Three years after the release of her first album, which went gold and platinum, she released her second album, Carpe Diem, which launched the career of this singer-songwriter in French-speaking countries, especially in Quebec. Within three weeks, the album went gold. She then took her music on tour, performing to over 150,000 admirers, while her album went three times platinum. She was especially appreciated by the Canadian public and music industry. In 1995, she was awarded two Félix awards by Quebec's association of recording artists (ADISQ), namely Best Female Vocalist of the year (by popular vote), and Best Live Performance of the year.
Then, things began to pick up!
In 1996, Walt Disney Studios immortalized Lara's voice. In addition to incarnating Esmeralda, the heroine of the animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame, she sang the theme song ("Que Dieu aide les exclus") on the film's soundtrack.
In October, her third album "Pure" went platinum in less than two weeks. Thanks to this album, she won the 1997 Félix for Album of the Year. The same year, "Pure" was launched in France where over two million albums were sold within two years. Thanks to this resounding success, which eloquently expressed the affection of her loving and faithful fans, Lara was awarded the prize for New Artist of the Year at the prestigious French gala Les Victoires de la Musique. This was in February 1998, a few months before the concert tour in several French cities that led to the recording of an album (Lara Fabian Live) in March 1999 which went platinum a few months later. Lara Fabian was praised by music lovers and critics alike...
In addition to receiving the Félix for Quebec Artist Having the Most Impact Outside Quebec, she was voted Personality of the Year by the magazine Paris Match, which featured her on its front cover. While her fame grew, she was honored at the World Music Awards for Best Selling Artist for "Pure". Between appearances in Europe, Lara often returned to New York City and San Francisco to record her first album in English. She wrote or co-wrote most of the songs, working with Rick Allison and producers Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey), Pat Leonard (Madonna), Sam Watters (ex-Color Me Badd) and Brian Rawling (Cher's "I Believe").
Produced by Sony Records, the self-titled album was launched in May 2000 on America's most popular morning television show, NBC's Today Show. Invitations poured in, and Lara Fabian appeared on The Tonight Show, The View, Access Hollywood, Craig Kilborn, Entertainment Tonight...
The album's first excerpt, I will Love Again, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Music charts and settled in for 58 weeks! Thanks to this resounding success, she received the Félix for Quebec Artist Having the Most Impact in a Language other than French. The songs on the album thrilled audiences worldwide.
In February 2001, Love By Grace became the theme song of the lead couple in the Brazilian soap opera Laços de Familia, broadcast by TV Globo for millions of viewers in Brazil and Portugal. For several weeks, the song was number 1 on most Brazilian and Portuguese radio stations. Love by Grace generated an incredible frenzy around the artist… You just don't top the billboards of Portuguese speaking countries everyday!
After From Lara with Love, her first American TV special broadcast by PBS, the singer-songwriter participated in the very popular WTKU New York radio special, Miracle on 34th Street, where many popular artists appeared, including Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and Toni Braxton.
Shortly after, when her self-titled English-language album was released in Asia, Lara scored a number one hit on the Taiwanese top ten, a great moment for the artist. Many were particularly impressed with the song Light of my Life (found only on the Asian edition of the album), which she interpreted with Lee-Hom, Asia's top male Chinese-speaking vocalist. This song was included in the movie feature China Strike Force, starring newcomer Lee-Horn along with Aaron Kwok, a box-office idol throughout Asia.
Eagerly awaited in several cities throughout the world, Lara has brilliantly dealt with her growing popularity by frequently appearing abroad. The artist has performed in several European and American capitals, and has enjoyed every minute of her travels. Solid gold in Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Norway, Lara Fabian went platinum in Belgium, Brazil and France and triple platinum in Portugal. She enjoyed the longest number 1 run on Billboard's Heatseeker Chart in 2000.
Last May, Lara was awarded yet another prize at the World Music Awards in Monaco, where she sang Adagio. She also returned to New York and Los Angeles to lend her voice to the original soundtracks of two long-awaited international super productions in July 2001: She interpreted the song The Dreams Within, featured in the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, as well as For Always, the vocal version of the title song of A.I., Steven Spielberg's latest feature.
In addition to a new French-language album in September 2001, Lara Fabian launched the first single on her new album in May, "J'y crois encore", which can be heard on radio stations in Quebec and Europe.
From France to Brazil, in Italy, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Japan and the United States, Lara Fabian has established her reputation as a determined singer-songwriter. Barely 10 years after the release of her first album, Lara has conquered the hearts of millions of fans throughout the world, whose fervor is equaled only by their affection for this talented and authentic artist. Eight million records sold worldwide to this day testify to her achievement.
Her best-selling European DVD and CD, En Toute Intimité, released in October 2003, was an intimate, acoustic piano-based collection showcasing Ms. Fabian performing songs in English, Italian and French.
After En Toute Intimité Lara Fabian released her 2nd English language album called "A wonderful life". Lara Fabian's latest release is an album in the French language with the title "Toutes Les Femmes en Moi", released in May 2009.
2010: "Tour Les Femmes Font Leur Show", Mademoiselle Zhivago
Throughout the first half of 2010, Fabian embarked on a European tour of concerts, throughout France, Switzerland, and Belgium, incorporating the main repertoire of her last album "Toutes Les Femmes En Moi" along with some classic and fan favorites. She also performed again in Eastern Europe, with a more acoustic set (piano-voice), and included English recordings from the album Every Woman in Me. In September 2010, she finally released her 2009 album "Toutes Les Femmes En Moi" in Québec. She also recorded the album "Nuit Magique" with Canadian singer Coral Egan.
Later in 2010, Fabian released a concept album in Russia and Ukraine called Mademoiselle Zhivago which has sold over 800.000 copies in Russia. It features 11 songs in different languages by Russian composer Igor Krutoy. It features stories about a woman who experiences several lives over the years and centuries. Eleven music videos, one each song, were combined to create a full-length film, produced and directed by Ukrainian film producer Alan Badoev. The album itself, containing a CD and a DVD, was first released in Ukraine in October 2010 and in Russia in November.
2020–present: Lockdown Sessions
On December 16, 2020, Lara Fabian discreetly unveiled a collection of 12 experimental musical tracks, the fruit of her introspection and her isolation during confinement. Lockdown Sessions came out in a limited edition without a label, and offers a unique journey of the singer accompanied again by Moh Denebi.
Fabian is a full lyric soprano with a vocal range that spans three octaves from C3 to G5 in live performances.
She is multilingual, she speaks Italian, French, Spanish, Sicilian, English and some Flemish.[citation needed] She has also sung in Azerbaijani, German, Greek, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish
Papa can you hear me
Lara Fabian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh God
May the light of this flickering candle
Illuminate the night the way
your spirit illuminates my soul
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?
Papa are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Looking at the skies I seem to see a million eyes
Which ones are yours?
Where are you now that yesterday
Has waved goodbye
And closed its doors?
The night is so much darker
The wind is so much colder
The world I see is so much bigger
Now that I'm alone
Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don't you know I had no choice?
Can you hear me praying
Anything I'm saying
Even though the night is filled with voices?
I remember everything you taught me
Every book 1've ever read
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller
The moon is twice as lonely
And the stars are half as bright
Papa, how I love you
Papa, how I need you
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night
Lara Fabian’s “Papa, Can You Hear Me” is a raw, emotional ballad that focuses on the feelings of a girl who has lost her father. From the opening lines where she implores God to light up her path just as her father’s memory lights up her soul, the lyrics outline the depths of her loss. The repetition of Papa, can you hear me?” reveals the singer’s desire for her father’s presence in her life, even after his passing. She feels abandoned by him and afraid of what the future holds without his guidance.
The melancholic tone in each line portrays the emotions associated with bereavement. Fabian’s heartfelt rendering of the tune conveys the depth of the singer's sorrow and the hopelessness of being unable to connect with her father. While she wonders if her father is anywhere near her, she keeps praying and seeking his guidance, just like she did when he was alive. In the end, she implores her father to hear her affection for him and how much she longs for him.
Line by Line Meaning
God
Addressing God, the singer hopes to receive help and guidance from the divine.
Oh God
An exclamation of desperation, a plea for God to hear the singer's call.
May the light of this flickering candle
Illuminate the night the way
your spirit illuminates my soul
A prayer to God, asking for spiritual guidance and enlightenment through the darkness.
Papa, can you hear me?
The singer is reaching out to her deceased father, asking if he can hear her voice calling out to him.
Papa, can you see me?
The singer is asking if her father can see her, be it in spirit or in memory.
Papa can you find me in the night?
The singer is asking if her father can locate her in the dark, metaphorically asking if he can offer guidance and protection.
Papa are you near me?
The singer is questioning if her father's spirit is close by, comforting and supporting her in her time of need.
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Asking for her father's guidance and protection, the singer is afraid and reaching out for comfort.
Looking at the skies I seem to see a million eyes
Which ones are yours?
Observing the vastness of the sky and the stars, the singer wonders if her father's eyes are among them, watching over her.
Where are you now that yesterday
Has waved goodbye
And closed its doors?
The singer laments her father's passing, wondering where he is now that the past has been left behind.
The night is so much darker
The wind is so much colder
The world I see is so much bigger
Now that I'm alone
With her father gone, the world feels darker and harsher, and the singer feels small and insignificant without his guidance.
Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don't you know I had no choice?
The singer asks for her father's forgiveness and understanding, hoping he can empathize with the difficult choices she has had to make in life.
Can you hear me praying
Anything I'm saying
Even though the night is filled with voices?
The singer hopes that her father's spirit can hear her prayers and words, despite the distractions and chaos of the surrounding world.
I remember everything you taught me
Every book 1've ever read
The singer recalls the lessons and wisdom her father imparted onto her, carrying them with her as she faces the challenges of life.
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
Wondering if her father's teachings and the knowledge she has gained from books can offer her the tools to confront her future and overcome her struggles.
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller
The moon is twice as lonely
And the stars are half as bright
Without her father's presence, everything around the singer feels more intimidating, and she feels more alone and vulnerable than ever before.
Papa, how I love you
Papa, how I need you
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night
The singer expresses her love and yearning for her father, cherishing their moments together and missing his affectionate goodnight kisses.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN BERGMAN, MARILYN BERGMAN, MICHEL LEGRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yvonne Errend
I could listen to Lara all day long and never get tired of hearing her angelic voice. I can tell she is a beautiful soul.
shimery fairy
Perfect technique + perfect song = Lara fabian's performance
Brazilian Reaction
And Lara as sick at that night. She said that before entering on the stage and also said for the audience. She was just recovering for a sore throat yet.
DK ALBRYTE
I just detest Streisand
08025Victor
I absolutely love Barbra Streisand and this woman has done such a fair version. Congratulations
hexistenz
@Chris Landis yes! I’m so so lucky to be going to see her in 8 days, I’m so,so looking forward to finally seeing Lara live ❤❤❤
Chris Landis
love barbra. no one sings like her. lara did an AMAZING job!! I would go see her in concert after seeing this.
John Jones
YASSSSSS
Brazilian Reaction
And Lara as sick at that night. She said that before entering on the stage and also said for the audience. She was just recovering for a sore throat yet.
Andrew Donkin
Absolutely magical , i love her voice its perfect for these songs ...