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 tour de l'île
Félix Leclerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le difficile
Et l'inutile
Y a le tour de l'île
Quarante-deux milles
De choses tranquilles
Pour oublier
Grande blessure
Été, hiver
Y a le tour de l'île
L'Île d'Orléans
L'Île c'est comme Chartres
C'est haut et propre
Avec des nefs
Avec des arcs
Des corridors
Et des falaises
En février
La neige est rose
Comme chair de femme
Et en juillet
Le fleuve est tiède
Sur les battures
Au mois de mai
A marée basse
Voilà les oies
Depuis des siècles
Au mois de juin
Parties les oies
Mais nous les gens
Les descendants
De La Rochelle
Présents tout le temps
Surtout l'hiver
Comme les arbres
Mais c'est pas vrai
Ben oui c'est vrai
Écoute encore
Maisons de bois
Maisons de pierre
Clochers pointus
Et dans les fonds
Des pâturages
De silence
Des enfants blonds
Nourris d'azur
Comme les anges
Jouent à la guerre
Imaginaire
Imaginons
L’Île d'Orléans
Un dépotoir
Un cimetière
Parcs à vidanges
Boîte à déchets
U. S. parkings
On veut la mettre
En mini-jupe
And speak English
Faire ça à elle
L’Île d'Orléans
Notre fleur de lys
Mais c'est pas vrai
Ben oui c'est vrai
Raconte encore
Sous un nuage
Près d'un cours d'eau
C'est un berceau
Et un grand-père
Au regard bleu
Qui monte la garde
Il sait pas trop
Ce qu'on dit dans
Les capitales
L'œil vers le golfe
Ou Montréal
Guette le signal
Pour célébrer
L'indépendance
Quand on y pense
C'est-y en France
C'est comme en France
Le tour de l'île
Quarante-deux milles
Comme des vagues
Les montagnes
Les fruits sont mûrs
Dans les vergers
De mon pays
Ça signifie
L'heure est venue
Si t'as compris
The song "Le tour de l'île" by Felix Leclerc is a tribute to the beauty and tranquility of Île d'Orléans, an island near Quebec City. The first verse talks about how people can find solace on the 42-mile tour of the island, letting go of the difficult and useless things of life. It mentions the beautiful scenery of the island and how it can help people forget their pains, no matter the season. The second verse describes the island's landscape in detail, comparing it to Chartres (a French city with beautiful architecture), highlighting the beauty of the snow in February like a woman's flesh and the warm river in July over the shores.
The third verse talks about the island's history, with the arrival of the geese in May and their departure in June. The descendants of La Rochelle (a port city in France) have always been present in the island, especially during winter. The last verse tackles how the islanders' way of life is threatened by modernization and commercialization, and that there are people who want to turn it into a dump and parking lot. The song encourages everyone to appreciate the beauty of the island and preserve its history.
Line by Line Meaning
Pour supporter
When we need to endure the difficult and futile aspects of life, we can find solace by taking a tour of the island
Le difficile
Et l'inutile
Y a le tour de l'île
Quarante-deux milles
The whole tour of the island is about forty-two miles long
De choses tranquilles
This long tour is full of calm and serene things to ease our minds
Pour oublier
We can forget our troubles for a little while
Grande blessure
The pain of a great injury
Dessous l'armure
One that is well-concealed beneath one's protective armor
Été, hiver
In both summer and winter,
Y a le tour de l'île
the tour of the island can be taken
L'Île d'Orléans
This is the name of the island that one would tour
L'Île c'est comme Chartres
The island is like the Chartres cathedral in many ways
C'est haut et propre
It is tall and well-maintained
Avec des nefs
It boasts a number of arched roofs
Avec des arcs
And a variety of arches
Des corridors
Long, narrow passageways
Et des falaises
Along with some cliffs
En février
In February,
La neige est rose
The snow is not white but is rose-colored,
Comme chair de femme
Just like the flesh of a woman
Et en juillet
But in July,
Le fleuve est tiède
The river is warm
Sur les battures
Especially so in the shallow parts of the river
Au mois de mai
In the month of May,
A marée basse
When the tide is low,
Voilà les oies
There are flocks of geese
Depuis des siècles
Who have been traveling to this spot for centuries
Au mois de juin
When June arrives,
Parties les oies
The geese depart for other places
Mais nous les gens
However, the people who live here
Les descendants
The descendants of people who came from La Rochelle, France
De La Rochelle
Présents tout le temps
Are present here all year round
Surtout l'hiver
Particularly in the winter
Comme les arbres
Just like the trees
Mais c'est pas vrai
But that's not true
Ben oui c'est vrai
Well, yes it is
Écoute encore
Listen some more
Maisons de bois
Wooden houses
Maisons de pierre
Houses made of stone
Clochers pointus
Sharp, pointed church steeples
Et dans les fonds
In the depths of the countryside
Des pâturages
There are pastures
De silence
Full of silence
Des enfants blonds
Children with light hair
Nourris d'azur
Raised amidst the blue skies
Comme les anges
Just like angels
Jouent à la guerre
Playing games of imaginary wars
Imaginaire
Imaginons
Let's imagine
L’Île d'Orléans
This is the name of the island they are imagining
Un dépotoir
It's shameful that some people want to turn this island into a waste dump
Un cimetière
The same people want to destroy it and turn it into a graveyard
Parcs à vidanges
They want to turn it into a dumping ground for sewage
Boîte à déchets
And pile it up with all sorts of trash
U. S. parkings
They want to build parking lots like the ones found in the United States
On veut la mettre
This is what they want to do to the island
En mini-jupe
They want to destroy its natural beauty and make it vulgar
And speak English
And make people speak English
Faire ça à elle
They want to do this to the island
L’Île d'Orléans
This beautiful island, which is called the 'flower of the lilies,'
Notre fleur de lys
Is Quebec's emblem, and this is why it should be protected and respected
Mais c'est pas vrai
But that's not true
Ben oui c'est vrai
Well, yes it is
Raconte encore
Tell me more
Sous un nuage
Under a cloud
Près d'un cours d'eau
Near a body of water
C'est un berceau
This is a cradle
Et un grand-père
With a grandfather
Au regard bleu
With blue eyes
Qui monte la garde
Who is keeping watch
Il sait pas trop
He doesn't really know
Ce qu'on dit dans
What people are saying
Les capitales
In the big cities
L'œil vers le golfe
He has his eyes fixed on the gulf
Ou Montréal
Or perhaps on Montreal
Guette le signal
Looking out for a signal
Pour célébrer
This signal tells them that it's time to celebrate
L'indépendance
The independence they have been waiting for
Quand on y pense
When they think about it
C'est-y en France
They wonder if they are still in France
C'est comme en France
This place is just like France
Le tour de l'île
Taking a tour of the island
Quarante-deux milles
Which is forty-two miles long
Comme des vagues
Like the waves of the sea
Les montagnes
The mountains
Les fruits sont mûrs
The fruits are ripe
Dans les vergers
In the orchards
De mon pays
Of my country
Ça signifie
This means
L'heure est venue
That the time has come
Si t'as compris
If you have understood
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Donald Macmillan
I am Scottish and arrived in Quebec in 1975 and quickly…..j'ai découvert Le Québec et sa fière culture. Et à connaître la passion pour l'indépendance incarnée dans l'art de gens comme Félix L, Robert C et Gilles V. Oh mon Dieu quelle poésie!
Et surtout Félix, qui me rappelle la poésie de notre poète national écossais, Robert Burns, lui aussi un homme du peuple !!
Paul Benout
Superbe
Alain Pare
Wow , beau témoignage
pierre Beaudoin
La chanson patriotique québécoise la plus extraordinaire...Cette voix singulière nous transporte au plus profond de l’âme. Chaque trémolo et intonation de Félix est comme un baiser que l’on reçoit direct au coeur... Quel géant, un chêne!
Hélène St-arnaud
Que dire des arrangements de François Dompierre. Je pleure ma vie… MERCI ! à vous deux.❤️❤️
Michel Deveau
Je suis un résident de l'Île et je peux vous dire que cette chanson nous amène à un autre niveau de réflexion. Merci à Félix.
christian legrand
comment ne pas aimer cette chanson magnifique,je suis aller au québec et j,ai vue une région splendide si bien chanter par félix,et merci a nos cousins pour leur gentillesse
Steve Ouimet
Je t aime Nathalie une coupe de vin rouge pour toi et moi ma drogue ton regard je t aime... Pour toujours..
Lisa Isabelle
C'est beau, Dieu que c'est beau. Cette voix, ces textes, cette prestance... Irremplaçable Leclerc.
denis tremblay
oui un tres grand poete