Jacques Dutronc (born April 28, 1943 in Paris) is a French singer, composer… Read Full Bio ↴Jacques Dutronc (born April 28, 1943 in Paris) is a French singer, composer, and actor. He is married to the singer Françoise Hardy, as of March 30, 1974, with whom he had already had a son (Thomas Dutronc, born 1973).

Between 1963 and 1964, Dutronc was the guitarist for a group called El Toro et les Cyclones who recorded several EPs. During this time he could frequently be seen on stage at the Golf Drouot as backing guitarist for stars like Eddy Mitchell. He then went and did his obligatory military service. After his return he landed a job as assistant at Vogue Records to Artistic Director Jacques Wolfsohn. In this capacity he arranged songs (there is no indication that he wrote the lyrics for any of these songs) for several lesser known artists like Zou Zou and CLeo. In 1966 (or maybe the end of 1965), he was teamed with writer Jacques Lanzmann, then director at Lui magazine, to create songs for artists who were arranged to be the next big thing. Benjamin was the first of these singers. But his first EP did horribly and he was unceremoniously booted from Vogue. One day after hearing the demos that Dutronc had made of a song, Wolfsohn declared that Jacques should do the record for release. "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was unleashed on the world in 1966 and overnight one of France's biggest stars was born.
With Lanzmann in charge of the lyrics and Dutronc taking care of the music, the two created some of the most lasting songs in French pop history. There is almost no French person alive who does not know "Et moi, et moi, et moi", "Les Playboys", and "Le cactus". Other great songs include "Mini, mini, mini", "Le responsable", "J'ai un tigre dans ma guitare", and "L'opportuniste". The music on most of these songs is a British garage sound and Dutronc has often been compared to Ray Davies of The Kinks, and that comparison works musically as well. What really set Dutronc apart from the other singers of the time was his parody. His songs are not celebrating the "youth generation" but mocking it. Dutronc's biggest hit was the beautiful "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'eveille", with the classical flute player Roger Bourdin (not as some had thought Jean-Pierre Rampal) performing an essential part. In this song, Dutronc manages to paint a remarkably correct picture of the French capital in the early morning hours in the late 1960's.
Dutronc's "La fille du père Noël" and David Bowie's "Jean Genie" share a riff likely derived from the Yardbirds' accelerated version of Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man." The Belgian singer Arno recorded a medley of the Dutronc and Bowie songs ("Jean Baltazaarr") with the American singer Beverly Jo Scott that makes clear their similarities.
In 1973, Dutronc began a second career as an actor in the film Antoine et Sébastien, directed by Jean-Marie Périer, a career that would afterward occupy the greater share of his attention. Directors for whom he has worked include Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch and Maurice Pialat. He has also returned to recording in recent years.
Also in 1973, "Et moi, et moi, et moi" was adapted with English lyrics by Ray Dorset, leader of Mungo Jerry. "Alright Alright Alright" became a UK No. 3 hit for the group.
Interestingly, the early Dutronc songs usually had a classic late-sixties freakbeat backing (provided by session musicians) that has managed to win Jacques Dutronc a new audience in the hip retro clubs of the UK and USA in the late 1990s, and this continues today. (Ironically, most of the people who will be dancing to the likes of "Le Cactus" will have no idea what the words actually mean). Because of this, he is celebrated in the 1997 Cornershop song "Brimful of Asha" thus: "Jacques Dutronc and the Bolan Boogie/The Heavy Hitters and the Chichi music."
He currently lives in the town of Monticello on the island of Corsica.

Face à la merde
Jacques Dutronc Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître
Face à la merde
On liquide la planète

Face à la merde
On va refaire le monde
Face à la merde

Y en aura pour tout le monde

Les violents, les violeurs
Les méchants, les malheurs
Les rampants, les remparts
Les bilans, les faire-parts
Les canons, les non-non
Les sanctions, les sermons
Les espions et les pions

Les tyrans, les tireurs
Les déments, les menteurs
Les branlants, les branleurs
Les bons dieux, les banlieues
Les affreux, les odieux
Les enjeux, les en-joues
Les envieux, les jaloux

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître

Face à la merde
On va refaire le monde
Face à la merde
Y en aura pour tout le monde

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître
Face à la merde
On liquide la planète

La bombe H et les lâches
La famine et les mines
Les cravaches et les vaches
Le chômage, les otages
Les déprimes et les primes
Les péages, les sondages
Les massacres et les sacres

Les envieux, les jaloux
Les enjeux, les en-joues
Les affreux, les odieux
Les banlieues, les bons dieux
Les branlants, les branleurs
Les déments, les menteurs
Les tyrans, les tireurs

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître
Face à la merde
On liquide la planète

Face à la merde
On va refaire le monde
Face à la merde
Y en aura pour tout le monde

Tout doit disparaître

Les envieux, les jaloux
Les enjeux, les en-joues
Les affreux, les odieux
Les banlieues, les bons dieux
Les branlants, les branleurs
Les déments, les menteurs
Les tyrans, les tireurs

Face à la merde
Y en aura pour tout le monde

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître
Face à la merde
On liquide la planète

Face à la merde
Tout doit disparaître.

Overall Meaning

The song "Face à la merde" by Jacques Dutronc is a French protest song that speaks to the current state of the world. One interpretation of these lyrics could be that they are a metaphor for humankind's impact on the environment and the consequences of our actions. The repeated lines of "face à la merde" (face to the crap) could represent the idea that, no matter which direction we turn, we are confronted with the destruction we have caused. The repeated lines of "tout doit disparaître" (everything must disappear) could represent the need for a total change in our way of life in order to save the planet.

The verses of the song mention various societal issues, such as violence, rape, wars, poverty, and corruption. The repetition of groups of negative traits, such as "les violeurs, les méchants, les malheurs" (the rapists, the bad people, the unlucky ones) or "les tyrans, les tireurs, les déments, les menteurs" (the tyrants, the shooters, the insane, the liars) gives the impression that these traits are common and accepted in our world. The idea of "liquiding the planet" could represent our reckless consumption and exploitation of natural resources.

Overall, the message of the song is a call for change and a warning of the consequences of continuing on our current path.

Line by Line Meaning

Face à la merde
When confronted with the mess of the world

Tout doit disparaître
Everything must go

On liquide la planète
We're liquidating the planet

On va refaire le monde
We're going to remake the world

Y en aura pour tout le monde
There will be enough for everyone

Les violents, les violeurs
The violent, the rapists

Les méchants, les malheurs
The mean, the unfortunate

Les rampants, les remparts
The crawling, the ramparts

Les bilans, les faire-parts
The financial reports, the death announcements

Les canons, les non-non
The cannons, the no-nos