Michel Berger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), born Michel Jean Hamburge… Read Full Bio ↴Michel Berger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday. He was also romantically involved with singer songwriter Véronique Sanson in the early 1970s before he married France Gall.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 45.

Berger first became known to the French public in the 1960s as singer of hit song Salut les copains, after which he became record producer and songwriter for EMI and where he wrote amongst others Les Girafes for Bourvil in 1967. In the early 1970s, he moved to Warner Music where he produced the early albums of Véronique Sanson, and Allah once again in 1989. In 1973, he was responsible for producing the album Message personnel, the title track of which relaunched the career of Françoise Hardy. He also produced the single Je suis moi for Hardy.

Berger started writing for France Gall in 1974, produced all her albums from 1975, and married her on 22 June 1976.

In 1985, he produced Johnny Hallyday's album Rock'n'Roll Attitude and also his stage-show, followed by Le Tour de France 1988 of France Gall in 1987.

In 1978, he composed the musical: Starmania, with lyrics by Luc Plamondon. The musical starred France Gall, Daniel Balavoine, Diane Dufresne, Nanette Workman, Eric Estève and Fabienne Thibeault. It was a big success in France in the 1980s and 1990s. An English version: Tycoon was released in 1991 with lyrics by Tim Rice, but it did not achieve the success the original version had in France.

Partnered by producer Jerome Savary, and by lyricist Luc Plamondon in 1980, he produced the musical La Légende de Jimmy, inspired by the life of James Dean. However, this bombed. Dreams in stone, was conceived as an American musical, co-arranged with Michel Bernholc, recorded in the United States. The show never saw the light of day, but the album was nevertheless released in 1982. The album was a complete flop and is not well-known.

As composer, Berger scored several film projects, which included Mektoub, a 1970 film by Algerian Director Ali Ghalem, Robert Benayoun's Sérieux comme le plaisir in 1975, Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Tout feu, tout flamme in 1982 and Rive droite, rive gauche the 1984 film by Philippe Labro. He is also known for his Orangina advertisement jingle.

Berger was one of a handful of French artists who participated readily and actively in humanitarian acts: in 1985, he worked exclusively for Action Écoles alongside France Gall, Richard Berry and Daniel Balavoine, then later for Ethiopia with Renaud (Chanteurs Sans Frontières) and for Les Restos du cœur with comedian Coluche.

On 2 August 1992, a few weeks after the first album of duets with France Gall came out, Michel Berger died of a heart attack, in the middle of a tennis match. He is buried in the cimetière de Montmartre in Paris. His untimely death came as a shock to many people because he had been one of the most popular French singer-songwriter of the 70's and 80's. Moreover, unlike many pop stars, he came across as a nice and simple man, more interested in music and family life than in rock & roll excesses. As a matter of fact, his marriage with France Gall was remarkably stable.

Chanter pour ceux qui sont loin de chez eux
Michel Berger Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Celui-là passe toute la nuit
À regarder les étoiles
En pensant qu'au bout du monde
Y a quelqu'un qui pense à lui
Et cette petite fille qui joue
Qui ne veut plus jamais sourire
Et qui voit son père partout
Qui s'est construit un empire

Où qu'ils aillent
Ils sont tristes à la fête, où qu'ils aillent
Ils sont seuls dans leur tête

Je veux chanter pour ceux
Qui sont loin de chez eux
Et qui ont dans leurs yeux
Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal
Je veux chanter pour ceux
Qu'on oublie peu à peu
Et qui gardent au fond d'eux
Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal

Qui a volé leur histoire, qui a volé leur mémoire?
Qui a piétiné leur vie, comme on marche sur un miroir?
Celui-là voudra des bombes, celui-là comptera les jours
En alignant des bâtons comme les barreaux d'une prison
Où qu'ils aillent
Ils sont tristes à la fête, où qu'ils aillent
Ils sont seuls dans leur tête

Je veux chanter pour ceux
Qui sont loin de chez eux
Et qui ont dans leurs yeux
Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal
Je veux chanter pour ceux
Qu'on oublie peu à peu
Et qui gardent au fond d'eux

Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal
Chanter pour ceux
Qui sont loin de chez eux
Et qui ont dans leurs yeux
Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal

Quand je pense à eux
Ça fait mal, ça fait mal

Quand je pense à eux
Ça fait mal, ça fait mal

Overall Meaning

Michel Berger's song "Chanter Pour Ceux Qui Sont Loin De Chez Eux" is a poignant tribute to those who feel alone in the world. The song tells the story of people who are far from their homes and families, and who carry a deep sense of sadness and loss within them. The first verse of the song introduces us to two such people: a man who spends his nights staring at the stars, hoping that someone, somewhere is thinking of him, and a little girl who has lost her father and can't seem to find joy in anything anymore.

As the song continues, Michel Berger asks "who stole their story, who stole their memory?" These lines suggest that the people the song is about have experienced some kind of trauma or injustice that has robbed them of their happiness and sense of belonging. He goes on to describe the feelings of hopelessness and despair that plague these individuals, saying that they are "sad at the party, wherever they go" and "alone in their heads."

Throughout the song, Michel Berger expresses his desire to sing for these forgotten, lonely souls. He wants to give voice to their pain, to let them know that someone sees and cares for them. The song's chorus repeats the central theme, with Michel Berger singing "I want to sing for those who are far from home, and who have something inside them that hurts, that hurts." The song ends with Michel Berger reminding us that when he thinks about these people, it hurts him too.

Line by Line Meaning

Celui-là passe toute la nuit À regarder les étoiles En pensant qu'au bout du monde Y a quelqu'un qui pense à lui
He spends his nights gazing at the stars, believing that somewhere at the edge of the world someone is thinking of him.

Et cette petite fille qui joue Qui ne veut plus jamais sourire Et qui voit son père partout Qui s'est construit un empire
And that little girl who plays, who never wants to smile again and sees her father everywhere, who had built himself an empire.

Où qu'ils aillent Ils sont tristes à la fête, où qu'ils aillent Ils sont seuls dans leur tête
Wherever they go, they are sad at the party, wherever they go, they are alone in their head.

Je veux chanter pour ceux Qui sont loin de chez eux Et qui ont dans leurs yeux Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal
I want to sing for those who are far from home and have something in their eyes that hurts, that hurts.

Je veux chanter pour ceux Qu'on oublie peu à peu Et qui gardent au fond d'eux Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal
I want to sing for those who are slowly being forgotten and who keep something deep inside that hurts, that hurts.

Qui a volé leur histoire, qui a volé leur mémoire? Qui a piétiné leur vie, comme on marche sur un miroir?
Who stole their history, who stole their memory? Who trampled on their life like walking on a mirror?

Celui-là voudra des bombes, celui-là comptera les jours En alignant des bâtons comme les barreaux d'une prison
That one will want bombs, that one will count the days by aligning sticks like prison bars.

Chanter pour ceux Qui sont loin de chez eux Et qui ont dans leurs yeux Quelque chose qui fait mal, qui fait mal Quand je pense à eux Ça fait mal, ça fait mal
Sing for those who are far from home and have something in their eyes that hurts, that hurts. When I think of them, it hurts, it hurts.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michel Berger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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