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.
Tu Peux Bien
Françoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
et tu peux, demain
sans rien me dire, disparaître, je sais bien
que tu peux nous perdre
toi qui ne veux pas
que sur ton chemin, on s'arrête mais tu vois
je rêve de me perdre
et je cours à ma perte
si tu n'as rien d'autre pour moi, que çà
tu peux tout faire
pour nous séparer
plus tu gagnes et plus je perds à t'aimer
moi je veux, peut-être, ce que je n'ai pas
je te laisserais peut-être, ce jour là
où lassée de tout perdre
je saurais partir loin de toi, toi
et par peur de me perdre
tu croiras que tu veux de moi
In Francoise Hardy's song Tu Peux Bien, the singer is addressing a person with whom she is in a relationship that is hanging by a thread. The person is capable of getting lost and disappearing without a word, and the singer knows that he could lose them at any moment. She dreams of getting lost with this person, but also knows that she is risking everything in this love because the person is not committed to staying with her. She recognizes that the person holds all the power, and can do anything to tear them apart, despite her strong desire to be with them.
Line by Line Meaning
tu peux bien te perdre
You have the freedom to lose yourself if you wish.
et tu peux, demain
Even tomorrow, if you feel like it.
sans rien me dire, disparaître, je sais bien
You can disappear without informing me, and I am aware of that.
que tu peux nous perdre
You could lose both of us.
toi qui ne veux pas
You who does not want
que sur ton chemin, on s'arrête mais tu vois
That we halt on your path but, you see,
je rêve de me perdre
I dream of losing myself.
si c'est me perdre avec toi, toi
But only if it is with you.
et je cours à ma perte
I know that I'm headed towards my loss.
si tu n'as rien d'autre pour moi, que çà
If all you have for me is this.
tu peux tout faire
You have the power to do anything,
pour nous séparer
To separate us.
plus tu gagnes et plus je perds à t'aimer
The more you gain, the more I lose by loving you.
moi je veux, peut-être, ce que je n'ai pas
Maybe I desire what I don't have.
je te laisserais peut-être, ce jour là
On that day, maybe I'll let you go.
où lassée de tout perdre
When I'm tired of losing everything.
je saurais partir loin de toi, toi
I'll be able to leave you far behind.
et par peur de me perdre
And out of fear of losing myself,
tu croiras que tu veux de moi
You'll believe that you want me.
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.