Hardy signed her first contract with the record label Vogue in November 1961. In April 1962, shortly after finishing school, her first album, "Oh oh Chéri", appeared, with the title song written by Johnny Hallyday's writing duo. The flip side of the record, "Tous les garçons et les filles" became a huge success, which sold 2 million copies. She had long hair and usually wore jeans with a leather jacket, while accompanying her songs on the guitar.
She sang in English, Spanish, and German occasionally. In 1963, she represented Monaco in the Grand Prix d'Eurovision de la Chanson with "L'amour s'en va" and emerged in fifth place. In 1968, she received the Grand Prix du Disque Académie Charles Cros.
In 1981, she married her long-time companion Jacques Dutronc, with whom she had already had a son (Thomas Dutronc) in 1973. In May 2000, she had a comeback with the album "Clair Obscur". Her son played the guitar, and her husband sang the duet "Puisque vous partez en voyage". Iggy Pop and Etienne Daho participated, as well. She currently lives near Paris.
In 2006 she released a new duets album entitled "Parenthèses" which included a song with her son Thomas.
In 2021, Hardy announced that her health had worsened and that she would not be able to sing again owing to the effects of cancer therapy.
Coupure de Courant
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
et ça saigne un peu
vite une ou deux gouttes d'alcool
la ligne est en dérangement
système défectueux
ou malentendu
sous-entendu:
on ne s'entend plus
pas vraiment gentille
ou ai-je mis l'antivol
un cricket, un parasite
qui brouille les fils
discours décousu
tohu-bohu
on ne s'entend plus
trop de sons qui détonent
trop de sirènes
trop de cris et de larmes
et toi toujours aphone
ou mes antennes
qui tombent toujours en panne
changement de longueur d'onde
ou manque de piles
cœur en pièces
et face molle
il faudrait qu'il me réponde
car les murs vacillent
comme si j'avais bu
à mon insu
on ne s'entend plus
c'est un fâcheux contretemps
une interférence
faut vérifier nos boussoles
erreur de cap, accident
ou panne des sens?
atomes décrochus
accents aigus
on ne s'entend plus
trop de sons qui détonent
trop de sirènes
trop de cris et de larmes
et toi toujours aphone
ou mes antennes
qui tombent toujours en panne
The song Coupure de Courant by Françoise Hardy talks about a communication breakdown or a power outage, which could also be interpreted as symbolic of a relationship breakdown. The singer talks about how the power has gone out and how there is bleeding, perhaps indicating emotional pain. They talk about a defective system or a mix-up that has led to a breakdown in communication, using metaphors like crickets, parasites, and moths to describe the interference that is preventing them from hearing each other clearly. The singer mentions changing wavelengths, lack of batteries, and a heart in pieces, alluding to a sense of feeling lost and disconnected from one's sense of self.
The lines "trop de sons qui détonent, trop de sirènes, trop de cris et de larmes" (too many sounds that detonate, too many sirens, too many cries and tears) suggest that the world around them is chaotic and overwhelming, making it difficult to focus on the relationship. The lyrics "et toi toujours aphone, ou mes antennes qui tombent toujours en panne" (and you always speechless, or my antennae that always break down) point to a sense of frustration with the other person's inability to communicate, or perhaps with one's own inability to receive and interpret their messages.
Overall, the song captures a sense of confusion and disorientation that can arise in relationships when communication breaks down. The use of metaphors and symbols adds depth and nuance to the lyrics, creating a rich and evocative portrait of a difficult moment in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
c'est un coupure de courant
There has been a power outage
et ça saigne un peu
And it hurts a little bit
vite une ou deux gouttes d'alcool
Quick, a drop or two of alcohol
la ligne est en dérangement
The line is out of order
système défectueux
Malfunctioning system
ou malentendu
Or a misunderstanding
sous-entendu:
Hinting that
on ne s'entend plus
We can no longer hear each other
c'est peut-être une petite mite
It could be a tiny bug
pas vraiment gentille
Not really nice
ou ai-je mis l'antivol
Or did I put the lock?
un cricket, un parasite
A cricket, a parasite
qui brouille les fils
That is disrupting the wires
discours décousu
Incoherent speech
tohu-bohu
Hullabaloo
trop de sons qui détonent
Too many loud sounds
trop de sirènes
Too many sirens
trop de cris et de larmes
Too many screams and tears
et toi toujours aphone
And you still speechless
ou mes antennes
Or my antennae
qui tombent toujours en panne
That are always breaking down
changement de longueur d'onde
Change in wavelength
ou manque de piles
Or lack of batteries
cœur en pièces
Heart in pieces
et face molle
And soft face
il faudrait qu'il me réponde
He should answer me
car les murs vacillent
Because the walls are shaking
comme si j'avais bu
As if I had been drinking
à mon insu
Without my knowledge
c'est un fâcheux contretemps
It's an unfortunate mishap
une interférence
An interference
faut vérifier nos boussoles
We need to check our compasses
erreur de cap, accident
Wrong direction, accident
ou panne des sens?
Or a breakdown in senses?
atomes décrochus
Atoms detached
accents aigus
Sharp accents
on ne s'entend plus
We can no longer hear each other
trop de sons qui détonent
Too many loud sounds
trop de sirènes
Too many sirens
trop de cris et de larmes
Too many screams and tears
et toi toujours aphone
And you still speechless
ou mes antennes
Or my antennae
qui tombent toujours en panne
That are always breaking down
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.