Il a fait partie du groupe musical québécois Beau Dommage et poursuit une carrière solo.
Discographie
* 1977 : Méfiez-vous du grand amour
* 1979 : De Longueuil à Berlin
* 1983 : Sauvage
* 1985 : Bonsoir, mon nom est Michel Rivard et voici mon album double
* 1987 : Un trou dans les nuages
* 1989 : Michel Rivard
* 1992 : Le Goût de l'eau... et autres chansons naïves
* 1998 : Maudit Bonheur
* 2004 : Bonsoir... mon nom est toujours Michel Rivard et voici mon album quadruple (en spectacle intime...)
* 2004 : Simple
* 2006 : Confiance
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Michel Rivard (born September 27, 1951), is a singer-songwriter and musician from Quebec. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His father was an actor, Robert Rivard. Michel began his career at an early age appearing in a Canadian television series (Rue des Pignons) and in TV commercials.
Rivard's career as a writer and composer began in earnest when he became a member of the theatrical group Quenouille Bleue, established in 1970. Later, he became a member of Théâtre Sainfoin, when it was founded in 1973.
Beau Dommage and beyond
Four years later, in 1974, Rivard and other members of Théâtre Sainfoin, formed the group Beau Dommage (an old Québécois expression meaning "certainly" or "damn right"). Rivard wrote and composed for Beau Dommage.
Beau Dommage became a very popular group, and as a result of his songwriting ability Rivard's popularity increase as well. Perhaps his most popular song from this era is "La complainte du phoque en Alaska". Although Beau Dommage disbanded in 1978, there were reunion concerts in 1984 and 1994, both of which Rivard participated in. Characteristic of Rivard's creative energy, he also put out his first solo album in 1977, Méfiez-vous du grand amour.
In 1978, as a sign of his increased prestige, Michel opened for Maxime Forestier and was accompanist for Forestier at the Olympia in Paris. Although an unlikely pairing, it resulted in a continued friendship. Rivard released his second LP, De Longueuil à Berlin, in 1979; that year also marked the beginning of Rivard's appearance in a series of concerts in Paris.
The 1980s
The following years saw Rivard involved in various collaborations, including film collaborations. These film collaborations included roles in Les Enfants de Kennedy, and Maria Chapdelaine. He also wrote scores for films, such as André Melançon's L'Espace d'un été, and Jean-Michel Ribes's Rien ne va plus. He also acted playing the lead Yves Simoneau's Pourquoi M. Zolock s'intéresse-t-il tant à la bande dessinée? (Why is Mr. Zolock so interested in Comic Strips?) (1982). He joined the LNI (Ligue nationale d'improvisation [National Improvisation League]) in 1980 and performed for several years. Not wanting to miss an opportunity for some political humour, Rivard was a candidate for the satirical Rhinoceros Party of Canada in 1980 when he ran against former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
He returned to music in 1983 with the release of his third LP, Sauvage. This LP included "Schefferville, le dernier train", a tune that became quite popular and which was written for the film Le Dernier glacier. (Rivard also acted in this film). Rivard made a music video of another song on Sauvage: "Rumeurs sur la ville". It was directed by Louis Saia and André Gagnon and won the Félix Video Clip of the Year for 1985 – awarded at the ADISQ (Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois et de la vidéo) award ceremonies.
During this time Rivard toured Quebec. He released a fourth LP, called Bonsoir... Mon nom est Michel Rivard et voici mon album double. This was a live recording made during his 1983–84 concerts. These live show recordings display his adeptness at comic improvisation as well as his musical creativity.
In December 1988 Rivard played the Convocation Hall in Toronto, Ontario. It was the first time in ten years that a Québécois sang in French there. Rivard continued to garner awards: In 1988 he won two more Félix awards "Concert of the Year" and "Male Singer of the Year." He also participated in concerts supporting political and humanitarian issues, among them: the Amnesty International concert "Human Rights Now!" along with Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, Bruce Springsteen, and others.
What was to become his most popular album, Un trou dans les nuages was issued in late 1987. It included songs that would be enduring hits for him: "Ma blonde et les poissons", "Libérer le trésor", "Je voudrais voir la mer", "Le privé", and "Un trou dans les nuages". Rivard received many awards for this album including the Charles-Cros Academie International Grand Prize.
Rivard released another album in 1989, Michel Rivard a compilation of greatest hits. He continued to perform concerts in Canada and Europe.
The 1990s
Rivard's seventh album Le goût de l'eau…et autres chansons naïves came out in 1992. It too became another award winning album for him and in 1993 Rivard performed at the Olympia theatre in Paris.
At this point in time Rivard's prominence as a creative musician and poetic lyricist with a broad humanitarian vision put him on a par with the two great performers of a previous Québécois generation, Gilles Vigneault and Félix Leclerc. Rivard's "Complainte du phoque en Alaska"' was one of the few songs recorded by Leclerc that Leclerc did not write himself. Rivard also shares with those two men, though more moderately, a concern and interest in Quebec's nationalist aspirations.
In 1998, Rivard released the haunting and personal Maudit Bonheur.
He had his own variety television show, Studio TV5, for a couple of years, where he invited musicians, songwriters, and singers that he enjoyed performing with and jammed with them.
[edit] The 2000s
Rivard's concert career continues and he also continues to perform in theatre. In 2002 his album Simple (a live concert album) came out, and in 2004 Bonsoir…mon nom est toujours Michel Rivard et voici mon album quadruple came out.
On August 5, 2007 Rivard performed the last show at the Montreal Spectrum. He had been the only act to perform over one hundred concerts at the venue.
Bille de verre
Michel Rivard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Emporte papa
Tout au bout de la terre
Il verra la Chine
Et les îles opalines
Où les gens vivent nus
Moi, j'deviendrai un homme
Mes notes seront bonnes
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Si la nuit me fait peur
J'lui dirai que mon cœur
Est au bout de la terre
Où les enfants des rois
Ont des sabres qui coupent
Et des chevaux vivants
Moi, je ferai le grand
Je défendrai maman
Contre les voleurs
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Plus tard il y aura les caresses des femmes
Les secrets qui planent
Aux oreilles des grands
Les départs à minuit, les tempêtes, les drames
L'océan
Et quelqu'un qui attend une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Et quelqu'un qui attend une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Un bateau de bois
Emporte papa
Tout au bout de la terre
Il chassera le fauve
Au fond des jungles mauves
Où le jour n'entre pas
Je cacherai ma peine
J'attendrai qu'il revienne
Il sera fier de moi
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
Et un ver à soie
The lyrics of Michel Rivard's song "Bille de verre" depict the longing of a young child for their father, who is embarking on a journey to the farthest corners of the earth. The child envisions their father sailing on a wooden boat, eventually reaching China and the opalescent islands, where people live freely and in the nude. The child aspires to become a man, with good grades to make their father proud. They anticipate their father's return, hoping he will bring them a glass marble (bille de verre) and a silkworm (ver à soie).
In the face of fear at night, the child promises to tell their father that their heart is at the end of the earth, where children of royalty possess sharp swords and living horses. The child vows to become brave and protect their mother from thieves. They believe their father will bring back not only a glass marble and a silkworm but also the experiences of growing up, including the caresses of women, the whispered secrets of adults, midnight departures, storms, and the vastness of the ocean.
Throughout the song, the child eagerly waits for their father's return, imagining him hunting the wild beasts in the purple jungles that daylight cannot penetrate. The child resolves to hide their sadness and patiently wait for their father, believing that he will return proud of them and bearing the promised glass marble and silkworm.
Overall, "Bille de verre" is a poignant depiction of a child's dreams and desires, their yearning for their father's love and protection, and their belief that he will bring back precious gifts that symbolize both material objects and the experiences of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Un bateau de bois
A wooden boat
Emporte papa
Carries papa
Tout au bout de la terre
To the end of the earth
Il verra la Chine
He will see China
Et les îles opalines
And the opalescent islands
Où les gens vivent nus
Where people live naked
Moi, j'deviendrai un homme
I will become a man
Mes notes seront bonnes
My grades will be good
Il sera fier de moi
He will be proud of me
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
He will bring me a glass marble
Et un ver à soie
And a silkworm
Si la nuit me fait peur
If the night frightens me
J'lui dirai que mon cœur
I will tell him that my heart
Est au bout de la terre
Is at the end of the earth
Où les enfants des rois
Where the children of kings
Ont des sabres qui coupent
Have swords that cut
Et des chevaux vivants
And living horses
Moi, je ferai le grand
I will act like a grown-up
Je défendrai maman
I will defend mama
Contre les voleurs
Against the thieves
Plus tard il y aura les caresses des femmes
Later there will be the caresses of women
Les secrets qui planent
The secrets that hover
Aux oreilles des grands
In the ears of the adults
Les départs à minuit, les tempêtes, les drames
The midnight departures, storms, dramas
L'océan
The ocean
Et quelqu'un qui attend une bille de verre
And someone who waits for a glass marble
Et un ver à soie
And a silkworm
Un bateau de bois
A wooden boat
Emporte papa
Carries papa
Tout au bout de la terre
To the end of the earth
Il chassera le fauve
He will hunt the beast
Au fond des jungles mauves
In the deep mauve jungles
Où le jour n'entre pas
Where daylight does not come
Je cacherai ma peine
I will hide my pain
J'attendrai qu'il revienne
I will wait for him to come back
Il sera fier de moi
He will be proud of me
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
He will bring me a glass marble
Et un ver à soie
And a silkworm
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
He will bring me a glass marble
Et un ver à soie
And a silkworm
Il me rapportera une bille de verre
He will bring me a glass marble
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), COINCIDENCES
Written by: MICHEL RIVARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lizen Marc
Une des plus belles chansons de l'âge d'or de la chanson française. Quel respect j'ai pour lui...
arramy evelyne
Absolument magnifique par les métaphores et surtout pour la douceur de la voix et l 'univers dégagé tout en tendresse imprégné ! Merci pour ce partage délicat .
Arnaud Torchy
Carrément !
Sylvie
Superbe, j'adore. Magnifiques interprètes, très belle chanson et le clip est très touchant.
Pierre Breny
La première fois que j'ai dit le mot "papa" à son concert au forum à Liège après le décès de celui ci . Un torrent d'émotion _ Merci
Jean-Luc VANMELO
Personnellement, cette chanson me fait penser à mon père décédé en 1992, un peu moins d'un avant ce magnifique texte que ce Dieu vivant Maxime l'avait composé! Je dédie cette chanson à mon père et j'espère que je ne le déçois pas 🙁
kadarn
mon père était souvent en déplacement dans des pays étrangers dans les années 80 90 cette chanson était.......... je ne trouve pas les mots mais elle me fessait penser a lui voila c'est tout.
Ghislaine Plard
Une de mes chansons préférées de Maxime .
J adore ce duo tout en douceur!!!
dominique verguin
Je l'ai chantée avec les Mille Poètes de Narbonne, seule, en audition. Et en tremblant. Un très beau souvenir.
Onanga Rodney
Mes frères aînés ont appris cette chanson à l'école mixe B de Port-Gentil au Gabon il y a plus de 30 ans et j'ai toujours cette mélodie dans la tête et dans le cœur ❤️