Au début des années 1970, il fut d'abord comédien, chanteur et musicien pou… Read Full Bio ↴Au début des années 1970, il fut d'abord comédien, chanteur et musicien pour le groupe de théâtre La Quenouille bleue de l'UQAM, où il étudiait avec Pierre Huet et Robert Léger, qui firent partie de Beau Dommage par la suite.

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
+++++++++++++++++++++
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.

Marchand de bonheur
Michel Rivard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cher monsieur
Le Marchand de bonheur
Vous n'êtes pas méchant
Juste un peu menteur
Comme tous les marchands
Comme tous les vendeurs
Vous voulez votre argent
Moi, je veux mon bonheur

Sur du noir et blanc
Vous me faites rêver en couleur
Vous n'êtes pas méchant
Juste un peu menteur
Marchand d'bonheur

Tous les jours
De notre longue vie
La vérité se cache
Le mensonge nous suit
Derrière de beaux visages
Et sous de belles théories
Ma vérité se cache
Dans la routine et l'ennui
Ne v'nez pas me dire
Que c'est pour moi
Que vous faites ceci
La vérité se cache
Et le mensonge nous suit
Tous les jours
De notre longue vie
Hey!

Cher monsieur
Le Marchand de bonheur
Je ne vous croirai plus
Je vous connais par coeur
Comme tous les marchands
Comme tous les vendeurs
Vous voulez mon argent
Vous voulez mon bonheur
Arrêtez de m'faire croire
Que c'est ma vie
Qui vous tient à coeur
Je ne vous croirai plus
Je vous connais par coeur
Marchand d'bonheur

Marchand d'bonheur
Hey!

Overall Meaning

The song "Marchand de bonheur" by Michel Rivard talks about the concept of happiness being sold as a commodity, a product that can be bought and sold. The song is addressed to the "marchand de bonheur" or "happiness merchant," who is described as not being a bad person, just a little dishonest like all sellers who want to make a profit. The singer of the song is aware of the manipulation and is only interested in their own happiness, which cannot be bought with money.

The first verse of the song suggests that the happiness merchant makes the singer dream in color, contrasting their world of black and white. The chorus then acknowledges that while the merchant may not be evil, they are still a liar. The second verse presents a general idea of how deception is pervasive in life, often hiding behind beautiful faces and theories. The singer then expresses their disillusionment with the happiness merchant, whom they now recognize as only interested in their own gain and not in the customer's well-being.

Overall, "Marchand de bonheur" is a poignant commentary on the commercialization of happiness and how people must be cautious not to buy into the false promises of those who seek to profit from it.

Line by Line Meaning

Cher monsieur
Dear Sir

Le Marchand de bonheur
The Merchant of Happiness

Vous n'êtes pas méchant
You are not mean

Juste un peu menteur
Just a little liar

Comme tous les marchands
Like all merchants

Comme tous les vendeurs
Like all sellers

Vous voulez votre argent
You want your money

Moi, je veux mon bonheur
I want my happiness

Sur du noir et blanc
In black and white

Vous me faites rêver en couleur
You make me dream in color

Tous les jours
Every day