He was bor… Read Full Bio ↴Michel Sardou (born January 26, 1947) is a French singer.
He was born in Paris, the son of Fernand Sardou and Jackie Rollin (Jackie Sardou). Contrary to what has been written at the beginning of his career, he is not the grandson of the dramatist Victorien Sardou.
He is known for songs dealing with various social and political issues, such as the rights of women in Islamic countries, clerical celibacy and colonialism. Another sometimes controversial theme found in some of his songs ("Les Ricains," for example) is respect and support for the culture and foreign policies of the United States. Another notable fact about his career is that he has focused his full attention on his homeland, ignoring the prospect of an international audience, although his 1981 single "Les lacs du Connemara" did manage to become a big international hit. A number of his hit songs were written in collaboration with Jacques Revaux, a few others (most notably "En chantant") with Italian singer Toto Cutugno.
Even in the 21st century, Michel Sardou remains immensely popular in France, selling out 18 consecutive dates at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in 2001, while his 2004 album "Du plaisir" went straight to the no. 1 spot on the French album charts.
He has been married three times, first to a French dancer, then to Babette (the mother of his children) and lastly to an lifelong friend who edits the French version of Vogue.
He is currently (2023) at the center of a controversy over a song he wrote fifty years ago: the lakes of Connemara. Juliette Armanet, a French pop starlet answering a question about a song that would made her leave a party and it was LES LACS DU CONNEMARA. Sardou, an idol of the French right, in spite of himself, is stuck between the left which finds him corny and the right which does not support that one attacks its institutions. Music is a strong force and nobody fights harder than those who LOVE certain songs. Amazingly this song has nothing to do with politics.
100 000 Universités
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cent millions d'hommes vivant dans les facultés,
Qu'adviendra-t-il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Qu'adviendra-t-il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera t il un sabotier ?
Il nous faudra vivre pendant de longs mois
Sur un banc de bois,
Où l'on ne parlera que de chiffres et de lois.
Quand il y aura cent mille universités,
Les filles n'auront même plus le temps d'aimer.
Que feront-elles quand on ira rechercher
La fille du dernier sabotier ?
Que feront-elles quand on ira rechercher
La fille du demier sabotier ?
Tout sera plus sombre autour de leur vie
Habillées d'ennui
Et comme des ombres,
Elles se diront "Où sont tous les garçons ?"
Quand il y aura cent mille universités,
Cent mille toits pour cerveaux à cultiver,
Entre deux grands problèmes à évoquer,
Qui parlera du sabotier ?
Entre deux grands problèmes à évoquer,
Qui parlera du sabotier ?
Il nous faudra vivre dans un grand building,
Histoire de standing.
Fini les beaux livres.
On dira je t'aime sur des IBM.
Quand il y aura cent mille universités,
Cent millions d'hommes vivant dans les facultés,
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song "100 000 Universités" express concern over what will become of traditional trades and ways of life in a world where there are a hundred thousand universities and millions of people living in faculties. The song questions whether there will be room for small trades like the one of the sabotier (a person who specializes in making sabots, traditional wooden shoes), and whether even the basic joys of life, such as love, will be sacrificed to the pursuit of academic success.
The lyrics paint a picture of a bleak future where people live in high-rise buildings, read books on IBM computers, and spend their time talking about numbers and laws. The song highlights the loss of human connection and celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship and traditional skills.
Overall, "100 000 Universités" is a song that mourns the potential loss of important aspects of human culture and heritage in a world that seems to be moving towards a hyper-individualistic and technologically focused future.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand il y aura cent mille universités,
When there will be one hundred thousand universities,
Cent millions d'hommes vivant dans les facultés,
One hundred million men living in universities,
Qu'adviendra-t-il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Qu'adviendra-t-il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera t il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Il nous faudra vivre pendant de longs mois
We will have to live for many months
Sur un banc de bois,
On a wooden bench,
Dans une maison triste
In a sad house
Où l'on ne parlera que de chiffres et de lois.
Where we will only talk about numbers and laws.
Les filles n'auront même plus le temps d'aimer.
The girls won't even have time to love anymore.
Que feront-elles quand on ira rechercher
What will they do when we come looking for
La fille du dernier sabotier ?
The daughter of the last clog maker?
Que feront-elles quand on ira rechercher
What will they do when we come looking for
La fille du demier sabotier ?
The daughter of the last clog maker?
Tout sera plus sombre autour de leur vie
Everything will be darker around their lives
Habillées d'ennui
Dressed in boredom
Et comme des ombres,
And like shadows,
Elles se diront "Où sont tous les garçons ?"
They will say, "Where are all the boys?"
Cent mille toits pour cerveaux à cultiver,
One hundred thousand roofs for brains to cultivate,
Entre deux grands problèmes à évoquer,
Between two big issues to discuss,
Qui parlera du sabotier ?
Who will talk about the clog maker?
Entre deux grands problèmes à évoquer,
Between two big issues to discuss,
Qui parlera du sabotier ?
Who will talk about the clog maker?
Il nous faudra vivre dans un grand building,
We will have to live in a big building,
Histoire de standing.
For the sake of prestige.
Fini les beaux livres.
No more beautiful books.
On dira je t'aime sur des IBM.
We will say "I love you" on IBM machines.
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Qu'adviendra t il de nos petits métiers ?
What will happen to our small trades?
Restera-t-il un sabotier ?
Will there still be a clog maker?
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.