Françoise Hardy signed her first contract with the record label Vogue in November 1961. In April 1962, shortly after finishing school, her first record Oh Oh Chéri appeared, written by Johnny Hallyday's writing duo. Her own flip side of the record, "Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles" became a success, riding the wave of Yé-yé music in France, with two million sales.
Hardy sang in French, English, Italian, Spanish, and German. In 1963 she came fifth for Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest with "L'amour s'en va". In 1963, she was awarded the Grand Prix Du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy.
In 1981, she married her long-time companion Jacques Dutronc, with whom she had had a son, Thomas Dutronc, in 1973. In 1994, she collaborated with the British pop group Blur for their "La Comedie" version of To The End. In May 2000, she made a comeback with the album Clair Obscur. Her son played guitar and her husband sang the duet "Puisque Vous Partez En Voyage." Iggy Pop and Étienne Daho also took part. Hardy lives near Paris and Dutronc lives in Monticello, Corsica, although they remain a couple.[citation needed]
Autumn Rendez Vous
Francoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leaves are falling, red and gold
Now the warmth of love is fading
And the nights are getting cold
From the east the wind is blowing
Now the sky's no longer blue
Overhead the clouds are growing
You wanted to be free
Love was just a game to you
And you never meant to be
At this autumn rendezvous
All the happiness life gave me
Changed to emptiness today
Now that you no longer love me
Autumn's come, it's here to stay
Life seems empty now without you
It's not easy to forget
I may learn to live without you
But I'll always feel regret
I would cry but it's no good
Tears won't bring you back to me
Though I'd stop you if I could
I can't change what has to be
With the years I'll still remember
And in time the hurt will go
I'll forget this sad September
And be glad I loved you so
The lyrics of Françoise Hardy's song Autumn Rendez Vous reflect the transition from summer to autumn, and from love to loss. The beginning of the song sets the scene with the change of seasons, describing how the leaves are falling and the nights are getting cold. In parallel, the warmth of love is fading, and the singer is left to reflect on her lost relationship. The lyrics use vivid imagery to create a sense of the changing seasons, and the melancholic mood is conveyed through the sombre melody that is played throughout the song.
The song speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and loss, and the realization that sometimes love can be fleeting. The singer reflects on her former lover's desire for freedom, recognizing that their relationship was just a game to them. The sadness and emptiness that she feels are palpable, as she observes that autumn has arrived and will persist without him. However, despite the pain and regret that she feels, the singer recognizes that time will heal her wounds, and she will learn to live without him.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the summer days are ending
The long days of summer are coming to a close.
Leaves are falling, red and gold
The leaves are changing colors and falling from the trees.
Now the warmth of love is fading
The passionate love that was once present is now cooling off.
And the nights are getting cold
The temperatures are dropping as the seasons change.
From the east the wind is blowing
The wind is moving from the direction of the east.
Now the sky's no longer blue
The sky has changed its color from blue.
Overhead the clouds are growing
There are now more clouds in the sky.
Summer's gone and so are you
The summer is finished and so is the relationship.
You wanted to be free
You desired to be independent.
Love was just a game to you
You never took love too seriously.
And you never meant to be
You never intended to return.
At this autumn rendezvous
At this meeting in the fall.
All the happiness life gave me
All the joy life provided me.
Changed to emptiness today
Has turned into a hollow feeling as of today.
Now that you no longer love me
Now that you don’t have feelings for me.
Autumn's come, it's here to stay
The autumn is here for good.
Life seems empty now without you
My life has become hollow without you.
It's not easy to forget
It’s hard to forget.
I may learn to live without you
I may figure out how to live without you.
But I'll always feel regret
But I’ll always have sorrow.
I would cry but it's no good
I would weep, but it won’t help.
Tears won't bring you back to me
My tears won’t bring you back to me.
Though I'd stop you if I could
If I could, I’d stop you.
I can't change what has to be
I can’t change what is inevitable.
With the years I'll still remember
I’ll still remember as time passes.
And in time the hurt will go
And eventually, the pain will dissipate.
I'll forget this sad September
I’ll forget this melancholic September.
And be glad I loved you so
And be content that I loved you so.
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gckgxkgkvxkgx7760
Now the summer days are ending, leaves are falling, red and gold
Now the warmth of love is fading and the nights are getting cold
From the east the wind is blowing, now the sky's no longer blue
Overhead the clouds are growing, summer's gone and so are you
You wanted to be free, love was just a game to you
And you never meant to be at this autumn rendez-vous
All the happiness life gave me changed to emptiness today
Now that you no longer love me, autumn's come, it's here to stay
Life seems empty now without you, it's not easy to forget
I may learn to live without you but I'll always feel regret
I would cry but it's no good, tears won't bring you back to me
Though I'd stop you if I could, I can't change what has to be
With the years I'll still remember and in time the hurt will go
I'll forget this sad September and be glad I loved you so.
@gckgxkgkvxkgx7760
Now the summer days are ending, leaves are falling, red and gold
Now the warmth of love is fading and the nights are getting cold
From the east the wind is blowing, now the sky's no longer blue
Overhead the clouds are growing, summer's gone and so are you
You wanted to be free, love was just a game to you
And you never meant to be at this autumn rendez-vous
All the happiness life gave me changed to emptiness today
Now that you no longer love me, autumn's come, it's here to stay
Life seems empty now without you, it's not easy to forget
I may learn to live without you but I'll always feel regret
I would cry but it's no good, tears won't bring you back to me
Though I'd stop you if I could, I can't change what has to be
With the years I'll still remember and in time the hurt will go
I'll forget this sad September and be glad I loved you so.
@barbaraharris7004
Lyrics like these once heard leave an impact that is never forgotten.
Listened on the radio back in 1966, bought a cd that had this track many years later.
Few songs and a singers tone can make you feel such nostalgic pain for past memories in the heartrending lyrics.
@jean-lucjanot7054
En tant que Français, fan de la Françoise Hardy des années 60 et du rock britannique, je suis heureux de voir autant de commentaires élogieux sur cette chanteuse dans la langue de Shakespeare. Je sous-estimais la popularité qu'elle avait Outre-Manche.
@lendoscopy
Oh, Francoise Hardy, your voice...so hauntingly beautiful. I used to play this track over and over again especially when yet another boy broke my heart, now nearly 60yrs old, I found my soulmate 15 yrs ago and we have a gorgeous daughter. Merci Mm Hardy, your music will live on...
@andrewtough7850
This has always been one of my favourite songs - as a 15-year old I used to save up my pocket money and every couple of weeks catch a bus into Oxford Street (London) to buy one of her vinyl LPs. That was 48 years ago (!!) and I now, of course, have all her albums in CD format. The way she says the word 'cold' in this song still makes the blood rush - and I'm 63 ! She is gorgeous, unique, and obviously long-lasting !!
@rogershirley2857
Beautiful song beautiful lady and voice. Memories.........
@ADonovan43
Natures sweet symphones, the music of the four seasons is more musical than any mortal song can be.The sweetness of this lovely voice ,the magic of this lovely song will bring out the call of the wild in everyones heart.Take care ADonovan43
@Marianrest
This song always makes me close to breaking down and crying. What a beautiful girl and an amazing singer.
@rockym2931
I am so glad I discovered these songs of hers, and the French ones, too.
@MrFeinstein
I love this beautiful sad song.Francoise sings with such feeling.