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.
Place Clichy
Julien Clerc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et le ciel anthracite
Derrière la place Clichy
Les Batignolles à droite
Voici le métro la bouche
Et là la pharmacie
Voilà la place Clichy
La pluie
Et la rue d'Amsterdam
Le billard
Les phares et le brouillard
Un bruit mat
L'eau sous les roues
C'est rouge
Une nappe
Un mur de bruit
La place Clichy
Le lycéee Jules Ferry
Et un car de touristes
La pluie la place Clichy
Un coup de parapluie
La nuit tombe sur Paris
Sur la pluie froide et fine
Voilà la place Clichy
La pluie
Le tabac les lumières
Le Wepler
Et sur la gauche
La rue Caulaincourt
Qui monte vers le cimetière
C'est le ciel qui commande ici
The lyrics in Julien Clerc's song "Place Clichy" describe the surroundings of the titular location in Paris. The rain and anthracite sky are in the foreground, while the Batignolles neighborhood looms in the distance to the right. The metro station and pharmacy are nearby, and Amsterdam Street is in view with billiards and headlights cutting through the fog. The sound of water under wheels and the red glow from traffic lights fill the air. The Jules Ferry high school and a tourist bus briefly pass by, but soon night falls on Paris, cloaking the cold and fine rain. The tobacco shop, lights, and the Wepler cafe are present. To the left is the street Caulaincourt, which leads toward the cemetery.
Line by Line Meaning
En avant-plan la pluie
The rain is dominating the foreground
Et le ciel anthracite
And the sky is dark gray
Derrière la place Clichy
Behind Place Clichy
Les Batignolles à droite
Les Batignolles is to the right
Voici le métro la bouche
Here is the metro entrance
Et là la pharmacie
And there is the pharmacy
Voilà la place Clichy
There is Place Clichy
La pluie
The rain
Et la rue d'Amsterdam
And Amsterdam street
Le billard
The pool table
Les phares et le brouillard
The headlights and the fog
Un bruit mat
A dull noise
L'eau sous les roues
The water under the wheels
C'est rouge
It's red
Une nappe
A tablecloth
Un mur de bruit
A wall of noise
La place Clichy
Place Clichy
Le lycéee Jules Ferry
Jules Ferry High School
Et un car de touristes
And a tourist bus
Un coup de parapluie
A hit with the umbrella
La nuit tombe sur Paris
Night falls on Paris
Sur la pluie froide et fine
On the cold and fine rain
Voilà la place Clichy
There is Place Clichy
La pluie
The rain
Le tabac les lumières
The tobacco shop and the lights
Le Wepler
The Wepler (a brasserie in Paris)
Et sur la gauche
And on the left
La rue Caulaincourt
Caulaincourt Street
Qui monte vers le cimetière
That goes up towards the cemetery
C'est le ciel qui commande ici
Here, the sky is in charge
Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.