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.
Minuit minuit
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
qui peut
oh la la sauve
qui peut m'raccompagner
vous les barbus vous les chauves
qui peut
oh la la chauves
qui peut
pitié pitié
j'rent'e chez moi
pauvre petite fille
au s'cours à moi
république bastille
ram'nez-moi
j'rent'e chez moi
c'est tout droit
j'rent'e chez moi
l'autobus me grise
oui mais là
c'est la grève surprise
help à moi
c'est tout droit
j'rent'e chez moi
oh la la
minuit minuit qui s'décide
personne
besoin que d'une
personne ne veut m'aider
c'est un douzième coup d'acide
qui sonne
brûlure d'acide
qui peut
qui veut
qui qui veut
qui qui peut
(mélanger aux phrases de Françoise)
une seule place dans une seule voiture
j'suis pas si grande que ça je l'jure
je n'réclame ni baiser d'adieu
ni dernier verre vertigineux
pitié pitié
plus
j'rent'e chez moi
république bastille
c'est loin c'est froid
pour une petite fille
ram'nez-moi
j'rent'e chez moi
c'est tout droit
oh la la
The lyrics of Françoise Hardy's song "Minuit minuit" depict the desperation of a young woman stranded in the middle of the night, searching for someone to accompany her home. The urgency of the situation is emphasized by the repetition of the phrase "minuit minuit faut qu'j'me sauve" at the beginning, followed by a plea for help to anyone who's willing to listen. Hardy's use of the second person "vous" and addressing the "barbus" (bearded) and "chauves" (bald) men adds a sense of ambiguity and anonymity to the scene, suggesting that the woman is willing to seek help from anyone available.
As the song progresses, the woman's tone becomes increasingly panicked, as she begs for mercy and assistance to reach her home. The mention of "république bastille" adds a specific location to the scene, further grounding it in reality and adding to the listener's sense of empathy for the woman. The repeated chorus of "pitié pitié j'rent'e chez moi" emphasizes the woman's desperation, while the later verse suggests a more self-reliant tone, as she insists "j'suis pas si grande que ça" and "je n'réclame ni baiser d'adieu" – clearly indicating that the woman is not looking for a romantic encounter, but merely seeking someone to help her get home safely.
Overall, Françoise Hardy's "Minuit minuit" is a poignant portrayal of a young woman's fears and anxieties, set against the backdrop of a bustling city at night. Through her use of repetition, specific locations, and emotive language, Hardy perfectly captures the sense of urgency and desperation in the woman's plea for help.
Line by Line Meaning
minuit minuit faut qu'j'me sauve
It's midnight and I have to leave.
qui peut
Who can help me?
oh la la sauve
Oh my, someone save me.
qui peut m'raccompagner
Who can accompany me?
vous les barbus vous les chauves
You bearded ones, you bald ones.
oh la la chauves
Oh my, the bald ones.
qui veut
Who wants to?
pitié pitié
Please, please.
j'rent'e chez moi
I'm going home.
pauvre petite fille
Poor little girl.
au s'cours à moi
Help me, help me.
république bastille
Republic Bastille, the location.
ram'nez-moi
Take me with you.
c'est tout droit
It's straight ahead.
l'autobus me grise
The bus makes me dizzy.
oui mais là
But now,
c'est la grève surprise
There's a surprise strike.
help à moi
Help me!
minuit minuit qui s'décide
It's midnight, who will make up their mind?
personne
Nobody.
besoin que d'une
I only need one.
personne ne veut m'aider
No one wants to help me.
c'est un douzième coup d'acide
It's like taking a twelfth dose of acid.
qui sonne
That's ringing.
brûlure d'acide
Burning from the acid.
qui peut
Who can?
qui veut
Who wants to?
qui qui veut
Who, who wants to?
qui qui peut
Who, who can?
une seule place dans une seule voiture
Only one spot in one car.
j'suis pas si grande que ça je l'jure
I swear I'm not that big.
je n'réclame ni baiser d'adieu
I'm not asking for a goodbye kiss.
ni dernier verre vertigineux
Nor a last dizzying drink.
plus
No more.
c'est loin c'est froid
It's far, it's cold.
pour une petite fille
For a little girl like me.
oh la la
Oh my.
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.