Biography
The young François Feldman spent his adolescence listening soul music, including songs by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and James Brown, among other artists. His father gave him his first guitar at fourteen years of age, and François won first prize several times in the radio contests he entered. He created his first group at the age of 14 and appeared in a few clubs. In 1980, Feldman recorded his first song, "You Want Every Night", then "Ma Petite Vidéo" in 1982, "Folle sur les bords" in 1983 summer, "Wally boule noire" and "Obsession" in 1984, and finally "Amour de corridor" in 1985, but all these singles remained unsuccessful.
In 1986, he became famous with his song "Rien que pour toi" which reached number 12 on the SNEP Singles Chart and sold 200,000 units. Thereafter, Feldman had many hits in France, becoming a well established star in France. He has sold very well over his 25-year career, selling about ten million albums in several countries, including Belgium, Italy, Canada and Japan.
Released in 1989, his second studio album entitled Une Présence was more successful and contains several hit singles, such as "Joue pas", recorded as a duet with Joniece Jamison, "Les Valses de Vienne", "Petit Frank" and "C'est toi qui m'as fait" which were all top-2 hits in France. The same year, he wrote the hit single "J'aurais voulu te dire" for Caroline Legrand. This album was followed by Magic Boul'vard, released in 1991, and provided to Feldman a third number one hit in France, "Joy", a song dedicated to the singer's daughter.
Since 1993, and his album Indigo, Feldman has been less successful and unable to repeat his previous feats on the charts. Despite releasing four albums, he has been almost absent from the media and his sales have become more restricted. He currently continues his artistic career giving popular concerts throughout France.
In 2007, "Rien que pour toi" was covered by Tatiana Laurens who took part in the French TV reality show Secret Story.
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Petit Franck
François Feldman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu voudrais bien jouer les durs
Mais y'a quelqu'un qui te manque
Dans ta vie petit Franck
Tes sentiments les plus forts
Sont enfouis comme des trésors
Dans les rêves où tu t'endors
Les couloirs de la pension
Sont devenus ta maison
Y'a des bleus, des tâches d'encre
Dans ta vie petit Franck
Mais tu te bats dans la cour
Mais tu te bats par amour
Pour ne pas crier au secours
Chorus :
Faut pas pleurer
T'es le plus fort
Il faut serrer
Les poings très fort
Elle est partie
Pour tes dix ans
Depuis tu dis
Elle revient quand
Et tu dessines son visage
Avec des mots de ton âge
Quand tu es seul le dimanche
Dans ta vie petit Franck
Y'a tous ceux qui n'comprennent pas
Et qui se moquent de toi
Alors des fois tu t'en vas
Chorus (x 4)
The song "Petit Franck" by François Feldman is a poignant ballad about a young boy named Franck who is dealing with the absence of someone very important in his life. The lyrics describe Franck's attempts to seem tough and independent - he writes his name on the walls and fights others in the schoolyard. However, the song reveals that underneath this façade, Franck is deeply hurting and missing someone who has left him, likely his mother or a close caretaker figure. Despite being only ten years old, he holds onto hope that this person will come back to him someday and draws their face with words that match his young age. The song emphasizes the emotions within the child that he can't express, those that he buries within his dreams.
The song's chorus repeats throughout the song, reinforcing the message of strength and determination in the face of hardship. It encourages Franck to not cry, to clench his fists and be strong even when things get hard, and to hold on to his hope that the person he misses will return to him.
Line by Line Meaning
T'écris ton nom sur les murs
You write your name on the walls
Tu voudrais bien jouer les durs
You would like to play tough
Mais y'a quelqu'un qui te manque
But there is someone missing in your life
Dans ta vie petit Franck
In your life, little Franck
Tes sentiments les plus forts
Your strongest feelings
Sont enfouis comme des trésors
Are buried like treasures
Dans les rêves où tu t'endors
In the dreams where you fall asleep
Les couloirs de la pension
The hallways of the boarding school
Sont devenus ta maison
Have become your home
Y'a des bleus, des tâches d'encre
There are bruises, ink stains
Dans ta vie petit Franck
In your life, little Franck
Mais tu te bats dans la cour
But you fight in the courtyard
Mais tu te bats par amour
But you fight for love
Pour ne pas crier au secours
To avoid crying for help
Chorus : Faut pas pleurer T'es le plus fort Il faut serrer Les poings très fort Elle est partie Pour tes dix ans Depuis tu dis Elle revient quand
Chorus: Don't cry You're the strongest You have to clench Your fists very tightly She left For your tenth birthday Since then you say When will she come back
Et tu dessines son visage
And you draw her face
Avec des mots de ton âge
With words from your age
Quand tu es seul le dimanche
When you are alone on Sundays
Dans ta vie petit Franck
In your life, little Franck
Y'a tous ceux qui n'comprennent pas
There are all those who don't understand
Et qui se moquent de toi
And who make fun of you
Alors des fois tu t'en vas
So sometimes you leave
Chorus (x 4)
Chorus (x 4)
Contributed by Adam P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.