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.
Le Québécois
Félix Leclerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Narquois comme tout québécois,
Qu'on trouva pendu l'autre fois
Sous la gargouille d'un toit.
Il était amoureux.
Ça rend un homme bien malheureux.
Écoutez son histoire un peu.
La fille, lui avait dit : " Puisque tu m'aimes,
Fais-moi, une chanson simple et jolie. "
Le gars, à sa table, toute la nuit,
Trouva, ce que je joue à l'instant même.
C'était bien, mais il mit des Prouchkinovs,
Des icônes, d' la Vodka, des troïkas,
Et, hop et galope dans les neiges de Sibérie,
Petersbourg et la Hongrie.
Y avait la Nitratchka, Alex et Prokofiev,
Molotov et Natacha.
La fille, écouta ce méli-mélo
Et dit : " C'est loin et c'est trop. "
Le pauvre québécois,
Pas même remis de son émoi,
Se replongea dans les bémols
En arrachant son col.
Il était amoureux.
Ça rend un homme bien courageux.
Il pensa trouver beaucoup mieux
Avec cet air en bleu :
Blues, Tennessee, Brooklyn, California,
Blues, Apple pie, Alléluia, Coca-Cola.
La belle bien-aimée,
En entendant ces boos-là,
Fut si grandement affolée
Qu'au couvent, elle entra.
Le pauvre québécois,
Découragé, saigné à froid,
Gagna son toit par le châssis
Et s'y pendit.
Par les matins d'été,
Quand les oiseaux vont promener,
Derrière la grille du couvent,
Monte ce chant troublant :
" C'était un québécois
Qui voulait me célébrer.
Hélas, il avait oublié
De me regarder. "
Reste in pace.
The song "Le Québécois" by Félix Leclerc tells the tragic story of a Quebecois man who was found hanged under the gutter of a roof. The song begins with the description of the man as being very typical of a Quebecois, playful and sarcastic. However, he was in love, and the object of his affection challenged him to write a simple and pretty song for her. The man labored all night, and what he came up with was a jumbled mess of references to Russian culture and history, which overwhelmed the woman and caused her to reject him.
The man was heartbroken but resolved to try again, this time with a simpler song. He wrote a bluesy tune and incorporated references to American culture, hoping to win the woman over. However, she was even more put off by this attempt, and she entered a convent shortly afterward. The man's heart was shattered, and he hung himself in despair.
The song is a poignant examination of the hopelessness and desperation that can come with unrequited love. It also touches on themes of cultural identity and the clash between different cultures.
Line by Line Meaning
C'était un québécois,
There was a Quebecer,
Narquois comme tout québécois,
Mocking like all Quebecers,
Qu'on trouva pendu l'autre fois
Who they found hanged the other day
Sous la gargouille d'un toit.
Under the gargoyle of a roof.
Il était amoureux.
He was in love.
Ça rend un homme bien malheureux.
It makes a man very unhappy.
Écoutez son histoire un peu.
Listen to his story for a bit.
Après, vous rirez mieux.
Afterwards, you'll laugh better.
La fille, lui avait dit : " Puisque tu m'aimes,
The girl had told him: "Since you love me,
Fais-moi, une chanson simple et jolie."
Make me a simple and pretty song."
Le gars, à sa table, toute la nuit,
The guy, at his table, all night,
Trouva, ce que je joue à l'instant même.
Found, what I'm playing at this very moment.
C'était bien, mais il mit des Prouchkinovs,
It was good, but he added some Pushkin,
Des icônes, d' la Vodka, des troïkas,
Icons, vodka, troikas,
Et, hop et galope dans les neiges de Sibérie,
And, hop and gallop in the snows of Siberia,
Petersbourg et la Hongrie.
St. Petersburg and Hungary.
Y avait la Nitratchka, Alex et Prokofiev,
There were Nitratchka, Alex and Prokofiev,
Molotov et Natacha.
Molotov and Natasha.
La fille, écouta ce méli-mélo
The girl listened to this mishmash
Et dit : " C'est loin et c'est trop. "
And said: "It's far and it's too much."
Le pauvre québécois,
The poor Quebecer,
Pas même remis de son émoi,
Not even recovered from his excitement,
Se replongea dans les bémols
Plunged back into flats,
En arrachant son col.
Ripping off his shirt collar.
Il était amoureux.
He was in love.
Ça rend un homme bien courageux.
It makes a man very brave.
Il pensa trouver beaucoup mieux
He thought he could find something much better
Avec cet air en bleu :
With this blue tune:
Blues, Tennessee, Brooklyn, California,
Blues, Tennessee, Brooklyn, California,
Blues, Apple pie, Alléluia, Coca-Cola.
Blues, apple pie, alleluia, Coca-Cola.
La belle bien-aimée,
The beloved beauty,
En entendant ces boos-là,
Upon hearing those boos
Fut si grandement affolée
Was so greatly upset
Qu'au couvent, elle entra.
That she entered the convent.
Le pauvre québécois,
The poor Quebecer,
Découragé, saigné à froid,
Discouraged, bleeding in the cold,
Gagna son toit par le châssis
Climbed to his roof through the window,
Et s'y pendit.
And hanged himself there.
Par les matins d'été,
On summer mornings,
Quand les oiseaux vont promener,
When the birds go for a walk,
Derrière la grille du couvent,
Behind the convent's gate,
Monte ce chant troublant :
Rises this disturbing song:
" C'était un québécois
"There was a Quebecer
Qui voulait me célébrer.
Who wanted to celebrate me."
Hélas, il avait oublié
Alas, he forgot
De me regarder. "
To look at me."
Reste in pace.
Rest in peace.
Contributed by Adeline Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Оливер
Félix Leclerc, notre plus grand.