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.
Je Pensais
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu allais me quitter
Que pour un autre amour
Un jour, tu partirais
Et qu'une autre que moi
Saurait se faire aimer
De toi
Qu'une autre dans tes bras
Que moi
Je pensais bien qu'un jour
Cela arriverait
Je pensais que nous deux
ca ne pourrait durer
Qu'on était trop heureux
Et qu'une autre viendrait
Mais je n'aurais pas cru
Je n'avais pas prévu
Que toi
Tu pourrais te tromper
Tu pourrais me quitter
Pour ca !
Qu'étais-je donc pour toi
Si pour elle tu t'en vas ?
In the song "Je Pensais," Françoise Hardy expresses her vulnerability towards her partner by confessing her fear of being left behind for another woman. She begins the song by saying that she always thought that one day her partner would leave her for another woman who could love him better than her. She believed that another woman in his arms could offer him greater joys than what she not so apparently lacked.
In the second verse, Hardy expresses her disbelief that her partner could fall for another woman and leave her. She conveys her trust in their relationship that ultimately fails as her partner leaves her. She feels confused and wonders what she meant to her partner if he could so quickly fall for another woman.
Line by Line Meaning
Je pensais bien qu'un jour
I always thought that one day
Tu allais me quitter
you would leave me
Que pour un autre amour
for another love
Un jour, tu partirais
one day, you would go away
Et qu'une autre que moi
and that someone other than me
Saurait se faire aimer
would be able to love you as I do
De toi
from you
Qu'une autre dans tes bras
that another in your arms
T'offrirait d'autres joies
could offer you other joys
Que moi
than me
Je pensais bien qu'un jour
I always thought that one day
Cela arriverait
it would happen
Je pensais que nous deux
I thought about us
ca ne pourrait durer
it wouldn't last forever
Qu'on était trop heureux
that we were too happy
Et qu'une autre viendrait
and that another would come
Mais je n'aurais pas cru
but I didn't believe
Je n'avais pas prévu
I hadn't planned
Que toi
that you
Tu pourrais te tromper
could be unfaithful
Tu pourrais me quitter
could leave me
Pour ca !
for that!
Qu'étais-je donc pour toi
What was I to you
Si pour elle tu t'en vas ?
if you're leaving me for her?
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Hardy Francoise
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind