#1 François Morel (14 March 1926 – 14 January 2018) was a Canadian composer… Read Full Bio ↴#1 François Morel (14 March 1926 – 14 January 2018) was a Canadian composer, pianist, conductor, and music educator. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1994 and was awarded the Prix Denise-Pelletier in 1996. He has had his works premiered by the CBC Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

#2 François Morel (born 10 June 1959) is a French actor, singer and humorist.

#1 Born in Montreal, Morel studied at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal from 1944–1953. His teachers included Claude Champagne (composition), Isabelle Delorme (harmony, counterpoint, fugue), Gérald Gagnier (conducting), Arthur Letondal (piano), Germaine Malépart, Jean Papineau-Couture (acoustics), and Edmond Trudel (piano). He was a founding member of the Canadian League of Composers in 1951. From 1956–1979 he worked for CBC Radio as a composer of incidental music, music consultant, and researcher.

Morel taught music analysis and composition at the Institut Nazareth from 1959–1961. In 1972 he was appointed director of the Académie de musique du Québec, a position he held through 1978. From 1976–1979 he taught at the Bourgchemin Cegep in Drummondville and from 1979–1997 he taught at Université Laval. He also served on the faculty of the Université de Montréal in 1979–1980. His work for guitar Me duele España, played by and written for guitarist Michael Laucke, was recorded on the Radio Canada International label (RCI 457) and won the Grand Prix du Disque of the Canadian Music Council in 1979 for the best Canadian recording.

He is among the first Quebec musicians to be trained exclusively at the CMM. From 1944 to 1953 he studied composition with Claude Champagne, acoustics with Jean Papineau-Couture, harmony, counterpoint and fugue with Isabelle Delorme and piano with Arthur Letondal, Germaine Malépart and Edmond Trudel.

PAPA
François Morel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

{Refrain, x2}
Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?
Comment qu'y va, papa ?
Sera-t-y saoul, sera-t-y pas ?
Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?

Va-t-il arriver titubant ?
Va-t-il débarquer l'œil méchant ?

Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?
Sera-t-y saoul, sera-t-y pas ?

Les ivrognes ça fait marrer
Quand on les voit à la télé
Tant mieux si toi ça te fait rire
Pardon, moi ça me fait frémir

{au Refrain}

Va-t-il crier, l'œil menaçant ?
Va-t-il faire honte à ses enfants ?
C'est l'heure où l'on n'ose rien dire
L’heure où chacun s'attend au pire

{au Refrain}

Il nous fait rigoler Bourvil
Quand il prend son air imbécile
Au cinéma, c'est trop marrant
Pardon, chez soi c'est effrayant

Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?
Comment qu'y va, papa ?
Se souvenait un vieil enfant
Âgé bientôt de cinquante ans

Sera-t-y saoul, sera-t-y pas ?
Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?
La nuit parfois se réveillant
Se demande le cœur battant

{au Refrain, x2}

Overall Meaning

The song "Papa" by François Morel is an emotional reflection on the fear and anxiety of a father's drunken behavior when returning home. The chorus repeats the lines, "Comment qu'y va rentrer papa?" which translates to "How is dad going to come home?" The singer questions whether their father will be drunk and stumbling or if he will come home with an angry look in his eyes. The singer expresses their aversion to the stereotype of drunkards being portrayed as funny or amusing, as it is a traumatic experience for them. They fear the possibility of their father shouting or embarrassing his children in front of others.

The song also highlights society's tendency to laugh at drunken behavior, as seen in films and TV shows. However, the singer urges us to evaluate the impact of this on those who have experienced the effects of alcoholism firsthand. The final verse reveals the perspective of an older child who still wakes up at night, filled with anxiety and wondering whether their father will come home drunk again.

Overall, "Papa" is a powerful and emotional piece that highlights the trauma and fear associated with alcoholism in families.

Line by Line Meaning

Refrain, x2
Chorus repeated twice throughout the song.

Comment qu'y va rentrer papa ?
How will papa come back home?

Comment qu'y va, papa ?
How are you doing, papa?

Sera-t-y saoul, sera-t-y pas ?
Will he be drunk, or not?

Va-t-il arriver titubant ?
Will he arrive stumbling?

Va-t-il débarquer l'œil méchant ?
Will he arrive with an angry look?

Les ivrognes ça fait marrer
Drunkards are amusing to some.

Quand on les voit à la télé
Especially when seen on TV.

Tant mieux si toi ça te fait rire
If it makes you laugh, that's great.

Pardon, moi ça me fait frémir
Forgive me, but it makes me shudder.