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.
Le Temps De L'innocence
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
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Le goût de l'amateur
Aller droit dans le mur
En écoutant son cœur
La fin de l'aventure
Et la déconfiture
Ça fait partie du jeu
Changer la règle
Si jeunes, quand j'y pense
Ingénus, sans défense
Devant les errances
Du temps de l'innocence
Qui vole en éclats
Le trouble délicieux
Qui vous rosit les joues
Vous fait baisser les yeux
Et va vous rendre fou
Les larmes qui défigurent
Les besoins du "moi, je"
Et autres impostures
Jouer le jeu
La chambre des tortures
Comme du septième ciel
Où voilà qu'on se jure
Un amour éternel
L'aliénation soudaine
Le baiser de la mort
L'addiction souveraine
Le diable au corps
Si jeunes, quand j'y pense
Exigeants, sans nuances
Piégés par l'urgence
Du temps de l'innocence
Je rêve en silence
Aux amours qui commencent
La foi, l'espérance
Du temps de l'innocence
Comme c'est loin déjà
Mes plus chers ennemis
Vous restez
Ma lumière dans la nuit
Je rêve en silence
À nos heures d'insouciance
La fougue, l'allégeance
Du temps de l'innocence
Comme c'est loin, tout ça
The song "Le Temps De L'innocence" by Françoise Hardy reflects on the loss of innocence and the realities of life that come with age. The lyrics describe the laws of nature and the taste of amateurs leading one straight into a wall while following their heart. The end of an adventure and downfall are part of the changing rules of the game. The singer reminisces about the days of innocence when they were young and ingenuous, but time had other plans. Innocence shatters, leaving a trail of vulnerable souls with cheeks turning rosy from the delightful confusions of youth. Tears of disappointment and frustration become part of the game of life, along with the need of "me, myself and I" and other forms of imposture.
The lyrics further describe experiences that a young person may encounter, such as the chamber of torture that can feel like heaven, leading to the exchange of promises of eternal love. Suddenly, there is the alienation, a passionate kiss of death, and an all-consuming addiction to the body, leaving one's soul in a state of turmoil. The song talks about the author's yearning for those innocent times when the world was less complicated and less demanding, where love was pure, faith and hope were uncomplicated. The artist refers to these times as dreams and remembers old friends and moments of earned happiness that have become a light guide for her in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Les lois de la nature, le goût de l'amateur
The natural laws, the taste of amateurism
Aller droit dans le mur en écoutant son cœur
Going straight into trouble by following one's heart
La fin de l'aventure et la déconfiture
The end of the adventure and the downfall
Ça fait partie du jeu : changer la règle
It's part of the game: changing the rules
Si jeunes, quand j'y pense, ingénus, sans défense
So young, when I think about it, naive, and defenseless
Devant les errances du temps de l'innocence qui vole en éclats
Before the wanderings of the time of innocence that shatters
Le trouble délicieux qui vous rosit les joues
The delicious trouble that flushes your cheeks
Vous fait baisser les yeux et va vous rendre fou
Makes you lower your eyes and will drive you crazy
Les larmes qui défigurent, les besoins du "moi, je"
The tears that mar, the needs of the "me, myself"
Et autres impostures, jouer le jeu
And other deceptions, playing the game
La chambre des tortures comme du septième ciel
The torture chamber like the seventh heaven
Où voilà qu'on se jure un amour éternel
Where one swears eternal love
L'aliénation soudaine, le baiser de la mort
The sudden alienation, the kiss of death
L'addiction souveraine, le diable au corps
The sovereign addiction, the devil within
Si jeunes, quand j'y pense, exigeants, sans nuances
So young, when I think about it, demanding, without nuances
Piégés par l'urgence du temps de l'innocence
Trapped by the urgency of the time of innocence
Je rêve en silence aux amours qui commencent
I dream in silence of the loves that begin
La foi, l'espérance du temps de l'innocence, comme c'est loin déjà !
The faith, the hope of the time of innocence, how far away it already seems!
Mes plus chers ennemis, vous restez ma lumière dans la nuit
My dearest enemies, you remain my light in the night
Je rêve en silence à nos heures d'insouciance
I dream in silence of our carefree hours
La fougue, l'allégeance du temps de l'innocence
The passion, the allegiance of the time of innocence
Comme c'est loin tout ça !
How far away it all is!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Francoise Hardy, Alain Lubrano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind