in spite of her unusual appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
Carmen est maigre, - un trait de bistre
Carmen is skinny, with dark skin.
Cerne son œil de gitana.
Her gypsy eye is circled with darkness.
Ses cheveux sont d'un noir sinistre,
Her hair is of a sinister black.
Sa peau, le diable la tanna.
Her skin, the devil tans.
Les femmes disent qu'elle est laide
Women say she's ugly,
Mais tous les hommes en sont fous
But all men are crazy about her.
Et l'archevêque de Tolède
And the Archbishop of Toledo
Chante la messe à ses genoux
Sings mass at her feet.
Car, sur sa nuque d'ambre fauve,
Because, on her amber fauve neck,
Se tord un énorme chignon
A huge bun is twisted,
Qui, dénoué, fait dans l'alcôve
When undone, it becomes,
Une mante à son corps mignon
A cloak to her cute body.
Et, parmi sa pâleur, éclate
And, among her paleness, shines
Une bouche aux rires vainqueurs,
A mouth with victorious laughter,
Piment rouge, fleur écarlate,
Red pepper, scarlet flower,
Qui prend sa pourpre au sang des cœurs.
Which gets its purple from the blood of hearts.
Ainsi faite, la moricaude
This is how the Moorish woman is made,
Bat les plus altières beautés
Defeating the most arrogant beauties,
Et, de ses yeux, la lueur chaude
And from her eyes, the warm glow
Rend la flamme aux satiétés.
Reignites the flame of satiety.
Elle a dans sa laideur piquante,
She has in her sharp ugliness,
Un grain de sel, de cette mer
A grain of salt from that sea
D'où jaillit, nue et provocante,
Where naked and provocative bursts out,
L'âcre Vénus au goût amer.
The acrid Venus with a bitter taste.
Carmen est maigre, - un trait de bistre
Carmen is skinny, with dark skin.
Cerne son œil de gitana.
Her gypsy eye is circled with darkness.
Ses cheveux sont d'un noir sinistre,
Her hair is of a sinister black.
Sa peau, le diable la tanna.
Her skin, the devil tans.
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.