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]
Esquives
Francoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sur le non-dit des banquises,
des nuits sans étoiles :
la bienséance exquise,
les noirs desseins…
ne jamais donner prise
garder la main
et sourire, l'air de rien…
à tous ces feux d'artifice,
au vide abyssal
de ce double langage
d'équilibriste
aux traits imperturbables
qui brouille mes pistes…
lâcher la proie pour l'ombre
oser les coupes sombres
m'effacer et me fondre
dans la nuit
fuir d'ici
sans faire de bruit…
In Françoise Hardy's song Esquives, she sings of a desire to reveal the unspoken truths and hidden motives of those around her. She longs to lift the veil on the polite facade of society and uncover the dark intentions that lurk beneath. She speaks of the need to maintain her composure and never give in to the tricks and schemes of those trying to manipulate her. There are constant fireworks and flashy distractions all around her, but she seeks the final resolution and closure that requires honesty and transparency.
The song speaks to the struggle of maintaining a sense of identity and authenticity in a world that constantly tries to obscure and manipulate the truth. There is a theme of isolation and detachment as she contemplates the need to distance herself from those who would use her for their own gain. The line "lâcher la proie pour l'ombre" ("letting go of the prey for the shadow") speaks to this desire to escape the dangers of the present and find solace in the anonymity of the night. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment with the superficiality of society and a longing for deeper connection and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
quand vais-je enfin lever le voile
When will I finally uncover
sur le non-dit des banquises,
the unspoken of the ice sheets
des nuits sans étoiles :
of starless nights:
la bienséance exquise,
the exquisite propriety,
les noirs desseins…
the black designs...
ne jamais donner prise
never giving ground
garder la main
keeping the upper hand
et sourire, l'air de rien…
and smiling as if it's nothing...
quand mettrez-vous un point final
When will you put an end
à tous ces feux d'artifice,
to all these fireworks,
au vide abyssal
to the abyssal void
de ce double langage
of this double-talk
d'équilibriste
of the tightrope walker
aux traits imperturbables
with the unflappable traits
qui brouille mes pistes…
that muddles my tracks...
lâcher la proie pour l'ombre
letting go of the prey for the shadow
oser les coupes sombres
daring the dark cuts
m'effacer et me fondre
disappear and blend in
dans la nuit
into the night
fuir d'ici
flee from here
sans faire de bruit…
without making any noise...
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.