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.
Premier Bonheur du Jour
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'est un ruban de soleil
Qui s'enroule sur ta main
Et caresse mon épaule
C'est le souffle de la mer
Et la plage qui attend
C'est l'oiseau qui a chanté
Le premier chagrin du jour
C'est la porte qui se ferme
La voiture qui s'en va
Le silence qui s'installe
Mais bien vite tu reviens
Et ma vie reprend son cours
Le dernier bonheur du jour
C'est la lampe qui s'éteint
The first happiness of the day is a ribbon of sunlight that wraps around your hand and caresses my shoulder. This opening line of the song sets the tone with a dreamy, romantic vibe. The singer is describing a perfect day spent with her lover by the beach, where the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, and the songs of the birds make everything feel magical. However, the mood shifts towards the end of the first verse when the first sorrow of the day arrives. The door closes, the car drives away, and the silence takes over. This transition from happiness to sadness reflects the impermanence of joy in life.
The second verse offers hope, as the lover returns soon and everything goes back to how it was before. Life resumes its usual course, and the last happiness of the day comes when the lamp extinguishes, signifying the end of a perfect day spent together. Overall, Le Premier Bonheur du Jour is a timeless song about the simple joys of life that become so much more meaningful when shared with someone you love.
Line by Line Meaning
Le premier bonheur du jour
The very first happiness of the day
C'est un ruban de soleil
Is a ribbon of sunshine
Qui s'enroule sur ta main
That wraps around your hand
Et caresse mon épaule
And caresses my shoulder
C'est le souffle de la mer
It's the breath of the sea
Et la plage qui attend
And the beach that awaits
C'est l'oiseau qui a chanté
It's the bird that has sung
Sur la branche du figuier
On the branch of the fig tree
Le premier chagrin du jour
The very first sorrow of the day
C'est la porte qui se ferme
Is the door that closes
La voiture qui s'en va
The car that departs
Le silence qui s'installe
The silence that settles in
Mais bien vite tu reviens
But soon you'll return
Et ma vie reprend son cours
And my life resumes its course
Le dernier bonheur du jour
The last happiness of the day
C'est la lampe qui s'éteint
Is the lamp that goes out
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, LES NOUVELLES EDITIONS MERIDIAN
Written by: Frank Gerald, Jean Renard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind