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.
Atmosphère
Michel Sardou Lyrics
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Un flic au commissariat
Une République, un syndicat
Qu'il y ait un bout du tunnel, qu'il n'y en ait pas
Une mère pour pleurer sur moi
Ça m'fait d'la peine mais je n'y pense pas
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
Atmosphères, atmosphères
J'ai le vol du bourdon (yé-yé, yé-yé)
(Yé-yé, yé-yé)
L'idée qu'il y ait un camp du bien et du mal
Une balance au tribunal
Une étendue, un vertical (yé-yé, yé-yé)
Qu'il y ait des hommes assez fous pour croire tout ça
Trouver du boulot pour moi
Ça m'fait plaisir mais je n'y pense pas (yé-yé, yé-yé)
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
J'suis dans un rocking-chair
En points de suspension
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
Mon passeport est bidon
Atmosphères, atmosphères
J'ai le vol du bourdon
J'ai dans la tête des rêveries d'enfant qui planent
J'ai pas dû tirer l'gros lot
J'tire jamais rien sauf des bécanes (yé-yé, yé-yé)
J'déboule en ville en visant bien les poubelles
J'fais l'malin devant les filles
Jamais les vraies, jamais les belles (yé-yé, yé-yé)
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
Voyage en solitaire
Dans le bleu d'un lagon
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
Mon passeport est bidon
Atmosphères, atmosphères
J'ai le vol du bourdon
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
J'suis dans un rocking-chair
En points de suspension
C'est par où la sortie?
Faut qu'j'm'arrache en urgence
Aux questions de survie
J'ai une question d'avance
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
Voyage en solitaire
Dans le bleu d'un lagon
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
Mon passeport est bidon
Atmosphères, atmosphères
J'ai le vol du bourdon
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
J'suis dans un rocking-chair
En points de suspension
C'est par où la sortie?
Faut qu'j'm'arrache en urgence
Aux questions de survie
J'ai une question d'avance
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song "Atmosphère" explore themes of uncertainty, existential questioning, and a desire to escape from reality. The song begins by questioning the existence of a higher power and societal structures such as the police, the Republic, and labor unions. The singer expresses indifference and a lack of concern for these concepts, suggesting that they do not occupy his thoughts or bring him any emotional distress.
The lyrics then shift focus to the singer's confusion and disorientation. He asks about the direction of the sea and the time of the plane, symbolizing a desire to escape from his current circumstances and find clarity. He mentions the buzzing flight of a bumblebee, representing the restlessness and aimlessness he feels in his life.
The song continues by questioning the dualistic concept of good and evil, the presence of justice in the legal system, and the expectations placed upon individuals by society. The singer admits that he finds pleasure in others finding work for him, but he also emphasizes his lack of contemplation or concern for these matters.
The bridge of the song evokes a sense of childhood nostalgia and daydreaming, suggesting that the singer's thoughts often drift into a fantasy world. He remarks that he never wins anything except for motorcycles, highlighting a sense of dissatisfaction and detachment from his reality.
The final verses express the singer's longing for escape, both physically and emotionally. He refers to a solitary voyage in a lagoon, representing a desire for tranquility and a break from the complexities of life. The mention of a counterfeit passport alludes to a possible desire to leave his current life behind and start anew.
Overall, the lyrics of "Atmosphère" reflect an individual disenchanted with societal constructs, searching for direction and meaning amidst confusion and longing for an escape from the mundane. The song conveys a sense of existential questioning, dissatisfaction, and a yearning for a different reality.
Line by Line Meaning
L'idée qu'il y ait un Bon Dieu, qu'il n'y en ait pas
The notion that there is a Good God, that there isn't
Un flic au commissariat
A cop at the police station
Une République, un syndicat
A Republic, a trade union
Qu'il y ait un bout du tunnel, qu'il n'y en ait pas
That there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that there isn't
Une mère pour pleurer sur moi
A mother to cry for me
Ça m'fait d'la peine mais je n'y pense pas
It saddens me but I don't think about it
C'est d'quel côté la mer?
Which way is the sea?
À quelle heure est l'avion?
What time is the plane?
Atmosphères, atmosphères
Atmospheres, atmospheres
J'ai le vol du bourdon (yé-yé, yé-yé)
I have the flight of the bumblebee (yé-yé, yé-yé)
(Yé-yé, yé-yé)
(Yé-yé, yé-yé)
L'idée qu'il y ait un camp du bien et du mal
The idea that there is a camp of good and evil
Une balance au tribunal
A balance at the court
Une étendue, un vertical (yé-yé, yé-yé)
An expanse, a vertical (yé-yé, yé-yé)
Qu'il y ait des hommes assez fous pour croire tout ça
That there are men crazy enough to believe all that
Trouver du boulot pour moi
To find a job for me
Ça m'fait plaisir mais je n'y pense pas (yé-yé, yé-yé)
It pleases me but I don't think about it (yé-yé, yé-yé)
J'suis dans un rocking-chair
I'm in a rocking chair
En points de suspension
In suspension points
Mon passeport est bidon
My passport is fake
J'ai dans la tête des rêveries d'enfant qui planent
I have childhood reveries floating in my head
J'ai pas dû tirer l'gros lot
I must not have hit the jackpot
J'tire jamais rien sauf des bécanes (yé-yé, yé-yé)
I never pull anything except bikes (yé-yé, yé-yé)
J'déboule en ville en visant bien les poubelles
I rush into town aiming for the trash cans
J'fais l'malin devant les filles
I act smart in front of girls
Jamais les vraies, jamais les belles (yé-yé, yé-yé)
Never the real ones, never the beautiful ones (yé-yé, yé-yé)
Voyage en solitaire
Solo journey
Dans le bleu d'un lagon
In the blue of a lagoon
C'est par où la sortie?
Which way is the exit?
Faut qu'j'm'arrache en urgence
I need to get out in a hurry
Aux questions de survie
To survival questions
J'ai une question d'avance
I have a question in advance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Didier Barbelivien, Jacques Revaud, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind