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.

Je N'Oublie Pas
Michel Sardou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

L'occasion manquée
Le mauvais choix
Une valise
Et l'on s'en va

On refait sa vie
Du mieux qu'on peut
Et l'on croit même qu'on est heureux

On s'est aimé (on a aimé)
Assez longtemps (assez souvent)
Pour savoir que c'est du vent

Les années perdues sont les plus belles
J'en attends si peu des nouvelles

Je n'oublie pas
Tu vois
Et nos gestes et nos sourires
S'il fallait bien
Qu'il y ait une fin
Nous avons choisi la pire

On se croit mieux ailleurs
Loin des yeux loin du cœur
Ces vérités-là me font peur

S'il y a des fins qui vous libèrent
Il y en a d'autres où l'on se perd
Le premier amour est le plus fort
Il reste la rive et le port

Est-ce que tu dis toujours non quand c'est oui
Les chambres à part chacun son lit

Je n'oublie pas
Tu vois
Tout ce qu'on a pu se dire
S'il fallait bien
Qu'il y ait une fin
Et nous avons choisi la pire

Mais si tu crois
Comme moi j'y crois
Qu'hier c'était l'avenir
Si tu es seule

Comme je suis seul
Le passé pourrait revenir

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song Je N'Oublie Pas delve deep into the emotions involved in failed relationships, missed opportunities, and regret. The first stanza speaks of missed opportunities, bad choices, leaving with a suitcase, and trying to rebuild one's life as best as possible. Despite this attempt, the singer admits that they still think of past memories and even believe that they are happy now. However, they also acknowledge that the love they shared did not last and the years they spent together were, in fact, lost years.

The chorus talks about not forgetting the moments shared with the person, including the gestures and the smiles, and the fear that the truth of their relationship might scare them. The second verse talks about how people often believe that life would be better elsewhere, away from their loved ones, and the fear that such thoughts bring. While some endings may liberate a person, other endings lead to the feeling of getting lost. The singer admits that the first love was their strongest, and yet, they must let go of the rancor and hold true to the memories of the past.

The concluding verse talks about the power of nostalgia, how the past can return, and how the present can feel like the future. The singer admits that if their loved one is alone, like they are, the past could come back. The song thus encapsulates the idea that even though love might not last, the memories of the past can stay forever.

Line by Line Meaning

L'occasion manquée
A missed opportunity

Le mauvais choix
The wrong choice

Une valise
A suitcase

Et l'on s'en va
And we leave

On refait sa vie
We start over our life

Du mieux qu'on peut
As best as we can

Et l'on croit même qu'on est heureux
And we even believe that we are happy

On s'est aimé (on a aimé)
We loved each other

Assez longtemps (assez souvent)
Long enough (often enough)

Pour savoir que c'est du vent
To know that it's just air

Les années perdues sont les plus belles
The lost years are the most beautiful