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.
La Fête
Félix Leclerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et fait deux bancs de bois
Je frotte, je lave du plancher au pignon
Depuis un demi-mois.
J'attends Thérèse, Patricia, Gaston
Éloi, Nénette et ses bessons;
Mon frère aussi m'a dit qu'il y sera
J'attends Ti-Gus et monsieur le Curé,
Les deux Bastien et Jokum le barbier,
L'institutrice avec le menuisier,
Quinze étudiants et des dizaines d'enfants.
Je suis heureux de m'être fendu en quatre,
Ce sont tous gens que j'aime
Et bonne idée qu'une politesse je fasse
Avant temps de carême;
Ach'té une nappe avec feuillage dessus,
Emprunté tout, jusqu'aux chaudrons,
Fait cuire jambon, une dinde cuissue,
Pendu l' fanal au chevron, ron.
À boire aussi j'ai prévu caribou,
Un vin très doux pour elle,
Chansons à boire, à danser, à rêver,
Évidemment que j' me suis endetté...
Six heures, neuf heures, personne...
Voilà dix heures qui sonnent...
Personne n'est v'nu
Personne n'est v'nu...
Et j'ai nuité, et j'ai nuité...
Tout seul...
The lyrics of "La Fête" by Félix Leclerc describe the singer's preparations for a party, which he has tirelessly worked towards for half a month. He has cleaned and decorated his house, constructed benches, and scrubbed floors. In anticipation of the arrival of his loved ones, he has invited a long list of guests including Thérèse, Patricia, Gaston, Éloi, Nénette and her twins, his brother, and his niece Clara, among others. He has also prepared food like ham and turkey, as well as wine and caribou for the guests, and has even borrowed utensils like pots and pans from his friends. Despite his preparations, however, nobody shows up at the party, and the singer ends up spending the entire night alone.
The lyrics evoke themes of loneliness, disappointment, and detachment in the modern world, despite the singer's best efforts. The singer has clearly exerted a lot of time, energy, and resources in setting up his party and inviting all the people he cares about, but his efforts have gone in vain. The empty house stands as a symbol of his yearning for human connection and the failure of his attempts at communicating with others. The final line of the song, "And I stayed the night, all alone," is indicative of the disillusionment and disheartenment that the singer feels. He is left to wallow in his own company, questioning the significance of his life in the face of such rejection and detachment.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai nettoyé, décoré ma maison
I have cleaned and decorated my house
Et fait deux bancs de bois
And made two wooden benches
Je frotte, je lave du plancher au pignon
I scrub and wash everything from floor to ceiling
Depuis un demi-mois.
For half a month now
J'attends Thérèse, Patricia, Gaston
I am waiting for Thérèse, Patricia, and Gaston
Éloi, Nénette et ses bessons;
And for Éloi, Nénette and her twins
Mon frère aussi m'a dit qu'il y sera
My brother also said he will come
Avec sa fille Clara.
With his daughter Clara
J'attends Ti-Gus et monsieur le Curé,
I am also waiting for Ti-Gus and Father
Les deux Bastien et Jokum le barbier,
As well as the two Bastiens and barber Jokum
L'institutrice avec le menuisier,
And the teacher with the carpenter
Quinze étudiants et des dizaines d'enfants.
Fifteen students and dozens of children
Je suis heureux de m'être fendu en quatre,
I am happy to have gone all out
Ce sont tous gens que j'aime
These are all people I love
Et bonne idée qu'une politesse je fasse
It is a good idea to be polite
Avant temps de carême;
Before the fasting period of Lent
Ach'té une nappe avec feuillage dessus,
I bought a tablecloth with leaves on it
Emprunté tout, jusqu'aux chaudrons,
I borrowed everything, even the pots
Fait cuire jambon, une dinde cuissue,
I cooked ham and a roasted turkey
Pendu l' fanal au chevron, ron.
And hung a lantern on the beam, yes.
À boire aussi j'ai prévu caribou,
I also planned to serve caribou to drink
Un vin très doux pour elle,
A very sweet wine for her
Chansons à boire, à danser, à rêver,
Songs to drink, dance, and dream to
Évidemment que j' me suis endetté...
Obviously, I have gone into debt...
Six heures, neuf heures, personne...
Six o'clock, nine o'clock, no one...
Voilà dix heures qui sonnent...
Now ten o'clock is chiming...
Personne n'est v'nu
No one came
Et j'ai nuité, et j'ai nuité...
And I waited, and I waited...
Tout seul...
All alone...
Contributed by Brody A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.