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]
The Garden Of Jane Delawnay
Francoise Hardy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
his words hanging in the air
the ground you walk upon
might as well not be there
might as well not be there
I'll take you through my dreams
out into the darkest morning
into the garden of Jane Delawnay
into her garden now
through the rose if there
don't pluck it as you pass
or the fire will consume your hair
and your eyes will turn to glass
your eyes will turn to glass
in the willow's shade
don't lie to hear it weep
or its tears of gold and jade
will drown you as you sleep
will drown you now
Jane Delawnay had her dreams
that she never did discover
for the flow that feeds the streams
is the lifeblood of her lover
is the lifeblood of her lover
and the purifying beams
of the sun will shine here never
while the spirit of her dreams
in the garden lives forever
lives forever now
"The Garden of Jane Delawnay" by Françoise Hardy is a hauntingly beautiful song about a mystical garden that represents the dreams and desires of a woman named Jane Delawnay. The song starts with the poet's words lingering in the air, implying that the meaning behind the song is going to leave a lasting impact. The garden is described as an otherworldly place, where the ground you walk upon might as well not be there, as if the reality we know is replaced by something magical and ethereal in this garden.
As the song progresses, the lyrics warn listeners of the dangers that lurk within the garden. Plucking a rose, for example, would be dangerous, as your hair could catch fire and your eyes could turn to glass. Similarly, lying under a weeping willow could prove fatal, as the tears from the willow could drown you in your sleep.
Jane Delawnay's dreams are also mentioned, emphasizing the mystique of the garden. Despite never discovering her dreams, the garden is said to be the spirit of her dreams and serves as a reminder of her unfulfilled desires. The imagery and warnings throughout the song create a sense of eeriness and intrigue, suggesting that the garden of Jane Delawnay is far from a typical garden.
Line by Line Meaning
the poet's voice lingers on
The lingering effect of the poet's words can still be felt.
his words hanging in the air
The impact of the poet's words is still being felt and resonating.
the ground you walk upon
The surface you walk on holds no significance, as it is overshadowed by the beauty of the garden.
might as well not be there
The importance of the ground beneath your feet is insignificant in comparison to the garden's beauty.
I'll take you through my dreams
The singer is inviting the listener to join her in exploring her imagination.
out into the darkest morning
They will journey into an unknown realm, even amidst uncertainty.
past the blood-filled streams
The journey may also encounter darker themes such as violence or chaos.
into the garden of Jane Delawnay
The journey will culminate in the discovery of Jane Delawnay's beautiful garden.
into her garden now
The singer is emphasizing the importance of visiting the garden.
through the rose if there
The singer warns against those who may pluck the roses as they journey through the garden.
don't pluck it as you pass
The singer advises against plucking any of the beautiful roses, as it may have dark consequences.
or the fire will consume your hair
If someone should pluck the rose, they will be punished with a curse that involves their hair.
and your eyes will turn to glass
Those who pluck the rose will face a fate worse than death: their eyes will turn to glass.
in the willow's shade
Another beautiful aspect of Jane Delawnay's garden is the weeping willow provides cool shade.
don't lie to hear it weep
The singer warns against lying down near the willow tree to hear the sounds of its weeping.
or its tears of gold and jade
The tree's tears would normally be of great value, but due to a curse they turn to gold and jade and are dangerous to those who come into contact with them.
will drown you as you sleep
Those who sleep under the tree will be drowned in its tears.
Jane Delawnay had her dreams
Jane Delawnay, through her garden and the fantasies it inspired, had aspirations she was never able to realize.
that she never did discover
Despite not being able to realize her dreams, she will continue to inspire others forever.
for the flow that feeds the streams
Her lover's lifeblood nourishes the streams that flow through the garden, which in turn provides life to the garden.
is the lifeblood of her lover
Her lover's lifeblood is a crucial part of the garden's beauty and survival.
and the purifying beams
The beauty of the sun cannot penetrate the garden due to a curse on the garden.
of the sun will shine here never
The garden will never see the beauty of the sun again.
while the spirit of her dreams
Despite the curse, the spirit of Jane Delawnay's dreams will live on in her garden.
in the garden lives forever
Through her garden, Jane Delawnay's legacy will remain forever.
Contributed by Maya R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sharonhallshipp6011
beautiful version
@bighawker8779
Sharon Hall Shipp lovely!
@indieworks
I love this version...I am lucky to own the original vinyl LP which has many beautiful songs on it.
@citrus9822
j'adore cette chanson. On y voit tout le talent d'interprétation de F. Hardy, sa façon de mettre en valeur sa voix. C'est à la fois pur, beau, et un peu froid, étrange , détaché. Ca n 'a pas pris une ride. L'orchestration est très belle derrière.
@sundance9153
I didn't like this song on hearing for the first time,but heck it grows on one I adore it now.
@mizofan
ah, this is unexpected- the wonderful Francoise Hardy singing a haunting gem :)
@Trollificusv2
I agree the arrangement misses the guitar arrangement, but what a perfect match of voice and song! And man, does she look French!
@victorvegas7267
cette version est auss bonne que celle All About Eve. Francois Hardy exercese une grande influence sur des groupes comme Stereolab
@pauldover1403
The voice is nice but the song cries out for the wonderful guitar arrangement that Bias Boshell wrote. If you want to hear what the song should sound like then listen to the original version by Trees or the cover version by All About Eve. This is one o those songs where the original version is perfection, it cannot be improved.
@slowuncle
Maybe she should have brought Gabriel Yacoub & Malicorne into the studio to take this song to the next level...