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.
INTRODUCTION
Julien Clerc Lyrics
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Et je chante pour toi
Cette chanson composée
De soie tramée dan les passé
Quelques jonques provisoires
Se balancent sur l'été
Et je sais maintenant
Je t'aimais
Des avions inutiles
Flottent dans l'automne
Et tu sais maintenant
Qui je n'aime plus personne
The song "Introduction" by Julien Clerc is a poignant ballad that speaks about a love that has passed, but the singer still yearns for. The first verse talks about writing with dried ink and singing a song to someone. The song is composed of silk woven into the past. The singer is reflecting on a love that once existed, but now only remains in the past. The second verse talks about transience and how just like the temporary junks that rock in the summer, the love that was once strong has now faded away with time. The singer realizes how much he loved the person, and the depth of his love that he failed to acknowledge back then.
The final verse speaks directly to the person who was once the recipient of the singer's love. It talks about how useless airplanes float in the season of autumn, and how the singer knows now that he no longer loves anyone else but the person he is addressing. The song speaks of a love that was once unacknowledged and undervalued, but now it is treasured and aching to be rekindled. It is a song of regret and nostalgia, and it leaves the listener with a feeling of melancholy and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
J'écris de cette encre séchée
I am writing with this dry ink
Et je chante pour toi
And I sing for you
Cette chanson composée
This song composed
De soie tramée dan les passé
Of silk woven in the past
Quelques jonques provisoires
Some temporary junks
Se balancent sur l'été
Swinging on the summer
Et je sais maintenant
And now I know
Combien je t'aimais
How much I loved you
Je t'aimais
I loved you
Des avions inutiles
Useless airplanes
Flottent dans l'automne
Floating in the autumn
Et tu sais maintenant
And now you know
Qui je n'aime plus personne
That I don't love anyone anymore
Contributed by Kaylee A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.