Michel Sardou (born January 26, 1947) is a French singer.

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.

Auprès De Ma Tombe
Michel Sardou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Au soir de notre amour
Quand tu seras bien vieille
Et quand j'aurai aussi
Des rides autour des yeux
Je sais qu'au fond de moi
Au plus près de ma tombe
Je souffrirai du mal
De ne plus faire l'amour

Au soir de notre vie
Quand nous serons deux ombres
Et quand nos corps flétris
S'endormiront encore
Je sais qu'au fond de moi
Au plus près de ma tombe
Je souffrirai du mal
De te vouloir encore

Et quand, les mains croisées
Je serai seul et sombre
À compter les années
Que je n'ai pas dormi
Je sais qu'au fond de moi
Au plus près de ma tombe
Je souffrirai surtout

De ne plus être un homme
Un homme

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song Auprès De Ma Tombe depict the singer's commitment and love towards his partner, extending beyond the barriers of time and death. In the first stanza, the singer talks about their love when they're old and wrinkled, and how he would suffer the pain of not being able to love her anymore after he dies. The second stanza talks about their love when they're old as shadows, and how he would suffer from the pain of still wanting her even in death.

The last stanza of the song takes a different approach, with the singer talking about himself alone in his grave. He talks about how he would suffer the most when he's alone and counting the lonely years, realizing that he's no longer a man. The song ends with a somber and melancholic note, where the fear of losing love and physicality is greater than the fear of death itself.

In summary, the lyrics of Auprès De Ma Tombe express the universal fear and uncertainty of love that transcends time and space. It's a poignant reminder that love is a fragile and fleeting emotion but can live on through memories and devotion.

Line by Line Meaning

Au soir de notre amour
In the evening of our love

Quand tu seras bien vieille
When you are old

Et quand j'aurai aussi
And when I too

Des rides autour des yeux
Wrinkles around my eyes

Je sais qu'au fond de moi
I know deep down inside me

Au plus près de ma tombe
Closest to my grave

Je souffrirai du mal
I will suffer from the pain

De ne plus faire l'amour
Of not making love anymore

Au soir de notre vie
In the evening of our life

Quand nous serons deux ombres
When we are two shadows

Et quand nos corps flétris
And when our bodies are withered