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.
Niagara
Julien Clerc Lyrics
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Je t'en prie sèches tes joues, ne pleures pas
Hey, hey, hey
Tu vas faire monter la Seine, arrêtes-toi
Niagara
Je t'en prie à genoux, ne m'en veux pas
Hey, hey, hey
Demain matin je m'en vais prendre le train
Je t'en prie reste chez toi
Après demain je serai déjà bien loin
À l'abri de tes exploits
Hey, Niagara
Tes sanglots sont si longs que je m'y noies
Hey, hey, hey
Tu inondes mon destin de ton chagrin
Demain matin je m'en vais prendre le train
Je t'en prie ne pleures pas
Après demain j'aimerais que les gazettes
Ne me parlent pas de toi
Les dentelles fraîches, la la la
De tes grands mouchoirs lilas
Ont vu plus d'écume, la la la
Que les chutes du Niagara
Hey, Niagara
Je t'en prie entre nous, retiens toi
Hey, hey, hey
Une montagne qui pleure, oui c'est bien toi
Niagara
Je t'oublie, tu m'oublies, restons-en là
Hey, hey, hey
Ne vas pas faire une baignoire d'un petit rien
Demain matin si c'était mon dernier train
Je t'en prie ne t'affoles pas
Après demain n'achète pas les gazettes
Même si elles parlaient de moi
Hey, Niagara
Je t'oublie, tu m'oublies, restons-en là
Hey, hey, hey
Et si je t'appelle comme ça, c'est que ça t'va
Hey, hey, hey
Niagara
C'est que ça t'va
The song "Niagara" by Julien Clerc is a plea to a woman named Niagara to stop crying and flooding the singer's life with her sorrow. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery that compares Niagara's tears and emotions to the overflowing waters of the Seine and Niagara Falls. The singer asks Niagara to let go and move on, suggesting that they forget each other and not draw attention to their past relationship in the media. He also acknowledges that Niagara's tears have had an immense impact on him, leaving him drowning in her grief.
The song is not just a simple romantic ballad, but rather a metaphor for the power and impact of emotional baggage. Niagara's tears and overflowing emotions represent the weight of past relationships and experiences that can hold us back from moving forward. The singer's plea to Niagara to let go and move on is a reminder that we all need to confront our emotional baggage and let go of the past to move forward in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Niagara
Addressing the natural phenomenon of Niagara Falls
Je t'en prie sèches tes joues, ne pleures pas
Asking Niagara to stop crying and dry its cheeks to prevent the Seine from flooding
Tu vas faire monter la Seine, arrêtes-toi
Warning Niagara that its constant tears will cause the Seine river to rise if it doesn't stop
Niagara, je t'en prie à genoux, ne m'en veux pas
Begging Niagara to forgive him while kneeling down in front of it
Et si je t'appelle comme ça, c'est que ça t'va
Explaining that he addresses Niagara by its name because it suits the situation
Demain matin je m'en vais prendre le train
Leaving tomorrow morning by train
Je t'en prie reste chez toi
Asking Niagara to stay home while he leaves
Après-demain je serai déjà bien loin
He will have traveled far away by the day after tomorrow
À l'abri de tes exploits
Safe from Niagara's actions
Hey, Niagara, tes sanglots sont si longs que je m'y noie
Noting that Niagara's sobs are so deep that he feels drowned in them
Tu inondes mon destin de ton chagrin
Niagara's sadness is affecting him deeply and shaping his future
Je t'en prie ne pleures pas
Begging Niagara not to cry
Après-demain j'aimerais que les gazettes ne me parlent pas de toi
Expressing his desire not to hear anything about Niagara in newspapers by the day after tomorrow
Les dentelles fraîches, la la la
Using a catchy chorus to describe the beauty of Niagara's fresh lace
De tes grands mouchoirs lilas
Referring to Niagara's lilac-colored handkerchiefs
Ont vu plus d'écume, la la la
Suggesting that Niagara's handkerchiefs have seen more foam than the Niagara Falls themselves
Que les chutes du Niagara
Comparing the amount of foam on Niagara's handkerchiefs to that of the Niagara Falls
Je t'en prie entre nous, retiens toi
Asking Niagara to keep its sorrow between them
Une montagne qui pleure, oui c'est bien toi
Describing Niagara as a mountain that cries
Niagara, je t'oublie, tu m'oublies, restons-en là
Simply stating that they should both forget about each other and move on
Ne vas pas faire une baignoire d'un petit rien
Advising Niagara not to make a big deal out of nothing
Demain matin si c'était mon dernier train, je t'en prie ne t'affoles pas
Reassuring Niagara that if tomorrow morning was his last train, it should not worry
Même si elles parlaient de moi
Not wanting the newspapers to talk about him even if it means not hearing about Niagara either
C'est que ça t'va
Explaining that he calls Niagara by its name because it suits the whole situation
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE, SIDONIE
Written by: Julien Clerc, Etienne Roda Gil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind