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.
Le Paradis Blanc
Michel Berger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'on arrive plus à distinguer
Le blanc du noir
Et l'énergie du désespoir
Le téléphone pourra sonner
Il n'y aura plus d'abonné
Et plus d'idée
Que le silence pour respirer
Là où le monde a commencé
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
Où les nuits sont si longues qu'on en oublie le temps
Tout seul avec le vent
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Je m'en irai courir dans le paradis blanc
Loin des regards de haine et des combats de sang
Retrouver les baleines
Parler aux poissons d'argent
Comme, comme, comme avant
Y a tant de vagues et tant d'idées
Qu'on arrive plus à décider
Le faux du vrai
Et qui aimer ou condamner
Le jour où j'aurai tout donné
Que mes claviers seront usés
D'avoir osé
Toujours vouloir tout essayer
Et recommencer
Là où le monde a commencé
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
Où les manchots s'amusent dès le soleil levant
Et jouent en nous montrant
Ce que c'est d'être vivant
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
Où l'air reste si pur qu'on se baigne dedans
À jouer avec le vent
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Comme, comme, comme avant
Parler aux poissons d'argent
Et jouer avec le vent
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Comme avant
The lyrics of Michel Berger's song Le paradis blanc touch on themes such as escape, longing for a simpler life, and a desire to return to a bygone era. The song is written in an earnest, melancholic tone, describing a place that is free from the chaos and confusion of the world. The opening lyrics speak to the overwhelming nature of contemporary life, using the imagery of waves and smoke to convey a sense of confusion that obscures meaningful distinctions.
The refrain, "Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc" ("I will go to sleep in the white paradise"), repeats throughout the song and serves as a sort of mantra for the singer's desire to escape to a place that is peaceful and free of conflict. The second verse of the song further elaborates on this paradise, describing it as a place where penguins frolic in the sunrise and the air is so pure that one can swim in it.
Overall, Michel Berger's Le paradis blanc can be interpreted as both a deeply personal reflection on the human desire for peace and tranquillity, as well as a more universal statement about the ways in which contemporary life can often feel overwhelming and chaotic.
Line by Line Meaning
Il y a tant de vagues et de fumée
There are so many waves and smoke
Qu'on arrive plus à distinguer
That we can no longer distinguish
Le blanc du noir
Between black and white
Et l'énergie du désespoir
And the energy of despair
Le téléphone pourra sonner
The phone may ring
Il n'y aura plus d'abonné
There will be no subscriber
Et plus d'idée
And no more ideas
Que le silence pour respirer
Only silence to breathe
Recommencer
Starting over
Là où le monde a commencé
Where the world began
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
I will go to sleep in the white paradise
Où les nuits sont si longues qu'on en oublie le temps
Where the nights are so long that we forget time
Tout seul avec le vent
Alone with the wind
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Like in my childhood dreams
Je m'en irai courir dans le paradis blanc
I will go running in the white paradise
Loin des regards de haine et des combats de sang
Far from hateful looks and bloody fights
Retrouver les baleines
Finding the whales
Parler aux poissons d'argent
Talking to silver fish
Comme, comme, comme avant
Like, like, like before
Y a tant de vagues et tant d'idées
There are so many waves and ideas
Qu'on arrive plus à décider
That we can no longer decide
Le faux du vrai
Between the fake and the real
Et qui aimer ou condamner
And who to love or condemn
Le jour où j'aurai tout donné
The day when I will have given everything
Que mes claviers seront usés
That my keyboards will be worn out
D'avoir osé
From having dared
Toujours vouloir tout essayer
Always wanting to try everything
Et recommencer
And to start over
Là où le monde a commencé
Where the world began
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
I will go to sleep in the white paradise
Où les manchots s'amusent dès le soleil levant
Where penguins have fun from sunrise
Et jouent en nous montrant
And play showing us
Ce que c'est d'être vivant
What it means to be alive
Je m'en irai dormir dans le paradis blanc
I will go to sleep in the white paradise
Où l'air reste si pur qu'on se baigne dedans
Where the air is so pure that we can bathe in it
À jouer avec le vent
Playing with the wind
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Like in my childhood dreams
Comme, comme, comme avant
Like, like, like before
Parler aux poissons d'argent
Talking to silver fish
Et jouer avec le vent
And playing with the wind
Comme dans mes rêves d'enfant
Like in my childhood dreams
Comme avant
Like before
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Michel Berger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind