Françoise Hardy (born Françoise Madeleine Hardy on 17 January 1944) is a Fr… Read Full Bio ↴Françoise Hardy (born Françoise Madeleine Hardy on 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads.

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.

Où Est-Il ?
Françoise Hardy Lyrics

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Je l'ai vu posé sur le lit
Était-ce hier
Ou aujourd'hui?

C'est bête d'être aussi étourdie
Où est-il? Où est-il?
Où est-il?

Et bien qu'il soit un peu petit
Il est visible
À mon avis

Serais-je atteinte de myopie
Où est-il? Où est-il?
Où est-il?

Pour une seconde d'inattention
De négligence, de distraction
On perd des choses ou
Sa raison

J'ai sans doute un trou de mémoire
Doublé d'un mal
Au cœur bizarre, bizarre

Il faut que je cesse de boire

Où est-il? Où est-il?
Où est-il?

Overall Meaning

The song "Où Est-Il?" by Francoise Hardy is a beautiful and reflective ballad about losing something precious and the frustrating feeling of not being able to find it. In this case, the object in question is a small item that was left on the bed, but the singer cannot seem to locate it despite searching high and low. The first stanza sets the scene by stating that the object was seen on the bed, but the singer can't remember if it was yesterday or today, implying the loss of time and the confusion that comes with it.

The chorus repeats the line "Où est-il?" which translates to "Where is it?" and is a reflection of the singer's desperation to find what's lost. She questions the validity of her own sight and wonder if her blindness is causing her to overlook something that is visible to everyone else. The second stanza continues this theme, with the singer realizing that it only takes a moment of inattention to lose something important, and how frustrating it is when it happens. She speculates that her forgetfulness might be linked to a strange and unexplained pain in her heart, suggesting that the loss of the item might not be the only thing bothering her.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the nature of loss and the confusion and frustration that comes with it. The lyrics are beautifully written, painting a clear picture of the singer's emotions and adding depth to the music.

Line by Line Meaning

Je l'ai vu posé sur le lit
I saw it placed on the bed

Était-ce hier
Was it yesterday?

Ou aujourd'hui?
Or today?

C'est bête d'être aussi étourdie
It's silly to be so scatterbrained

Où est-il? Où est-il?
Where is it? Where is it?

Où est-il?
Where is it?

Et bien qu'il soit un peu petit
Although it's a bit small

Il est visible
It's visible

À mon avis
In my opinion

Serais-je atteinte de myopie
Could I be nearsighted?

Où est-il? Où est-il?
Where is it? Where is it?