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.
L'impasse
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
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Quoi que tu me fasses
Et même si par moment
Je sais me mettre à ta place
Toutes les choses que je comprends
Sont celles qui me cassent
Et je ne peux rien vraiment
Je suis dans l'impasse
C'est bien un enfer
C'est bien une impasse
Chaque fois que je te perds
En allant chercher ta trace
Dans tes longs, désespérants
Silences de glace
Je ne peux rien vraiment
Je suis dans l'impasse
Comment sortir de là?
C'est une drôle d'angoisse
D'être dans l'impasse
Alors j'aime tomber
Au fond d'un Chivas
Car je me mets à rêver
Que c'est toi qui me ramasses
Que tu veux bien me parler
Et que tu m'embrasses
Pour m'aider à supporter
D'être dans l'impasse
Comment sortir de là?
C'est une drôle d'angoisse
D'être dans l'impasse
The lyrics of Françoise Hardy's song "L'impasse" convey the feeling of being trapped in a stagnant, unfulfilling relationship. The singer expresses a sense of resignation and powerlessness in the face of the situation. No matter what the other person says or does, and even though the singer can empathize with them at times, it always leads to misunderstandings and heartbreak. The things that the singer understands only serve to break them further, leaving them feeling helpless and stuck in a dead end.
The repeated mention of being in an impasse highlights the theme of being at a standstill, with no clear way out. The singer describes it as an inferno, emphasizing the intensity of the emotional turmoil they are experiencing. Each time they lose the other person, they attempt to find their trace, but the result is always the same - long, desperate silences that freeze the relationship. Again, the singer expresses their inability to change the situation, reinforcing the feeling of being trapped and powerless.
The singer then reveals their coping mechanism of turning to alcohol, specifically Chivas Regal whisky, to escape the pain. Drinking becomes a way for the singer to dream and hope that the other person would come back to them, that they would communicate and share affection. They long for the other person to rescue them from the impasse they find themselves in. This illustrates a sense of longing and the need for some form of salvation.
The repeated question of how to escape from this impasse reflects the singer's anxiety and uncertainty. Being stuck in a dead end creates a unique kind of anguish, and the singer is haunted by this feeling. The lyrics conveys a deep sense of resignation and frustration, with no clear resolution or way out offered. Ultimately, the song portrays the painful experience of being trapped in a relationship where there seems to be no hope for change or improvement.
Line by Line Meaning
Quoi que tu me dises
No matter what you say to me
Quoi que tu me fasses
No matter what you do to me
Et même si par moment
And even if at times
Je sais me mettre à ta place
I can put myself in your shoes
Toutes les choses que je comprends
All the things I understand
Sont celles qui me cassent
Are the ones that break me
Et je ne peux rien vraiment
And I can't really do anything
Je suis dans l'impasse
I am in a deadlock
C'est bien un enfer
It's truly hell
C'est bien une impasse
It's truly a deadlock
Chaque fois que je te perds
Every time I lose you
En allant chercher ta trace
While searching for your trace
Dans tes longs, désespérants
In your long, desperate
Silences de glace
Ice-cold silences
Je ne peux rien vraiment
I can't really do anything
Je suis dans l'impasse
I am in a deadlock
Comment sortir de là?
How can I get out of this?
C'est une drôle d'angoisse
It's a strange anxiety
D'être dans l'impasse
To be in a deadlock
Alors j'aime tomber
So I like to fall
Au fond d'un Chivas
Into a bottle of Chivas
Car je me mets à rêver
Because I start to dream
Que c'est toi qui me ramasses
That it's you who picks me up
Que tu veux bien me parler
That you are willing to talk to me
Et que tu m'embrasses
And that you kiss me
Pour m'aider à supporter
To help me bear
D'être dans l'impasse
Being in a deadlock
Comment sortir de là?
How can I get out of this?
C'est une drôle d'angoisse
It's a strange anxiety
D'être dans l'impasse
To be in a deadlock
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Francoise Hardy, Pierre Papadiamondis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind