He was born in La Tuque, Quebec from a family of pioneers in 1914, sixth in a family of eleven children. He began his studies at the University of Ottawa but was forced to stop due to the Depression.
Leclerc worked at various jobs before taking jobs as a radio announcer in Quebec City and Trois-Rivières from 1934 to 1937. In 1939, he began working as a writer at Radio-Canada in Montreal, developing scripts for radio dramas, including Je me souviens. He performed some of his earliest songs there. He also acted in various dramas, including Un Homme et son péché. He published a number of his scripts and founded a performing company which presented his plays through Quebec.
In 1950, he was discovered by Paris impresario, Jacques Canetti, and performed his songs in France to great success. He signed a recording contract with Polydor Records. He returned to Quebec in 1953. In 1958, he received the top award of the Académie Charles-Cros in France for his second album. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1971, the National Order of Quebec in 1985 and became a Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur in 1986.
He died in his sleep on the Île d'Orléans in 1988. A monument in his memory was constructed there in 1989.
Leclerc played a major role in revitalising the Quebec folk song ("chanson") tradition. He also was a strong voice for Quebec nationalism.
Various parks, roads and schools in Quebec that have been named in his honour. The Felix Awards, given to Quebec recording artists, are named after him. In 2000, the Government of Canada honoured him with his image on a postage stamp.
Douleur
Félix Leclerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que je te courtiserais,
Je m'appellerais la peur,
Que je te défendrais,
Je m'appellerais la nuit,
Que je t'illuminerais,
Je m'appellerais la mort
Que je t'épargnerais.
Pour te faire langueur
Comme tu m'as fait douleur
Je m'appellerais le vent
Que je te blesserais,
Ne me crois pas méchant
Écoute mon couplet
Je m'appelle douleur
Et tu es ma demeure.
J'ai tant battu les rues
J'ai tant battu les heures
Qu'enfin tu es venue
Comme en mer la lueur
T'as dit : "j'aime les fous
Parc' qu'ils aiment les fleurs..."
Mis dans tes deux mains nues
Ma raison et mon cœur.
Ne me crois pas avant
Ne me crois pas servant
Je t'aime tant et tant
Maintenant tu le sens.
Traverserons les pleurs
Traverserons les ans
Traverserons les temps
Mon fardeau, ma chaleur...
The lyrics of Félix Leclerc's song Douleur convey the complexity of love and pain, and the interplay between the two. In the first stanza, he personifies different aspects of himself as love, fear, night, and death, and how he would court, defend, illuminate, and spare his beloved from them. These personifications are cleverly juxtaposed as they represent both the light and dark sides of the human experience. It's almost as if he's saying, "I am all of these things, but I promise to protect you from the ones that can hurt you."
In the second stanza, he invokes the imagery of wind and its ability to cause damage, but then offers a deeper understanding of his intentions. He calls himself pain and admits that she is his home. He has walked the streets and hours to find her, and now that she's here, he gives her his heart and reason. He asks her to trust him and feel the depth of his love.
The lyrics are both heartbreaking and beautiful, capturing the complexity of love and how it often comes with its opposite counterpart. Leclerc reflects on how painful relationships can be, yet how they ultimately bring meaning and purpose to our lives. He shows vulnerability in admitting his desire to be loved, but he also shows strength and dedication in offering all of himself to his beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Je m'appellerais l'amour
Que je te courtiserais,
I would call myself love, and I would court you.
Je m'appellerais la peur,
Que je te défendrais,
I would call myself fear, and I would protect you from it.
Je m'appellerais la nuit,
Que je t'illuminerais,
I would call myself the night, and I would illuminate it for you.
Je m'appellerais la mort
Que je t'épargnerais.
I would call myself death, and I would spare you from it.
Pour te faire langueur
Comme tu m'as fait douleur
To make you languish like you made me suffer.
Je m'appellerais le vent
Que je te blesserais,
I would call myself the wind, and I would harm you.
Ne me crois pas méchant
Écoute mon couplet
Don't believe me to be cruel, listen to my song.
Je m'appelle douleur
Et tu es ma demeure.
My name is pain, and you are where I reside.
J'ai tant battu les rues
J'ai tant battu les heures
I have roamed the streets, I have passed the hours.
Qu'enfin tu es venue
Comme en mer la lueur
Until finally you came, as a light over the sea.
T'as dit : "j'aime les fous
Parc' qu'ils aiment les fleurs..."
You said, "I love the crazy ones because they love the flowers..."
Mis dans tes deux mains nues
Ma raison et mon cœur.
I placed my reason and my heart in your two bare hands.
Ne me crois pas avant
Ne me crois pas servant
Don't believe me before, don't believe me a servant.
Je t'aime tant et tant
Maintenant tu le sens.
I love you so much, now you can feel it.
Traverserons les pleurs
Traverserons les ans
Traverserons les temps
Mon fardeau, ma chaleur...
We will cross through the tears, the years, the times, my burden, my warmth...
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trochou Patrick
Autre très belle chanson du grand Félix Leclerc
Linda Delage
Que rajouter de plus, simplement merci.
Jacques Brouyer
Dans un monde devenu fou Félix demeure une île où se réfugier ..
J avais oublié celle ci ..
Luc Gauthier
Bien dit. J’ai souvent eu cette pensée moi aussi.
Lisette Poulin
L'une des plus belles chansons!
Luc Gauthier
Totalement d’accord avec vous. Dans les chansons de FL dans le registre amour-tristesse : vous aimeriez probalement la chanson Batelier, batelier (Album L'Alouette en colère, 1973) ; vous la trouverez sur YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcrWiTYSn1Q