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.
La guitare de Jérémie
Michel Rivard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sortie tout droit de ma mémoire
Celle de la guitare de Jérémie
On l'a trouvée dans les débris
D'une maison vide à c'qu'on m'a dit
Le lendemain d'un terrible incendie
""Prends-la donc"", dit le brocanteur
""Elle a sans doute une grande valeur
J'te fais un prix""
Elle était sale, sentait la fumée
Et sur son dos, on avait gravé
Je suis la guitare de Jérémie
Elle jouait toute seule
Je n'avais qu'à poser les doigts
Et les cordes rouillées prenaient vie
Elle jouait toute seule
Une musique faite pour moi
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie
J'ai jamais connu de Jérémie
Était-ce un homme, un pur esprit?
Mais sa guitare est devenue mon amie
Elle m'a suivi dans toutes mes chansons
Les honky tonks et les bars salon
Et souvent jusqu'à très tard dans la nuit
Elle jouait toute seule
Je n'avais qu'à poser les doigts
Et les cordes chantaient toute ma vie
Elle jouait toute seule
Une musique faite pour moi
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie (oui)
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie
Une nuit dans un bar fameux
Pour ses bagarres et ses dettes de jeu
Une femme étrange est entrée dans ma vie
Elle a pris mon coeur et ma montre en or
Avec mon auto, elle a pris l'nord
Et bien sûr, la guitare de Jérémie
Comme si la musique s'arrêtait
Comme si le soleil s'éteignait
J'ai pris la route sans savoir où j'allais
Je ne l'ai plus jamais jouée d'ma vie
Mais j'rêve souvent qu'une voix me dit
""Prends ma guitare, je m'appelle Jérémie""
Elle jouait toute seule
Je n'avais qu'à poser les doigts
Et les cordes rouillées prenaient vie
Elle jouait toute seule
Une musique faite pour moi
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie (oui)
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie
The song "La guitare de Jérémie" by Michel Rivard is a tale of a mysterious guitar and its connection to the singer. The singer tells the story of how the guitar was found in the debris of a house after a terrible fire, and how he came to possess it. Despite the fact that the guitar was dirty and smelt of smoke, the singer was drawn to it and bought it from a brocanteur. From the first time he played it, he noticed that the guitar seemed to play itself, and that the rusty strings came to life whenever he touched them. The guitar became the singer's friend, and he took it with him everywhere he went, playing it in honky tonks and bars late into the night.
As the song progresses, the singer tells of a woman who entered his life and took everything from him, including his guitar. He was left with nothing but the memory of the guitar and the haunting feeling that it was somehow connected to a mysterious figure named Jérémie. Even though he never saw the guitar again, the singer still hears it playing in his dreams, calling out to him with the name of its original owner.
The lyrics in this song are incredibly poetic and full of vivid imagery that helps to create a strong sense of nostalgia and longing. It's a powerful story about the connection between people and the things they love, and how even when those things are taken away, they can still have a profound impact on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Approchez, écoutez l'histoire
Come closer and listen to this true story from my memory.
Sortie tout droit de ma mémoire
Straight out of my memory.
Celle de la guitare de Jérémie
The story of Jérémie's guitar.
On l'a trouvée dans les débris
It was found among the debris.
D'une maison vide à c'qu'on m'a dit
In an empty house, as they told me.
Le lendemain d'un terrible incendie
The day after a terrible fire.
"Prends-la donc", dit le brocanteur
"Take it", said the antique dealer.
"Elle a sans doute une grande valeur
"It's probably of great value,
Mais comme j'y connais rien
But since I know nothing about it,
J'te fais un prix"
I'll give you a deal."
Elle était sale, sentait la fumée
It was dirty and smoky.
Et sur son dos, on avait gravé
And on its back, they had engraved
Je suis la guitare de Jérémie
"I am Jérémie's guitar."
Elle jouait toute seule
It played by itself.
Je n'avais qu'à poser les doigts
I just had to put my fingers on it.
Et les cordes rouillées prenaient vie
And the rusty strings came to life.
Une musique faite pour moi
A music made for me.
Jouait la guitare de Jérémie
Jérémie's guitar played.
J'ai jamais connu de Jérémie
I never knew Jérémie.
Était-ce un homme, un pur esprit?
Was he a man, a pure spirit?
Mais sa guitare est devenue mon amie
But his guitar became my friend.
Elle m'a suivi dans toutes mes chansons
It followed me in all of my songs.
Les honky tonks et les bars salon
The honky-tonks and the saloon bars.
Et souvent jusqu'à très tard dans la nuit
And often until very late at night.
Une nuit dans un bar fameux
One night in a famous bar.
Pour ses bagarres et ses dettes de jeu
Known for its fights and gambling debts.
Une femme étrange est entrée dans ma vie
A strange woman entered my life.
Elle a pris mon coeur et ma montre en or
She took my heart and my gold watch.
Avec mon auto, elle a pris l'nord
With my car, she went north.
Et bien sûr, la guitare de Jérémie
And of course, Jérémie's guitar.
Comme si la musique s'arrêtait
As if the music stopped.
Comme si le soleil s'éteignait
As if the sun went out.
J'ai pris la route sans savoir où j'allais
I took the road without knowing where I was going.
Je ne l'ai plus jamais jouée d'ma vie
I never played it again in my life.
Mais j'rêve souvent qu'une voix me dit
But I often dream that a voice tells me,
"Prends ma guitare, je m'appelle Jérémie"
"Take my guitar, my name is Jérémie."
Et les cordes chantaient toute ma vie
And the strings sang all my life.
Lyrics © Évangeline/APEM
Written by: Michel Rivard, Yvon Ethier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind