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.
Français
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et des clochers d'églises, de granite et d'ardoises.
Parce qu'ils ont des rivières, des forêts, des montagnes
Et bordés par trois mers, des joyaux de campagnes.
Parce que leurs murs de pierre les font tenir debout
Et qu'un Jésus sans terre les a mis à genoux...
J'aime les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
Parce qu'ils ont de l'enfer une autre religion
Et que ce sont leurs femmes qui règnent à la maison.
Parce qu'ils ont décidé d'être une république,
Bien que toutes leurs idées se perdent en politique.
Mais parce que l'un d'entre eux a dit cett'phrase immense :
"Ma liberté s'arrête où la vôtre commence"...
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
La même histoire,
Les mêmes images en mémoire,
La même enfance,
Les mêmes souvenirs qui dansent,
Les mêmes passions,
Quand elles passent, quand elles s'en vont,
Les mêmes secrets
Et rester les mêmes à jamais.
Parce qu'ils sont Italiens quand ils voient brûler Rome
Et se font musulmans au nom des droits de l'homme...
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
J'aime les Français,
Tous les Français,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song, "Français," are an ode to the French people, celebrating their differences and their unity. The first verse speaks of the beauty of the French landscape, with its rolling rivers, lush forests, and towering church spires. Sardou notes that despite the hardships that the French people have faced, they remain resilient, standing strong on the foundation of their history and faith.
The chorus repeats the phrase "J'aime les Français" (I love the French) over and over, emphasizing the song's message of acceptance and love for all the different types of French people, even those that we may not always agree with. The second verse addresses the French society's constant state of flux, with political ideas that seem to be in constant upheaval. Nevertheless, Sardou notes that the French people have always been resilient, and they have a common thread that unites them, through thick and thin.
The final verse speaks to the idea that the French people are not limited by their nationality, but rather, they embody many different cultures and beliefs. They are able to empathize and understand other cultures and religions, putting themselves in the shoes of others and seeing the world from different perspectives. Ultimately, this is a song about the French spirit, which is both unique and universal, and it celebrates the people who embody it.
Line by Line Meaning
Parce qu'ils ont l'âme grise que leur rire apprivoise
Because they have gray souls tamed by their laughter
Et des clochers d'églises, de granite et d'ardoises.
And churches with bell towers made of granite and slate
Parce qu'ils ont des rivières, des forêts, des montagnes
Because they have rivers, forests, and mountains
Et bordés par trois mers, des joyaux de campagnes.
And are bordered by three seas, with countryside jewels
Parce que leurs murs de pierre les font tenir debout
Because their stone walls keep them standing
Et qu'un Jésus sans terre les a mis à genoux...
And a homeless Jesus brought them to their knees
J'aime les Français,
I love the French,
Tous les Français,
All the French,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
Even the French I don't like
Parce qu'ils ont de l'enfer une autre religion
Because they have a different religion for hell
Et que ce sont leurs femmes qui règnent à la maison.
And their women reign at home
Parce qu'ils ont décidé d'être une république,
Because they decided to be a republic,
Bien que toutes leurs idées se perdent en politique.
Even though all their ideas get lost in politics
Mais parce que l'un d'entre eux a dit cett'phrase immense :
But because one of them said this immense phrase:
"Ma liberté s'arrête où la vôtre commence"...
"My freedom ends where yours begins"...
La même histoire,
The same history,
Les mêmes images en mémoire,
The same images in memory,
La même enfance,
The same childhood,
Les mêmes souvenirs qui dansent,
The same memories dancing,
Les mêmes passions,
The same passions,
Quand elles passent, quand elles s'en vont,
When they come and go,
Les mêmes secrets
The same secrets
Et rester les mêmes à jamais.
And remain the same forever.
Parce qu'ils sont Italiens quand ils voient brûler Rome
Because they are Italian when they see Rome burning
Et se font musulmans au nom des droits de l'homme...
And become Muslims in the name of human rights...
J'aime les Français,
I love the French,
Tous les Français,
All the French,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
Even the French I don't like
J'aime les Français,
I love the French,
Tous les Français,
All the French,
Même les Français que je n'aime pas
Even the French I don't like
Contributed by Ella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.