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.
J'ai peur j'ai peur
Michel Rivard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
j’ai peur
j’ai peur qu’on ne m’aime pas
j’ai peur que l’on me prenne
j’ai mal
j’ai mal
j’ai mal je suis en mal d’amour
j’ai mal à la devanture
et j’ai mal
dans le fond de la cour
je suis comme tout le monde
j’ai peur du ciel et de l’enfer
j’ai peur que le soleil se tanne
d’éclairer la terre
je t’aime
je t’aime
je t’aime c’est plus fort que moi
je t’aime au bord de la violence
et je t’aime du bout des doigts
j’ai mal
j’ai mal
j’ai mal et je te fais mal
à mon tour
j’ai mal au cœur de l’animal
qui se cache
dans le fond de ma cour
je suis comme tout le monde
j’ai peur du ciel et de l’enfer
j’ai peur que le soleil se tanne
d’éclairer la terre
tu danses
tu danses
tu danses et je danse avec toi
on danse au bord de la falaise
comme si c’était là
que menaient nos pas
je t’aime
je t’aime
je t’aime c’est plus fort que moi
je t’aime au cœur de l’animal
qui se cache dans le fond de moi
je suis comme tout le monde
j’ai peur du ciel et de l’enfer
j’ai peur que le soleil se tanne
d’éclairer la terre
j’ai peur
The lyrics of Michel Rivard's song "J'ai peur j'ai peur" convey the fear and vulnerability that the singer experiences in various aspects of life, particularly in relationships and self-identity. The repetition of "j'ai peur" (I'm afraid) emphasizes the intensity of these fears.
The first stanza expresses the fear of not being loved and the concern of being misunderstood by others. The singer feels pain, a longing for love, and a discomfort within themselves. The mention of both the front and back of the courtyard signifies a sense of unease that extends to all areas of their life.
The second stanza reveals that the singer's fears are relatable; they are just like everyone else, afraid of the unknowns and uncertainties represented by heaven and hell. Furthermore, there is a fear that even the sun, a symbol of light and hope, might lose its ability to illuminate the earth, leaving the world in darkness.
In the third stanza, the focus shifts to expressing love. The repetition of "je t'aime" (I love you) echoes the intensity and depth of this emotion. The singer admits that their love is powerful, bordering on violence, and yet delicate, as if it could be felt only through the tips of their fingers. They also feel pain, acknowledging that their love can cause harm to the object of their affection, mirroring the pain within themselves.
The final stanza reiterates the singer's fear, emphasizing that they, like everyone else, fear both heaven and hell. The concern now extends to the fear of the sun becoming weary and refusing to brighten the world any longer.
Overall, these lyrics depict a complex emotional landscape, where fear and love intertwine. The singer longs for love but is also afraid of its power and the potential for pain that comes with it. Additionally, they share a common fear with others, the fear of the unknown and the uncertainties of life.
Line by Line Meaning
j’ai peur j'ai peur j'ai peur
I am afraid, I am afraid, I am afraid
j’ai peur
I am afraid
j’ai peur qu’on ne m’aime pas
I am afraid that I won't be loved
j’ai peur que l’on me prenne pour quelqu’un que je ne suis pas
I am afraid that someone will mistake me for someone I am not
j’ai mal
I am hurting
j’ai mal
I am hurting
j’ai mal je suis en mal d’amour
I am in pain because of love
j’ai mal à la devanture
I am hurting in the front
et j’ai mal
and I am hurting
dans le fond de la cour
deep in the backyard
je suis comme tout le monde
I am like everyone else
j’ai peur du ciel et de l’enfer
I am afraid of heaven and hell
j’ai peur que le soleil se tanne
I am afraid that the sun will become tired
d’éclairer la terre
of illuminating the earth
je t’aime
I love you
je t’aime
I love you
je t’aime c’est plus fort que moi
I love you, it's stronger than me
je t’aime au bord de la violence
I love you on the edge of violence
et je t’aime du bout des doigts
and I love you with the tips of my fingers
j’ai mal
I am hurting
j’ai mal
I am hurting
j’ai mal et je te fais mal
I am hurting and I am hurting you
à mon tour
in return
j’ai mal au cœur de l’animal
I am hurting in the heart of the animal
qui se cache
that hides
dans le fond de ma cour
in the back of my yard
tu danses
you dance
tu danses
you dance
tu danses et je danse avec toi
you dance and I dance with you
on danse au bord de la falaise
we dance on the edge of the cliff
comme si c’était là que menaient nos pas
as if that is where our steps led
je t’aime
I love you
je t’aime
I love you
je t’aime c’est plus fort que moi
I love you, it's stronger than me
je t’aime au cœur de l’animal
I love you in the heart of the animal
qui se cache dans le fond de moi
that hides deep within me
je suis comme tout le monde
I am like everyone else
j’ai peur du ciel et de l’enfer
I am afraid of heaven and hell
j’ai peur que le soleil se tanne
I am afraid that the sun will become tired
d’éclairer la terre
of illuminating the earth
j’ai peur
I am afraid
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
Written by: Michel Rivard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind