Gilles Vigneault (born 27 October 1928) is a Québécois poet, publisher and … Read Full Bio ↴Gilles Vigneault (born 27 October 1928) is a Québécois poet, publisher and singer-songwriter, and well-known Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist.
A poet deeply rooted in his native Quebec, Vigneault has become an icon at home and Quebec ambassador abroad. He was one of the principal figures of the generation of chansonniers who helped the Quebec chanson find its own identity, even while helping it find a universal dimension.

Born in Natashquan, on the far north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, he was educated in Rimouski and Quebec City.
Vigneault started writing poetry during his studies at the Seminary in Rimouski, and by the 1950s was publishing poems and writing songs. In 1959 he founded a publishing house, Les Éditions de l'Arc to distribute his publications. His first collection, Étraves was published in 1959.
In August 1960, at the request of the audience at the boîte à chansons L'Arlequin in Quebec City, he agreed to sing his earliest song: Jos Monferrand, written in 1957, which had been recorded by Jacques Labrecque in 1959. This was the beginning of his singing career which culminated in 1962, when he received the Grand prix du disque from Montreal radio station CKAC. His reputation grew in Quebec and elsewhere with the success of his song Mon Pays, from the sound track of the NFB film La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan (1965).
In the last half of the 1960s, Vigneault started to perform outside of Quebec, notably in France, but also elsewhere in Canada, including appearances at the Mariposa Folk Festival and at Massey Hall, in Toronto.
The mid-1970s saw Vigneault's participation in several major events. On August 13, 1974 130,000 spectators came together on the Plains of Abraham for the Superfrancofête, where Vigneault participated in an historic concert alongside Félix Leclerc, a representative, in a way, of the older generation, and Robert Charlebois, of the younger generation. A highpoint of the concert was the threesome's rendition of Raymond Lévesque's powerful Quand les hommes vivront d'amour.
On June 24, 1975, during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day concert on Montreal's Mount Royal, Vigneault sang for the first time Gens du pays, a song which has since become a sort of anthem in Quebec.
In 1976, the Ensemble Claude Gervaise recorded an album of Vigneault's music entitled Tout l'monde est malheureux: "Claude Gervaise" Joue Vigneault.
An ardent Quebec nationalist, Vigneault was disappointed by the results of the 1980 Quebec referendum. During the 1980s he lived in France for a short time.

J'ai planté un chêne
Gilles Vigneault Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J’ai planté un chêne
Au bout de mon champ
Ce fut ma semaine
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
J’ai planté un chêne
Au bout de mon champ
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Perdrerai-je mon temps?

L’amour et la haine
Ce sont mes enfants
Mais ce sont mes chaînes
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
L’amour et la haine
Ce sont mes enfants
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Perdrerai-je mon temps?

Le roi et la reine
Perdront leur manant
Mais l’amour m’enchaîne
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Le roi et la reine
Perdront leur manant
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Perdrerai-je mon temps?

Serai capitaine
De mon bâtiment
Tout en bois de chêne
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Serai capitaine
Sur mon bâtiment
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Perdrerai-je mon temps?

J’ai planté un chêne
Au bout de mon champ
Ce fut ma semaine
Perdrerai-je ma peine?
J’ai planté un chêne
Au bout de mon champ

Perdrerai-je ma peine?
Perdrerai-je mon temps?

Overall Meaning

J’ai planté un chêne is a beautiful song by Gilles Vigneault that is full of symbolism and profound meaning. The chorus of the song is built around the metaphor of planting an oak tree at the end of one's field, an action that carries a great deal of significance for the singer. He questions whether his efforts will be in vain and wonders if he will lose his time or his efforts to this endeavor. The oak tree is a powerful symbol of strength and endurance, implying that the singer's work will take a long time to result in something meaningful, but he is committed to the cause and will do whatever it takes to see his dream realized.

The singer speaks of his children, both love and hate, as his chains. He recognizes that these emotions can be all-consuming and become entangled with his life. The metaphor implies that we are all bound by what we love or hate and that breaking these chains will require great effort and time.

The song ends with the singer musing about becoming a captain of a ship made of oak wood, ensuring that his efforts will continue even beyond his life. The oak tree continues to be a symbol of strength and endurance, suggesting that the singer's work and legacy will last a very long time.

Line by Line Meaning

J’ai planté un chêne
I planted an oak tree

Au bout de mon champ
At the end of my field

Ce fut ma semaine
It was my week