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.
Petit homme
Michel Rivard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sur ton corps tout alourdi de sommeil
Tu ne sais rien de tout ce qui t'attend
Alors tu dors
Profites-en, tu n'entends pas l'oiseau moqueur
Il doit être jaloux de notre bonheur
Il fait si chaud autour de ton berceau
Ailleurs, le monde est en hiver
Les coeurs se gèlent
Et se déchirent contre le fer, oh non
Petit homme, tu dors et moi je veille
Il n'y a pas que des lapins blancs
Au pays des merveilles
Petit homme, je n'ai rien de plus que toi
Quelques années, quelques amours
Et quelques jours de joies
Quelques pas de plus
Sur cette boule perdue
Dans l'azur
Petit homme, j'attendrai ton réveil
Pour te dire ce que je sais
Des femmes et des abeilles
Oh! Oui
C'est un doux secret qu'on ne percera jamais,
Si vaste et si troublant qu'il faut rester vivant.
In Michel Rivard's song "Petit homme," the singer is watching over a sleeping child and reflecting on the joys of his innocence. The child is unaware of the challenges and hardships that await him in the world, and the singer encourages him to enjoy his peaceful slumber. The singer notes the contrast between the warmth and comfort of the child's cradle and the coldness and pain of the world outside. While the child sleeps, the world is in a state of winter, with hearts freezing and tearing against the harshness of reality.
The singer reminds the child that there is more to life than just the superficial happiness of fairy tales and stories. The real world is full of complexity and difficulty, but it also holds the potential for growth, love, and discovery. The singer acknowledges that he himself is not much further along in his journey than the child and will wait for him to awaken before imparting any wisdom he has gained.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal experience of growing up and the bittersweet nature of realizing the world's complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
Petit homme, toi tu dors et moi je veille
Addressing a sleeping person, the singer claims to be awake and watching over them.
Sur ton corps tout alourdi de sommeil
Commenting on the physical state of the sleeping person's body, which is heavy with sleep.
Tu ne sais rien de tout ce qui t'attend
The sleeping person is unaware of what the future holds for them.
Alors tu dors
The singer emphasizes that the person is still asleep.
Profites-en, tu n'entends pas l'oiseau moqueur
Encouraging the sleeping person to enjoy their rest, the singer notes that they cannot hear a mocking bird nearby.
Il doit être jaloux de notre bonheur
Speculating on the bird's emotions, the singer suggests that it might be envious of their happiness.
Il fait si chaud autour de ton berceau
Describing the temperature around the sleeping person's crib as warm.
Alors qu'ailleurs
Contrasting the pleasant surroundings of the sleeping person with places that are less comfortable or happy.
Ailleurs, le monde est en hiver
Referring to other places where it is currently winter.
Les coeurs se gèlent
Metaphorically referring to the coldness of people's hearts in these other places.
Et se déchirent contre le fer, oh non
The hearts of people are being torn apart by something, possibly something violent or oppressive (referred to as 'iron').
Petit homme, tu dors et moi je veille
Reiterating the opening lines.
Il n'y a pas que des lapins blancs
Implying that life is not always as idyllic as the sleeping person's current state.
Au pays des merveilles
A reference to the fictional world of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', suggesting that the sleeping person is in a kind of dream-like state.
Petit homme, je n'ai rien de plus que toi
Claiming that the singer has nothing more than what the sleeping person has.
Quelques années, quelques amours
Listing some experiences that the singer has had in life, including a few romantic relationships.
Et quelques jours de joies
Adding that there have been some happy moments as well.
Quelques pas de plus
Reflecting on some small actions or steps that the singer has taken in life.
Sur cette boule perdue
Referring to the planet Earth as a 'lost ball' in the universe.
Dans l'azur
Describing the blue sky above the sleeping person and the singer.
Petit homme, j'attendrai ton réveil
Looking forward to the moment when the sleeping person wakes up.
Pour te dire ce que je sais
Wanting to share some knowledge or information with the waking person.
Des femmes et des abeilles
Implying that the information to be shared concerns women and bees.
Oh! Oui
An exclamation of enthusiasm or agreement.
C'est un doux secret qu'on ne percera jamais,
Describing the information as a sweet secret that will never be completely understood or revealed.
Si vaste et si troublant qu'il faut rester vivant.
Implying that the knowledge is so big and complex that it is important to stay alive and keep learning in order to try to understand it.
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.