Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981 in Los Angeles, CA) is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981 in Los Angeles, CA) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, with over 22.3 million records. As of 2012, he had sold over 25 million records worldwide.
Groban originally studied acting, but moved to singing as his voice developed. Groban attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, a free public school on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, where students receive a conservatory-style education. David Foster called Groban to stand in for an ailing Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet, "The Prayer", with Celine Dion at the rehearsal for the 1998 Grammy Awards. Rosie O'Donnell immediately invited him to appear on her talk show. Foster asked him to sing at the California Governor's Gray Davis' 1999 inauguration. He was cast on Ally McBeal by the show's creator, David E. Kelley, performing "You're Still You" for the 2001 season four finale.
In 2016, he made his Broadway debut as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, to critical acclaim and nomination for a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His performance at the 72nd Tony Awards earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations, one for Outstanding Live Variety Special and one for Original Music and Lyrics for the song "This One's for You". Groban co-starred as Tony Caruso Jr. in the Netflix original series, The Good Cop. Groban was also the host of Rising Star, he also appeared in the films, Coffee Town, Muppets Most Wanted, The Hollars and Crazy, Stupid, Love. He also appeared on TV such as Danny Chase in The Crazy Ones, as well as Walter Bernard Jr in The Office.
Career
1997–2001: Debut
In late 1997, the 16-year-old Groban was introduced by his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, to Grammy-winning producer and arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet.[18][failed verification] At the time, Groban had no recording experience and was preparing for his studies at Carnegie Mellon.[18] Groban worked for David Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events, including the January 1999 California gubernatorial inauguration of Gray Davis and the 1999 Grammy Awards where—as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli—he rehearsed Foster's "The Prayer" with Céline Dion. According to Avnet, Groban was very nervous about standing in for Bocelli and had to be talked into it; his performance prompted the show hostess, Rosie O'Donnell, to ask him to appear on her show the following week, which in turn led to an appearance on Ally McBeal.[18] Creator David E. Kelley wrote the character Malcolm Wyatt for Groban in the season finale, aired in May 2001. Groban as Malcolm Wyatt was so popular that the show received upwards of 8,000 emails from viewers;[19] thereafter, Groban was asked to return the next season to reprise his role as Wyatt and to perform "To Where You Are". Avnet claims this sequence of events effectively got Groban's career off the ground.[18]
Groban was offered a recording contract at Warner Bros. Records through Foster's 143 Records imprint. Avnet told HitQuarters that Warner Bros. initially proved resistant to the deal because "They were afraid they wouldn't be able to get a voice like that on radio."[18] Explaining his reasons for signing the artist, Foster said: "I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with."[19] Under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on classics such as "Gira Con Me Questa Notte" and "Alla Luce Del Sole".
Groban performed "There For Me" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000–01 La Luna World Tour, and was featured on her "La Luna" concert DVD. He recorded "For Always" with Lara Fabian for the movie soundtrack of A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). Groban performed in many benefit shows, including "The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children," alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams; "Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; "The Family Celebration" (2001), which was co-hosted by President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and David E. Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raised funds for cancer research.
His self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released on November 20, 2001. Over the next year it went from gold to double-platinum.[20]
2002–2005: Closer
Groban in concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2007
On February 24, 2002, Groban performed "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and by November, he had his own PBS special titled "Josh Groban In Concert" (2002). In December 2002, he performed "To Where You Are" and sang "The Prayer" in a duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. He joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie, and others for a Christmas performance at the Vatican. In 2003, Groban performed at the David Foster concert for World Children's Day, singing "The Prayer" with Celine Dion and the finale song, "Aren't They All Our Children?" with artists including Yolanda Adams, Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, and Celine Dion.
Groban's second album Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released on November 11, 2003. Groban said he believed that his second album was a better reflection of him, and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of his personality from listening to it.
What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I've tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title.[19]
Two months after Closer was released, it rose on the Billboard charts from number 11 to number one.[21] Groban's cover of "You Raise Me Up" became his third most popular song on the adult contemporary charts as of March 2004. Later that year, he also performed the song "Remember" (with Tanja Tzarovska) on the Troy soundtrack, "Believe" on the soundtrack to the 2004 animated film The Polar Express and a cover of Linkin Park's "My December".
In the summer of 2004, Groban returned to Interlochen, performing and discussing his earlier experiences with local residents and campers. On November 30, 2004, his second live DVD, Live At The Greek, was released; it was also shown as a Great Performances special on PBS. That same year, Groban performed "Remember When It Rained", backed by a full orchestra, at the American Music Awards, where he was nominated for Favorite Male Artist in the pop category; he was also nominated for a People's Choice Award. His recording of "Believe" secured an Academy Award nomination in 2005 for the songwriters Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri,[22] and earned them a Grammy in the category Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the ceremony held in February 2006.[23]
2005–2010: Awake
Groban earned his first Grammy nomination in 2005 for his single "You Raise Me Up" in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. During the first week of September 2006, Groban's single entitled "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" was released exclusively on AOL's First Listen. His third studio album Awake was officially released on November 7, 2006. Groban performed "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" as well as two other tracks from Awake at his recording session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on 26 October 2006. On that album, Groban also collaborated on the single "Now or Never" with British musician and songwriter Imogen Heap. He performed two tracks with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby" and "Weeping". Groban's "Awake" world tour visited 71 cities between February and August 2007, and toured Australia and the Philippines with Lani Misalucha as his special guest in October 2007. He performed a duet with Barbra Streisand ("All I Know of Love") and with Mireille Mathieu ("Over the Rainbow"). As to his future, Groban was open to a plethora of possibilities. He said, "I am fortunate enough to have had many really big moments in my career. I think the mistake a lot of people in my position make is to always search for the next big thing. I am looking forward to playing some small theaters. I'm looking forward to writing more. I want to delve further into my acting career and explore some of the film and TV opportunities that I haven't had time for. My outlook is to expect the unexpected. And when the next step comes, I'm prepared to take it."[9]
2010–2015: Illuminations; All That Echoes
Groban finished his fifth studio album, entitled Illuminations, and the album was released on November 15, 2010.[24] Most of the songs on the album are about "specific situations that I've had where love has existed and ultimately failed," Groban told The New York Times, adding: "And other songs are about the quest, and it just not working out." Groban wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the album.[25] The first single from the album, "Hidden Away", was made available for free download via Facebook on September 8.[26] "For me to sit in a room with a piano in one take with some of Johnny Cash's musicians—that was totally new for me." Josh added. "and I think that excitement is on the record."[25] On October 12, a second single from the upcoming album, "Você Existe Em Mim", was made available on iTunes.[27] This song is sung in Portuguese and was written by Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown. The Washington Post said: "Illuminations" is not a revelation, but it offers a perfectly fine, and often quite lovely, glimpse at a pop-classical crossover artist in the middle of crossing over."[28] Groban plans on making one more record with Rick Rubin.[29] Beginning May 12, 2011 and continuing through December of that year, Groban undertook the 81-city Straight to You Tour to promote Illuminations, encompassing appearances in North America, Europe, and South Africa.[30]
Groban's sixth studio album, All That Echoes, was released on February 5, 2013, debuting at number one by selling 141,000 copies.[31][32] Groban promoted the album with the All That Echoes World Tour in 2013. A year later, he embarked on his Summer Symphony Tour.[33]
2015–2017: Stages and Broadway debut
In early March 2015, Josh Groban's Facebook page announced the release of the album Stages, consisting of covers of songs from Broadway musicals. The album was released on April 28, 2015.[34]
Starting October 18, 2016, Groban performed on Broadway as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera by composer Dave Malloy based on War and Peace.[35] For his performance as Pierre, Groban was nominated for the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His final performance as Pierre was on July 2, 2017.[36] Groban also performed the song "Evermore" during the end credits of the 2017 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.[37]
2018: Bridges
On March 12, 2018, tour dates were announced for Groban's Bridges Tour with special guest Idina Menzel. The US leg of the tour began on October 18, 2018, in Duluth, Georgia and concluded at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 18. The European leg of the tour began on December 12 at the O2 Arena in London and concluded on December 18 in Poland.[38]
On June 26, 2018, Groban announced via social media that his album Bridges would be released on September 21 and would contain a cover of Céline Dion's song "S'il suffisait d'aimer" along with new tracks.[39] The album debuted at number two in the US[40] and in the top 10 in the UK[41] and Scotland.[42]
2020: Harmony
On August 17, 2020, Groban's album Harmony was announced to release in November 2020. Groban will also offer a virtual livestreamed concert series in the fall and winter of 2020.[43] On October 2, the album was announced to be released on November 20, 2020. The album is now available in all the platforms from the regular to deluxe edition.
Voice
Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor[62] and others as a baritone.[63][64] In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G2 (as in the songs "To Where You Are", "Higher Window", and "The World We Knew (Over and Over)") and extends up to at least B4 (as heard in "The Duel" from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812[65]). This places his voice lower than the usual tenor range on the low end (although still within the vocal fry register of a tenor), and just short of tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end.[66][67]
Groban originally studied acting, but moved to singing as his voice developed. Groban attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, a free public school on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, where students receive a conservatory-style education. David Foster called Groban to stand in for an ailing Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet, "The Prayer", with Celine Dion at the rehearsal for the 1998 Grammy Awards. Rosie O'Donnell immediately invited him to appear on her talk show. Foster asked him to sing at the California Governor's Gray Davis' 1999 inauguration. He was cast on Ally McBeal by the show's creator, David E. Kelley, performing "You're Still You" for the 2001 season four finale.
In 2016, he made his Broadway debut as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, to critical acclaim and nomination for a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His performance at the 72nd Tony Awards earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations, one for Outstanding Live Variety Special and one for Original Music and Lyrics for the song "This One's for You". Groban co-starred as Tony Caruso Jr. in the Netflix original series, The Good Cop. Groban was also the host of Rising Star, he also appeared in the films, Coffee Town, Muppets Most Wanted, The Hollars and Crazy, Stupid, Love. He also appeared on TV such as Danny Chase in The Crazy Ones, as well as Walter Bernard Jr in The Office.
Career
1997–2001: Debut
In late 1997, the 16-year-old Groban was introduced by his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, to Grammy-winning producer and arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet.[18][failed verification] At the time, Groban had no recording experience and was preparing for his studies at Carnegie Mellon.[18] Groban worked for David Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events, including the January 1999 California gubernatorial inauguration of Gray Davis and the 1999 Grammy Awards where—as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli—he rehearsed Foster's "The Prayer" with Céline Dion. According to Avnet, Groban was very nervous about standing in for Bocelli and had to be talked into it; his performance prompted the show hostess, Rosie O'Donnell, to ask him to appear on her show the following week, which in turn led to an appearance on Ally McBeal.[18] Creator David E. Kelley wrote the character Malcolm Wyatt for Groban in the season finale, aired in May 2001. Groban as Malcolm Wyatt was so popular that the show received upwards of 8,000 emails from viewers;[19] thereafter, Groban was asked to return the next season to reprise his role as Wyatt and to perform "To Where You Are". Avnet claims this sequence of events effectively got Groban's career off the ground.[18]
Groban was offered a recording contract at Warner Bros. Records through Foster's 143 Records imprint. Avnet told HitQuarters that Warner Bros. initially proved resistant to the deal because "They were afraid they wouldn't be able to get a voice like that on radio."[18] Explaining his reasons for signing the artist, Foster said: "I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with."[19] Under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on classics such as "Gira Con Me Questa Notte" and "Alla Luce Del Sole".
Groban performed "There For Me" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000–01 La Luna World Tour, and was featured on her "La Luna" concert DVD. He recorded "For Always" with Lara Fabian for the movie soundtrack of A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). Groban performed in many benefit shows, including "The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children," alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams; "Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; "The Family Celebration" (2001), which was co-hosted by President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and David E. Kelley and Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raised funds for cancer research.
His self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released on November 20, 2001. Over the next year it went from gold to double-platinum.[20]
2002–2005: Closer
Groban in concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2007
On February 24, 2002, Groban performed "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and by November, he had his own PBS special titled "Josh Groban In Concert" (2002). In December 2002, he performed "To Where You Are" and sang "The Prayer" in a duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. He joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie, and others for a Christmas performance at the Vatican. In 2003, Groban performed at the David Foster concert for World Children's Day, singing "The Prayer" with Celine Dion and the finale song, "Aren't They All Our Children?" with artists including Yolanda Adams, Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, and Celine Dion.
Groban's second album Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released on November 11, 2003. Groban said he believed that his second album was a better reflection of him, and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of his personality from listening to it.
What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I've tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title.[19]
Two months after Closer was released, it rose on the Billboard charts from number 11 to number one.[21] Groban's cover of "You Raise Me Up" became his third most popular song on the adult contemporary charts as of March 2004. Later that year, he also performed the song "Remember" (with Tanja Tzarovska) on the Troy soundtrack, "Believe" on the soundtrack to the 2004 animated film The Polar Express and a cover of Linkin Park's "My December".
In the summer of 2004, Groban returned to Interlochen, performing and discussing his earlier experiences with local residents and campers. On November 30, 2004, his second live DVD, Live At The Greek, was released; it was also shown as a Great Performances special on PBS. That same year, Groban performed "Remember When It Rained", backed by a full orchestra, at the American Music Awards, where he was nominated for Favorite Male Artist in the pop category; he was also nominated for a People's Choice Award. His recording of "Believe" secured an Academy Award nomination in 2005 for the songwriters Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri,[22] and earned them a Grammy in the category Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the ceremony held in February 2006.[23]
2005–2010: Awake
Groban earned his first Grammy nomination in 2005 for his single "You Raise Me Up" in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. During the first week of September 2006, Groban's single entitled "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" was released exclusively on AOL's First Listen. His third studio album Awake was officially released on November 7, 2006. Groban performed "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" as well as two other tracks from Awake at his recording session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on 26 October 2006. On that album, Groban also collaborated on the single "Now or Never" with British musician and songwriter Imogen Heap. He performed two tracks with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby" and "Weeping". Groban's "Awake" world tour visited 71 cities between February and August 2007, and toured Australia and the Philippines with Lani Misalucha as his special guest in October 2007. He performed a duet with Barbra Streisand ("All I Know of Love") and with Mireille Mathieu ("Over the Rainbow"). As to his future, Groban was open to a plethora of possibilities. He said, "I am fortunate enough to have had many really big moments in my career. I think the mistake a lot of people in my position make is to always search for the next big thing. I am looking forward to playing some small theaters. I'm looking forward to writing more. I want to delve further into my acting career and explore some of the film and TV opportunities that I haven't had time for. My outlook is to expect the unexpected. And when the next step comes, I'm prepared to take it."[9]
2010–2015: Illuminations; All That Echoes
Groban finished his fifth studio album, entitled Illuminations, and the album was released on November 15, 2010.[24] Most of the songs on the album are about "specific situations that I've had where love has existed and ultimately failed," Groban told The New York Times, adding: "And other songs are about the quest, and it just not working out." Groban wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the album.[25] The first single from the album, "Hidden Away", was made available for free download via Facebook on September 8.[26] "For me to sit in a room with a piano in one take with some of Johnny Cash's musicians—that was totally new for me." Josh added. "and I think that excitement is on the record."[25] On October 12, a second single from the upcoming album, "Você Existe Em Mim", was made available on iTunes.[27] This song is sung in Portuguese and was written by Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown. The Washington Post said: "Illuminations" is not a revelation, but it offers a perfectly fine, and often quite lovely, glimpse at a pop-classical crossover artist in the middle of crossing over."[28] Groban plans on making one more record with Rick Rubin.[29] Beginning May 12, 2011 and continuing through December of that year, Groban undertook the 81-city Straight to You Tour to promote Illuminations, encompassing appearances in North America, Europe, and South Africa.[30]
