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.
L'Acteur
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Entendre les battements de son cœur
Et là, changer l'indifférence
En rires et le silence en pleurs.
Un jour Don Juan en apparence,
Un fou au château d'Elseneur,
Un jour Lorenzo de Florence,
Verser son sang pour le souffleur.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
Il y a des soirées légendaires
Où la vie se joue toute entière
Des triomphes absolus
Où après les saluts
On voit le décor à l'envers.
Il y a des tournées de galère,
Des couloirs, des villes sans lumière,
Mais le sourire perdu
De quelqu'un d'inconnu,
Alors le rideau reste ouvert.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
Avoir un soir contre sa bouche
L'étoile, la meilleure, la première,
Pour tant de soirs où l'on se couche
Avec une autre partenaire.
Un jour, un valet d'insolence,
Souffrir comme l'a voulu l'auteur,
Se dire que pendant ces absences,
Les femmes ont "matinée" ailleurs.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
Il y a des soirées singulières
Où l'on veut finir comme Molière,
Mais aussi des mardis
Et des jeudis maudits
Où l'on n'veut même pas d'un cimetière.
Il y a des idées passagères,
Des colères, des vœux, des prières,
Des échecs imprévus,
Etant bien entendu
Que le public est un mystère.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
Entrer dans un décor immense,
Entendre les battements de son cœur,
Et là, changer l'indifférence
En rires et le silence en pleurs.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Porter un masque en permanence.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
The song "L'Acteur" by Michel Sardou talks about the life of an actor who enters an immense stage to give a performance. The lyrics highlight the actor's ability to change the ambiance of the environment with his acting skills. He transforms indifference into laughter and silence into tears. As the song progresses, Sardou examines various roles the actor plays, including roles such as Romeo, Don Juan, Lorenzo from Florence, and more.
The song tells us about the ups and downs of an actor's life, filled with legendary performances and trying times. The song conveys the message that an actor must always perform despite the challenges he may face. In addition to playing different roles, the song talks about how an actor must keep changing as he moves from one character to the next, and how he must cope with the unpredictability of fame and the scrutiny of the public. At the end of the day, he must always wear a mask and be ready for his next performance.
Overall, the song "L'Acteur" by Michel Sardou is an ode to the life of an actor. It speaks to the actor's ability to transform environments and evoke emotions from the audience, as well as their resilience in the face of challenges and unpredictability.
Line by Line Meaning
Entrer dans un décor immense,
To step into an immense scene,
Entendre les battements de son cœur
To hear the beats of one's heart,
Et là, changer l'indifférence
And there, to change indifference,
En rires et le silence en pleurs.
Into laughter and silence into tears.
Un jour Don Juan en apparence,
One day Don Juan in appearance,
Un fou au château d'Elseneur,
A fool at the castle of Elseneur,
Un jour Lorenzo de Florence,
One day Lorenzo from Florence,
Verser son sang pour le souffleur.
To shed his blood for the prompter.
Il y a des soirées légendaires
There are legendary evenings,
Où la vie se joue toute entière
Where life is played out completely,
Des triomphes absolus
Absolute triumphs,
Où après les saluts
Where after the curtain call,
On voit le décor à l'envers.
One sees the set upside down.
Il y a des tournées de galère,
There are tough touring times,
Des couloirs, des villes sans lumière,
Hallways, cities without light,
Mais le sourire perdu
But the lost smile,
De quelqu'un d'inconnu,
Of someone unknown,
Alors le rideau reste ouvert.
Then the curtain remains open.
Avoir un soir contre sa bouche
To have one night against one's mouth,
L'étoile, la meilleure, la première,
The star, the best, the first,
Pour tant de soirs où l'on se couche
For so many nights where one goes to bed,
Avec une autre partenaire.
With another partner.
Un jour, un valet d'insolence,
One day, a valet of insolence,
Souffrir comme l'a voulu l'auteur,
To suffer as the author intended,
Se dire que pendant ces absences,
To say to oneself that during these absences,
Les femmes ont "matinée" ailleurs.
Women have spent their mornings elsewhere.
Il y a des soirées singulières
There are peculiar evenings,
Où l'on veut finir comme Molière,
Where one wants to end up like Molière,
Mais aussi des mardis
But also on Tuesdays,
Et des jeudis maudits
And on accursed Thursdays,
Où l'on n'veut même pas d'un cimetière.
Where one doesn't even want a cemetery.
Il y a des idées passagères,
There are passing ideas,
Des colères, des vœux, des prières,
Anger, wishes, prayers,
Des échecs imprévus,
Unexpected failures,
Etant bien entendu
It is well understood
Que le public est un mystère.
That the audience is a mystery.
Vivre et mourir en alternance,
To live and die alternately,
Entrer dans un décor immense,
To step into an immense scene,
Porter un masque en permanence.
To wear a mask constantly,
Vivre et mourir en permanence.
To live and die constantly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACQUES ABEL JULES REVAUD, JEAN LOUP DABADIE, MICHEL CHARLES SARDOU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind