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.
Romina
Julien Clerc Lyrics
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Deux ou trois larmes pour le saler
Rien de nouveau dessous la porte
Sauf un billet pour la mer Morte
À la radio on n´parle pas d´toi
Et dans la glace on ne voit qu´moi
T´as laissé bien trop d´place chez moi
T´as laissé trop d´traces sur mes doigts
Sur mon piano et sur mon cœur
Je ferme et j´descends l´escalier
Je tangue comme un bateau paumé
Sans mon pilote et sans ma foi
Je risque de bientôt m´écraser
Dans les journaux, pas d´mots sur toi
Mais dans l´orage on ne voit qu´moi
Romina, Romina,
T´as laissé bien trop d´place chez moi
T´as laissé trop d´traces sur mes doigts
Sur mon piano et sur mon cœur
Je vais nager dans le quartier
Avec ma peine à mes souliers
Et ma boussole déréglée
M´entraîne dans de drôles de pensées
À mon ciné, une photo d´toi
Mais à l´entrée, il n´y a pas qu´moi
Romina, Romina,
T´as laissé bien trop d´place chez moi
T´as laissé trop d´traces sur mes doigts
Sur mon piano et sur mon cœur
The song "Romina" by Julien Clerc is a melancholic ballad about lost love and the pain of moving on. The lyrics portray the singer's struggle with letting go of his former lover, Romina. He makes his morning coffee more bittersweet by adding a few tears to it, serving as a metaphor for the emotions he is feeling. The singer's surroundings and daily routine act as a constant reminder of Romina's absence. Even though he tries to distract himself by swimming and watching movies, he cannot escape the memories of her that continue to haunt him. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "Romina, Romina," emphasizing the hold she still has on him.
The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness and feeling lost. The singer compares himself to a ship without a captain or a compass, implying that he is aimlessly wandering through life without direction. He mentions how he is the only one visible in the mirror and the radio does not talk about her, underscoring his sense of isolation.
Overall, the song "Romina" conveys the universal theme of heartbreak and the challenges of moving on. Its poignant lyrics and melancholic melody make it a timeless classic in French music.
Line by Line Meaning
J´me lève et j ´mets dans mon café Deux ou trois larmes pour le saler
I wake up and put two or three tears in my coffee to make it salty
Rien de nouveau dessous la porte Sauf un billet pour la mer Morte
Nothing new under the door except a ticket for the Dead Sea
À la radio on n´parle pas d´toi Et dans la glace on ne voit qu´moi
They don't speak of you on the radio, and when I look in the mirror, I only see myself
Romina, Romina, T´as laissé bien trop d´place chez moi T´as laissé trop d´traces sur mes doigts Sur mon piano et sur mon cœur
Romina, you have left too much space in my home, left too many traces on my fingers, on my piano and on my heart
Je ferme et j´descends l´escalier Je tangue comme un bateau paumé Sans mon pilote et sans ma foi Je risque de bientôt m´écraser
I close the door and descend the stairs, swaying like a lost boat, without my pilot or faith, I may soon crash
Dans les journaux, pas d´mots sur toi Mais dans l´orage on ne voit qu´moi
The newspapers don't mention you, but in the storm, only I am visible
Je vais nager dans le quartier Avec ma peine à mes souliers Et ma boussole déréglée M´entraîne dans de drôles de pensées
I go swimming in the neighborhood, with sadness in my shoes and a faulty compass leading me to strange thoughts
À mon ciné, une photo d´toi Mais à l´entrée, il n´y a pas qu´moi
At my cinema, there's a photo of you, but at the entrance, there's not only me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERLOT LECLERC, MAURICE VALLET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind