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.
La liberté
Daniel Lavoie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais la défendre est singulier
On est tous infidèles à nos idées
Rien de commun avec l'amour
Mais ça nous vient comme ça d'instinct
Rebelle s'écrit toujours au féminin
La vie vaut bien qu'un beau matin, on disparaisse
Sur la déroute sans même laisser une adresse
La liberté est une manière d'aller plus loin
Avoir raison de sa misère au bout du chemin
Et c'est très bien
Mon premier cri était une femme
Très belle comme une envie de vivre
Le tout début d'une âme dedans sa vie
Ni liberté ni sanctuaire
La terre est pleine de gueules cassées
De celles qui savent se taire pour écouter
Et c'est très bien
La vie vaut bien qu'un beau matin, on disparaisse
Sur la déroute sans même laisser une adresse
La liberté est une manière d'aller plus loin
Avoir raison de sa misère au bout du chemin
Et c'est très bien
Rien de nouveau sur la planète
Y'en a comme ça tous les matins
Avec la même idée faire son chemin
Chercher moyen d'aller un peu plus loin
Et c'est très bien
Et c'est très bien
Et c'est très bien
Et c'est très bien ...
The song "La Liberté" by Daniel Lavoie is a reflection on the concept of freedom. The opening lines explain that freedom is plural, representing a multitude of possibilities and options, but defending it is a singular task that falls on each individual. It acknowledges that holding steadfast to one's ideals can be difficult, as everyone is subject to wavering and becoming unfaithful to their own beliefs.
The chorus declares that life is worth living, even if one disappears one day and leaves no trace behind. This could be interpreted as celebrating the self-sufficiency and independence that freedom provides. The idea of having the strength to overcome personal suffering and misery is also emphasized as being an integral part of the journey to attain true freedom.
The second verse begins with a poignant statement about the singer's first cry being that of a woman. This line serves as a tribute to the power and enduring spirit of women in the quest for freedom. The song goes on to point out that there is no absolute freedom or sanctuary, as life is full of people who are scarred and broken yet remain silent and listen to their surroundings to eke out hope. The concluding verse ends on a positive note by stating that there are many individuals who strive to take on the unknown, look for ways to advance themselves, and expand the meaning of freedom.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the ability to stand by one's convictions and the rewards of taking risks to achieve a greater sense of freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
La liberté est un pluriel
Freedom is a plural concept
Mais la défendre est singulier
But defending it is individualistic
On est tous infidèles à nos idées
We are all unfaithful to our own ideas
Rien de commun avec l'amour
Freedom has nothing in common with love
Mais ça nous vient comme ça d'instinct
But it comes to us instinctively
Rebelle s'écrit toujours au féminin
Rebel is always written in the feminine form
Et c'est très bien
And that's just fine
La vie vaut bien qu'un beau matin, on disparaisse
Life is worth disappearing one beautiful morning
Sur la déroute sans même laisser une adresse
On the run without even leaving an address
La liberté est une manière d'aller plus loin
Freedom is a way to go further in life
Avoir raison de sa misère au bout du chemin
To overcome one's misery at the end of the road
Mon premier cri était une femme
My first cry was from a woman
Très belle comme une envie de vivre
Very beautiful like a desire to live
Le tout début d'une âme dedans sa vie
The very beginning of a soul in her life
Ni liberté ni sanctuaire
Neither freedom nor sanctuary
La terre est pleine de gueules cassées
The earth is full of broken faces
De celles qui savent se taire pour écouter
Of those who know how to be silent and listen
Rien de nouveau sur la planète
Nothing new on the planet
Y'en a comme ça tous les matins
There are people like that every morning
Avec la même idée faire son chemin
With the same idea of making their way
Chercher moyen d'aller un peu plus loin
Looking for a way to go a little further
Et c'est très bien
And that's just fine
Et c'est très bien
And that's just fine
Et c'est très bien
And that's just fine
Et c'est très bien ...
And that's just fine...
Contributed by Owen O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.