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.
Mer
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
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Mon cœur pèse des tonnes
Et mon corps s'abandonne
Si léger à la mer
La mer pleure ses vagues
Qui ont un goût de larmes
Et s'en vont, éphémères
Se perdre en la terre
Mer
Magique, originelle
Dans son rythme essentiel
Le ventre de la mer
Vous garde pour vous jeter
Dans un monde desséché
Qui n'est fait que de terre
Où je n'ai jamais
Su ce qu'il faut faire
Et la vague danse et joue
Puis se brise
Et la mer, tout à coup
Devient grise
Mon amour est si lourd à porter
Je voudrais doucement me coucher
Dans la mer
Magique, originelle
Dans son rythme essentiel
Je voudrais que la mer
Me reprenne pour renaître
Ailleurs que dans ma tête
Ailleurs que sur la terre
Où sans mon amour
Je ne peux rien faire
The lyrics of Françoise Hardy's song "Mer" explore the concept of love and how it changes one's perception of the world around them. The beginning of the song mentions the sea, which is often seen as a metaphor for love. The singer notes that we think we love the sea because we cannot see its depth or end, but this is contradicted by the fact that the person she loves, unlike the sea, is transparent and reveals everything about themselves. This contrast emphasizes how love can make us see the world in different, often unexpected ways.
The second verse of the song compares the person's love to the wind, which is fickle and unpredictable, while their love is steadfast and dependable. The singer describes how she is taken by surprise by this person who attaches themselves to her every move, much like the wind, but in a way that is different and unique. Finally, the last verse of the song speaks to the idea that we often dream of the stars as something unattainable and unreachable. However, since the person she loves began smiling at her, the singer has realized that there is something even more important to focus on, something that eclipses even the beauty of the sea, the stars, and the wind.
Overall, "Mer" is a beautiful love song that emphasizes the transformative power of love and how it can change our perspective on things we once thought we understood.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est drôle, on croit aimer la mer
It's funny, we think we love the sea
La mer, on n'en voit pas le fond
The sea, we can't see the bottom of it
La mer, on n'en voit pas la fin
The sea, we can't see the end of it
Et toi, c'est plutôt le contraire
And you, it's quite the opposite
Toi, tu ne caches
You, you don't hide
Aucun mystère
No mystery
C'est drôle, on croit aimer le vent
It's funny, we think we love the wind
Le vent ne vous obéit pas
The wind doesn't obey you
À son gré il vient et il va
It comes and goes as it pleases
Tu ne ressembles pas, au vent
You don't resemble the wind
Toi qui t'attaches
You who attach yourself
À tous mes pas
To all of my steps
Et l'on croit aimer les étoiles
And we think we love the stars
Elles sont loin
They are far away
Et elles brillent
And they shine
Et l'on croit rêver aux étoiles
And we think we dream about the stars
Comme on rêve à l'inaccessible
Like we dream of the unattainable
Que de distances entre elles et toi
So much distance between them and you
Ce sont des choses qu'on ne dit pas
These are things we don't say
Que je ne devrais pas te dire
That I shouldn't tell you
La mer, les étoiles et le vent
The sea, the stars and the wind
Depuis que je te vois sourire
Since I see you smile
Je ne les aime plus autant
I don't love them as much anymore
Lyrics © BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Francoise Hardy, Valenisa Zagni
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind