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
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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.

Une planète qui meurt
Michel Rivard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

oublie ce soir l’argent des gens

et les échecs économiques

oublie la science et la fiction

et les erreurs informatiques

oublie de m’demander mon nom

oublie la méfiance et la peur

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a pus d’alcool

y’a pus de musique

y’a pus d’en veillant su’l’perron

y’a pus de mensonges

diplomatiques

y’a pus de mettons

y’a pus de disons

oublie de m’demander mon nom

oublie la méfiance et la peur

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a pus d’erreurs

sur la personne

y’a pus de fausses identités

y’a pus d’machos

y’a pus d’madones

y’a pus de loteries à gagner

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

oublie les phrases insignifiantes

te souviens-tu du bon vieux temps

oublie le passé de carte postale

et les erreurs de tes parents

oublie les chevaux de propagande

et les promesses de candidats

y’a dans les airs comme une urgence

y’a comme quelqu’chose qui va pas

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

y’a toi et moi

et une planète qui meurt

Overall Meaning

In Michel Rivard's song "Une planète qui meurt," the lyrics paint a picture of a world that is in decline and on the brink of destruction. The verses start by urging the listener to forget about societal norms and concerns, such as money, economic failures, science-fiction, and technological errors. The focus shifts to a more intimate connection between two individuals, emphasizing a sense of unity in the face of a dying planet.

As the song progresses, the imagery becomes more stark, emphasizing the loss of familiar comforts and societal constructs. There is no longer alcohol, music, or social gatherings on the porch. The absence of diplomatic lies and false facades highlights a raw authenticity in the relationship between the two people, stripped of pretense and superficiality in the face of impending doom.

The tone becomes more introspective as the lyrics delve into the idea of personal identity and societal constructs breaking down. There are no more mistakes or false personas, no more gender stereotypes or idols to worship. The world described in the song is one where there are no more illusions to hide behind, only the stark reality of a planet in crisis.

The final verses bring the focus back to the urgency of the situation at hand. The mention of an impending catastrophe and a feeling that something is fundamentally wrong creates a sense of foreboding. The repeated refrain of "y’a toi et moi et une planète qui meurt" emphasizes the bond between the two individuals amidst the chaos and serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life on Earth. The song ultimately conveys a message of unity and shared responsibility in the face of global challenges.

Line by Line Meaning

oublie ce soir l’argent des gens
Forget about people's money tonight

et les échecs économiques
And about economic failures

oublie la science et la fiction
Forget about science and fiction

et les erreurs informatiques
And computer errors

oublie de m’demander mon nom
Forget to ask me my name

oublie la méfiance et la peur
Forget distrust and fear

y’a toi et moi
There's you and me

et une planète qui meurt
And a dying planet

y’a pus d’alcool
There's no more alcohol

y’a pus de musique
There's no more music

y’a pus d’en veillant su’l’perron
No more watching on the doorstep