Paul-Alain Leclerc, popularly known as Julien Clerc (born October 4, 1947 i… Read Full Bio ↴Paul-Alain Leclerc, popularly known as Julien Clerc (born October 4, 1947 in Paris) is a prominent French singer, pianist, and composer.

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.

Zucayan
Julien Clerc Lyrics

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Les filons furent épuisés
Avant d'être mis à jour
Ils furent exploités
Avant même d'exister
(Zucayan)

Les chercheurs ont jeté
Leurs pioches et leurs tamis

L'or est devenu sourd
A leur triste folie
(Zucayan)

A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan

Les sales et mauvaises fleurs
Ont envahi les rues
Les plantes carnivores
S'installent sur les balcons
(Zucayan)

Les hommes se sont tus
Ils ont fui leur maison
Et sont partis ailleurs
Refaire fortune encore
(Zucayan)

A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan

Tout seul je suis resté
Parmi les indiens bleus
Les lianes enchevêtrées
Et les anciennes mines
(Zucayan)

Ma barbe pousse lentement
Et la couleur de mes yeux
Se délave dans le temps
De ma mémoire en ruine
(Zucayan)

A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan

Je vieillirai sans joie
Auprès des piranhas
Et je finirai roi
De sauvages trop sages
(Zucayan)

Au moment du voyage
Je retrouverai les mines
Je redécouvrirai les filons
Je redeviendrai riche
(Zucayan)

A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan
A Zucayan

(Zucayan)
(Zucayan)

A Zucayan
(Zucayan)
(Zucayan)
(Zucayan)
(Zucayan)

(Zucayan)
(Zucayan)

Overall Meaning

The song Zucayan by Julien Clerc is about the consequences of greed and obsession with wealth. The lyrics tell the story of a place called Zucayan, where the gold mines were once abundant and lucrative, but were eventually depleted and abandoned. The first stanza talks about how the gold veins were exploited before they were even discovered, implying that the people of Zucayan were so obsessed with wealth that they didn't care about the consequences. The second stanza describes how the gold seekers eventually gave up and left, leaving the town to decay into a state of neglect and disrepair.

The chorus simply repeats the name of the town, perhaps emphasizing the loneliness and isolation of the sole remaining protagonist in the story. The following stanzas elaborate on the aftermath of the gold rush, with the streets overgrown and the remaining residents resigned to a life of misery. The singer is left to age alone, surrounded by "blue Indians," tangled vines, and memories of the past. He envisions a return to the mines someday, where he will once again strike it rich and reclaim his lost glory.

Overall, Zucayan can be interpreted as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of greed and the consequences of valuing wealth over other values such as community, empathy, and sustainability.

ZucayanJulien Clerc Lyrics

Zucayan
Julien Clerc Lyrics