Groban's sixth studio album, All That Echoes, was released on February 5, 2013, debuting at number one by selling 141,000 copies.[31][32] Groban promoted the album with the All That Echoes World Tour in 2013. A year later, he embarked on his Summer Symphony Tour.[33]
2015–2017: Stages and Broadway debut
In early March 2015, Josh Groban's Facebook page announced the release of the album Stages, consisting of covers of songs from Broadway musicals. The album was released on April 28, 2015.[34]
Starting October 18, 2016, Groban performed on Broadway as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera by composer Dave Malloy based on War and Peace.[35] For his performance as Pierre, Groban was nominated for the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. His final performance as Pierre was on July 2, 2017.[36] Groban also performed the song "Evermore" during the end credits of the 2017 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.[37]
2018: Bridges
On March 12, 2018, tour dates were announced for Groban's Bridges Tour with special guest Idina Menzel. The US leg of the tour began on October 18, 2018, in Duluth, Georgia and concluded at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 18. The European leg of the tour began on December 12 at the O2 Arena in London and concluded on December 18 in Poland.[38]
On June 26, 2018, Groban announced via social media that his album Bridges would be released on September 21 and would contain a cover of Céline Dion's song "S'il suffisait d'aimer" along with new tracks.[39] The album debuted at number two in the US[40] and in the top 10 in the UK[41] and Scotland.[42]
2020: Harmony
On August 17, 2020, Groban's album Harmony was announced to release in November 2020. Groban will also offer a virtual livestreamed concert series in the fall and winter of 2020.[43] On October 2, the album was announced to be released on November 20, 2020. The album is now available in all the platforms from the regular to deluxe edition.
Voice
Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor[62] and others as a baritone.[63][64] In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G2 (as in the songs "To Where You Are", "Higher Window", and "The World We Knew (Over and Over)") and extends up to at least B4 (as heard in "The Duel" from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812[65]). This places his voice lower than the usual tenor range on the low end (although still within the vocal fry register of a tenor), and just short of tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end.[66][67]
Le temps des cathédrales
Josh Groban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu
Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu
Mille-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
Histoire d'amour et de désir
Nous les artistes anonymes
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
Pour les siècles à venir
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour
De siècle en siècle avec amour
Il a vu s'élever les tours
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains
Les poètes et les troubadours
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour
Qui promettaient au genre humain
De meilleurs lendemains
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales
La foule des barbares
Est aux portes de la ville
Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales
La fin de ce monde
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu
Mille-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
Histoire d'amour et de désir
Nous les artistes anonymes
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
Pour les siècles à venir
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour
De siècle en siècle avec amour
Il a vu s'élever les tours
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains
Les poètes et les troubadours
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour
Qui promettaient au genre humain
De meilleurs lendemains
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales
La foule des barbares
Est aux portes de la ville
Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales
La fin de ce monde
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
The song "Le temps des cathédrales" by Josh Groban tells the story of the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris in the year 1482. The opening lines of the song set the scene, describing Paris as "la belle" and introducing the theme of love and desire. Groban then states that the anonymous artists of the time, whether sculptors or poets, would try to convey the story of the cathedral's construction for generations to come.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the significance of the construction of cathedrals during this time period. The world was entering a new millennium, and people were looking to reach new heights and achieve great things. The construction of cathedrals allowed people to both physically and spiritually achieve this sense of greatness. The builders of these cathedrals were able to see their work stand the test of time, a legacy that would last for centuries. The poets and troubadours of the time also celebrated the construction of the cathedrals, singing songs of love and promising a better future for humanity.
However, the third verse takes a darker turn as Groban sings that the time of the cathedrals is over. The "barbarian" hordes are at the gates of the city, ready to tear down the old and bring in the new. Groban asks that these "pagans" and "vandals" be allowed in, as the end of the world is predicted for the year 2000. This final verse feels like a warning that the beauty and significance of the cathedrals may be lost forever.
Overall, "Le temps des cathédrales" is a poignant and evocative song that speaks to the timeless nature of human achievement and the fleeting nature of time itself. The song seems to suggest that the beauty and significance of the cathedrals can be lost if we don't protect and cherish them.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu
This is a story that takes place
Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu
In beautiful Paris in the year of our Lord
Mille-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
One thousand four hundred and eighty-two
Histoire d'amour et de désir
A story of love and desire
Nous les artistes anonymes
We, the anonymous artists
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Of sculpture or of rhyme
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
Will attempt to transcribe it for you
Pour les siècles à venir
For centuries to come
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
The time of the cathedrals has come
Le monde est entré
The world has entered
Dans un nouveau millénaire
Into a new millennium
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Man has wanted to ascend to the stars
Ecrire son histoire
To write his story
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
In glass or in stone
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour
Stone by stone, day by day
De siècle en siècle avec amour
From century to century with love
Il a vu s'élever les tours
He has seen the towers rise
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains
That he had built with his own hands
Les poètes et les troubadours
The poets and troubadours
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour
Sang songs of love
Qui promettaient au genre humain
That promised to humanity
De meilleurs lendemains
A better tomorrow
Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales
The time of the cathedrals is over
La foule des barbares
The crowd of barbarians
Est aux portes de la ville
Is at the gates of the city
Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales
Let these pagans, these vandals, enter
La fin de ce monde
The end of this world
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
Is predicted for the year two thousand
Est prévue pour l'an deux mille
Is predicted for the year two thousand
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luc Plamondon, Riccardo Cocciante
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@Zero-gp5im
"The Age Of The Cathedrals"
(from "Notre Dame de Paris" musical)
It's a story that has to take place
The beautiful Paris in the year of God
Thousand-four-one hundred to eighty-two
Story of love and desire
We anonymous artists
Sculpture or rhyme
You try to transcribe
For centuries to come
There came the time of the cathedrals
The world is in
In a new millennium
The man wanted to ride to the paintings
Writing history
In the glass or stone
Stone after stone, day after day
Of century in century with love
He saw the towers s'lever
He had his hands bties
The friends and troubadours
Were singing love songs
Who promised to mankind
A better tomorrow
There came the time of the cathedrals
The world is input
In a new millennium
The man wanted to ride to the paintings
Writing history
In the glass or stone
There came the time of the cathedrals
The world is input
In a new millennium
The man wanted to ride to the paintings
Writing history
In the glass or stone
He's done the time of cathedrals
The crowd of barbarians
Is the gateway to the city
Let enter these pagans, these vandals
The end of the world
Is planned for year two thousand
Is planned for year two thousand
@noelleking8677
This may be your best recording yet. This is so phenomenal, so powerful it literally blew our heads clean off ! Once we reattached our heads my mother, a French native, wanted me to tell Josh that his french is absolute perfection here . It's all just perfection. Bravo, standing ovation x1,000.
@Cyrdelle
Depuis toutes ces années, mon admiration pour Josh n'a pas perdu de son éclat, elle s'est même intensifiée à chaque nouvel album.
Je découvre à chaque fois une voix merveilleuse qui gagne en assurance, en puissance et en sincérité. Sa force me touche toujours autant en plein coeur et cela ne changera jamais plus...
Josh, t'entendre chanter dans un français parfait est tout simplement magique! Merci du fond du coeur! <3
@Griechenland_
Je suis tellement d'accord avec toi ! C'est beau t'entendre Josh, à chaque nouvel album je t'admire que davantage !
@denisechapdelaine6985
+ArbreSage Vous avez tout a fait raison
@natachazavagni5815
J'ai toujours beaucoup aimé cette chanson, et là avec cette magnifique voix dessus, c'est juste magique.
@sugordon
Beautiful song beautiful singer - His voice is so suited to stage music.
@sneakypineapple2588
Notre-Dame de Paris is of my favorite shows, and this is my favorite song from the show. Bruno Pelletier's singing this song as Gringoire is pretty unmatchable, but Josh Groban nailed it! This is beautiful! Bravo!!
@BleedPeroxide
"Notre Dame de Paris" is so near and dear to my heart, so hearing one of my favorite performers do the opening song for it made my entire day. I'm so happy to hear this song revamped and done so beautifully. <3
@CynthiaStrasse27mcgvC
Merci tendre Josh, Vous êtes un très très beau et doux chanteur et un splendide acteur aussi ! Merci beaucoup pour Stages, j'adore
@rannoushmissfrance
This is an extremely hard song... The tone is almost impossible for most singers as it is... And then Groban takes it up a full note for the last verse with his run at 03:32... This is magic!