His father was a UNESCO employee and his mother is from Guadeloupe. Many of the chansons he sings were written by Étienne Roda-Gil, a long time collaborator. His brother, Gérard Leclerc, is a political commentator on France 2.
For a time he was involved with French actress Miou-Miou, who in 1978 bore him a daughter, Jeanne Herry. Like her father, Jeanne has pursued a career in show business, albeit as an actress and comedian rather than as a singer.
Julien Clerc owes his fame in France to his leading role in the 1969 French language adaptation of the musical Hair. Since then he has sung a great many popular songs, and is generally considered one of the greatest francophone musicians of his generation. In 2003, he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees after transferring the rights to his hugely popular song, Partir, to the UN.
Ballade en blanc
Julien Clerc Lyrics
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Les rois du ciel sur terre
Qui parlent d'amour
En s'interdisant de la faire
Blanc
Les chèques du prix de la guerre
Du matériel et des misères
En blanc
Les trahisons, les adultères
Blanc
Le chat qui méprise les gris
Les tigres, les insoumis
Blanc
Qui envahit et qui détruit
L'Amérique en quelques nuits
Blanches
Les tuniques sévères
Des gardes blancs de cette terre
Blanche
Blanche la mort qui sort
De la bouche du fusil
Voilà peut-être pourquoi
Mon amour, certains soirs
Il fait bon d'être un peu noir
Mon amour, certains soirs
Il fait bon d'être un peu noir
In the song Ballade en blanc, Julien Clerc talks about the color white and its symbolism in different facets of life. He starts by mentioning the kings of the sky on earth who talk about love but restrain themselves from making it, indicating that the color white might signify purity or chastity in the context of love. He goes on to mention white as the color of the checks for the price of war, materialism, and suffering, highlighting the destructive side of humanity. The color white is also linked to marriages and illusions, but even these can be stained with betrayal and infidelity.
The song also has references to animals as the color white represents the cat's arrogance and the tiger's rebellion against authority. The color white is also used to describe the invasion and destruction of America in a few nights, hinting at the idea of white dominance and imperialism. The song concludes with a powerful statement about the color white as the death that emerges from the mouth of guns, perhaps suggesting that white can also be a symbol of violence and oppression.
Overall, the song Ballade en blanc uses the color white as a symbol for different aspects of human existence, and it shows how it can represent both purity and devastation. The lyrics of the song are a reminder that life is never black and white, and the color white should not be celebrated blindly without recognizing its complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
En blanc
In white
Les rois du ciel sur terre
The kings of the sky on earth
Qui parlent d'amour
Who speak of love
En s'interdisant de la faire
Prohibiting themselves from doing it
Blanc
White
Les chèques du prix de la guerre
The checks of the price of war
Du matériel et des misères
Of material and miseries
En blanc
In white
Les mariages et les chimères
Marriages and illusions
Les trahisons, les adultères
Betrayals, adulteries
Blanc
White
Le chat qui méprise les gris
The cat who despises the gray
Les tigres, les insoumis
The tigers, the rebellious
Blanc
White
Qui envahit et qui détruit
That invades and destroys
L'Amérique en quelques nuits
America in a few nights
Blanches
White
Les tuniques sévères
The severe tunics
Des gardes blancs de cette terre
Of the white guards of this land
Blanche
White
Blanche la mort qui sort
White the death that comes out
De la bouche du fusil
From the mouth of the gun
Voilà peut-être pourquoi
Maybe that's why
Mon amour, certains soirs
My love, some nights
Il fait bon d'être un peu noir
It's nice to be a little black
Mon amour, certains soirs
My love, some nights
Il fait bon d'être un peu noir
It's nice to be a little black
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JULIEN CLERC, GIL ETIENNE RODA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind