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.
Le chiendent
Julien Clerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et j'ai grandi comme une racine
Juste un brin d'herbe entre les dents
Du chiendent
J'ai tiré à la courte paille
Gagné, perdu, vaille que vaille
Et mordu la vie à belles dents
Mon herbe folle, mon vent, ma vague
Tu as fait de mon âme un terrain vague
Quand nous nous sommes allongés
Dans le chiendent
Le chiendent
Et moi qui n'ai jamais crié pouce
L'amour ça pousse mais ça repousse
Amour cruel je serre les dents
Quel chiendent
Et je chante "Singing in the rain"
L'âme défaite ou bien sereine
Et je foule aux pieds et je danse
Sur le chiendent
Dans les tennis désaffectés
Où sifflent des balles oubliées
Tous ces amours étouffés par le temps
Et le chiendent
Et je ris, je pleure sur ma brune
Mais, tu sais, je n'en avais qu'une
Qui a mis dans mon coeur, dans mon sang
Ce chiendent
Après qu'il a plu tout va bien
Ça vient, ça part, voilà la vie de chien
Le coeur me serre et je me demande au dedans
À quoi ça sert, à quoi ça sert
Le chiendent?
À quoi ça sert le chiendent?
The lyrics to Julien Clerc's song "Le chiendent" tell a story of a person who has taken on life's challenges head-on. The first stanza speaks of the singer's resilience and perseverance, having grown up amidst thorns and weeds, like a root. The second stanza talks about the singer's experiences of both winning and losing, yet living life to the fullest. However, in the midst of all this, the singer has found love, symbolized by the "chiendent," a weed that grows even in unwanted places. The singer acknowledges that love can be painful and difficult, yet he has learned to embrace it.
In the chorus, the singer sings about how the "chiendent" has taken over his soul and made it a wasteland. He reminisces about a romantic encounter in the midst of this weed's infestation. He acknowledges that love can be both beautiful and cruel, and he worries about the purpose of it all. Finally, he concludes that life is like the "chiendent" - it comes and goes but remains a constant presence.
This song is a masterpiece that portrays the evergreen human experience of love, grit, and uncertainty. Clerc's smooth voice and poetic lyrics create an emotional connection with the listener, making it one of his most popular songs.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai pris la vie par les épines
I have tackled life's challenges head-on
Et j'ai grandi comme une racine
And I've grown strong and resilient just like the roots
Juste un brin d'herbe entre les dents, du chiendent
Just a blade of grass between my teeth, a symbol of resilience
J'ai tiré à la courte paille, gagné, perdu, vaille que vaille
I've played the game of chance, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but always moving forward
Et mordu la vie à belles dents, et le chiendent
And I've taken life by the horns, embracing its challenges and hardships as part of the journey
Mon herbe folle, mon vent, ma vague
My wild grass, my wind, my wave
Tu as fait de mon âme un terrain vague
But you turned my soul into a barren wasteland
Quand nous nous sommes allongés, dans le chiendent, le chiendent
When we lay down together on the grass, among the weeds and the blades of wild grass
Et moi qui n'ai jamais crié pouce
And me, who never gave up, even in the face of adversity
L'amour ça pousse mais ça repousse
Love can grow, but it can also fade away
Amour cruel je serre les dents, quel chiendent
Cruel love makes me grit my teeth, like weeds choking the life out of me
Et je chante "Singing in the rain"
And I sing "Singing in the rain"
L'âme défaite ou bien sereine
My soul either broken or at peace
Et je foule aux pieds et je danse, sur le chiendent
And I trample upon the weeds and dance, embracing life's ups and downs
Dans les tennis désaffectés
In the abandoned tennis courts
Où sifflent des balles oubliées
Where forgotten tennis balls whistle by
Tous ces amours étouffés par le temps, et le chiendent
All of those lost loves, buried by the passage of time and the overgrowth of weeds
Et je ris, je pleure sur ma brune
And I laugh and cry over my brunette
Mais, tu sais, je n'en avais qu'une
But you know, she was the only one for me
Qui a mis dans mon coeur, dans mon sang
Who planted the seed of love in my heart and blood
Ce chiendent
That same wild, resilient weed
Après qu'il a plu, tout va bien
After the rain stops, everything will be alright
Ça vient, ça part, voilà la vie de chien
Life happens, things come and go, that's just how it is
Le coeur me serre et je me demande au dedans
My heart tightens and I ask myself inside
À quoi ça sert, à quoi ça sert, le chiendent?
What's the point, what's the point of this wild, resilient weed?
Contributed by Aiden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.