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.
Première rencontre
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rêvant de celui qui viendrait
Me sortir un jour de l'enfance
Et avec qui je partirais
Loin
S'il m'avait fallu le décrire
Bien sûr je me serais trompée
Avant de l'avoir rencontré
Avant que le concert commence
Quand tous les musiciens s'accordent
Un peu comme la mer qui avance
Un peu comme le mal au cœur
Quand je l'ai vu, c'était un peu ça
Il n'avait rien de plus qu'un autre
Mais j'au su que c'était celui-là
Et pas un autre
In "Première rencontre" (First Meeting), Françoise Hardy sings about waiting for the one person who will take her out of childhood and transport her far away. She is dreaming of meeting someone who will make her life feel more complete, someone who will be able to complete her. She is dreaming of someone who she hasn't met yet, but she already knows that this person will be her future partner.
Hardy describes the feeling that she has when she sees the man for the first time. She compares it to the sensation of all the musicians tuning their instruments before a concert or the feeling of nausea. The love she has for this man is not based on his looks or his characteristics, but just on the fact that she knows that he is the one for her.
The lyrics of "Première rencontre" beautifully capture the way love can make us feel. It can make us feel like we are ready to leave everything behind and start a new life with someone, and it can also make us feel like we are everything the person we love needs.
Line by Line Meaning
Je restais seule dans ma chambre
I was alone in my room
Rêvant de celui qui viendrait
Dreaming of the one who would come
Me sortir un jour de l'enfance
To one day take me out of childhood
Et avec qui je partirais
And with whom I would leave
Loin
Far away
S'il m'avait fallu le décrire
If I had to describe him
Bien sûr je me serais trompée
I would have been wrong of course
Mais jamais déjà sans sourire
But never already without a smile
Avant de l'avoir rencontré
Before I met him
Avant que le concert commence
Before the concert started
Quand tous les musiciens s'accordent
When all the musicians agree
Un peu comme la mer qui avance
A bit like the sea that moves forward
Un peu comme le mal au cœur
A bit like heartache
Quand je l'ai vu, c'était un peu ça
When I saw him, it was a bit like that
Il n'avait rien de plus qu'un autre
He didn't have anything more than anyone else
Mais j'au su que c'était celui-là
But I knew it was him
Et pas un autre
And not anyone else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michel Berger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind