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.
Si Je Le Retrouve Un Jour
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
Ou alors, du bout des dents
Quelque chose comme ça, en passant
Quelque chose comme
Y a si long- tant de nuits
Tant d'amis partis au loin
Eux aussi
Tant d'soucis
Grands comme le Mississippi
Et qui m'ont blessée
Comme des scies, si si
S'il a eu mal aussi
Tant pis
Tant d'cela, tant d'ce
Si je le retrouve un jour
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
Ou alors du bout des lèvres
Quelque chose comme
"J'ai eu la fièvre"
Comme j'ai eu
Du mauvais- tant de nuits pourtant
Tant d'pays, tant d'soleils
Plus forts qu'celui d'Hawai
Sans soucis
Le ciel qui s'éclaircit
Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé^
Il s'est obscurci
J'lui dirai ça aussi
Tant pis
Tant d'cela, tant d'ce
Si je le retrouve un jour
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
The song "Si Je Le Retrouve Un Jour" by Françoise Hardy talks about meeting someone once again who was once significant to the singer but has now become a distant memory. Hardy declares that she will not even greet this person and will not care to have a proper conversation with them. She muses about how much time has passed and how life has changed. The singer talks about the struggles and challenges she has faced, including the separation from friends and the frustration of unresolved issues that have left her hurt. She recognizes that there may have been similar challenges in the other person's life, but she has no interest in exploring a possible mutual understanding. In short, the song is about the singer's indifference towards the person she used to know.
The lyrics present a feeling of emotional detachment as if the singer has closed off emotionally. It is evident when she expresses that she will only say a quick line in passing to the person she will meet. She avoids diving deep into conversation and only mentions how much she has been through. She communicates that she is not in a hurry to reconnect with the person and that certain experiences have left her distant and guarded. The song's slow-paced instrumentals complement the melancholic lyrics, creating an introspective atmosphere, contributing to the song's overall theme.
Line by Line Meaning
Si je le retrouve un jour
If I ever find him again
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
I won't even say hello to him
Ou alors, du bout des dents
Or maybe with a strained smile
Quelque chose comme ça, en passant
Just something like that, in passing
Quelque chose comme
Just something like that
Y a si long- tant de nuits
It's been so long, so many nights
Tant d'ennuis
So many troubles
Tant d'amis partis au loin
So many friends gone far away
Eux aussi
Just like him
Tant d'soucis
So many worries
Grands comme le Mississippi
As big as the Mississippi river
Et qui m'ont blessée
And which hurt me
Comme des scies, si si
Like saws, yes, yes
S'il a eu mal aussi
If he has also suffered
Tant pis
Too bad
Tant d'cela, tant d'ce
So much of this and that
Si je le retrouve un jour
If I ever find him again
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
I won't even say hello to him
Ou alors du bout des lèvres
Or maybe with a tight-lipped smile
Quelque chose comme "J'ai eu la fièvre"
Just something like 'I had a fever'
Comme j'ai eu
Just like I had
Du mauvais- tant de nuits pourtant
Of the bad times, so many nights yet
Tant d'pays, tant d'soleils
So many countries, so many suns
Plus forts qu'celui d'Hawai
Stronger than the sun in Hawaii
Sans soucis
Without worries
Le ciel qui s'éclaircit
The sky clearing up
Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé
What happened?
Il s'est obscurci
It grew dark
J'lui dirai ça aussi
I'll tell him that too
Tant pis
Too bad
Tant d'cela, tant d'ce
So much of this and that
Si je le retrouve un jour
If I ever find him again
J'lui dirai même pas bonjour
I won't even say hello to him
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michel Jonasz, Alain Goldstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind