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.
La Haine
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les yeux d'Hitler ou d'Attila
Le masque de la religion
Le sourire de Caligula
Elle peut sortir d'une voiture
Le poing levé sur la fureur
Vomissant des torrents d'injures
En arborant le bras d'honneur
La haine la haine la haine
Plus meurtrière qu'un cancer
Plus sûre qu'une épidémie
Elle a ravagé l'Univers
Mieux que la pire des maladies
On parle de la peste noire
On meurt devant le choléra
On en frémit sans trop y croire
Mais pourquoi ne le dit-on pas
Elle a la bombe à hydrogène
La haine la haine la haine
Fille bâtarde de l'amour
De la peur de la jalousie
Elle a engendré à son tour
La torture et la calomnie
La haine
Elle met des cagoules qui font peur
La djellaba du black mosslem
La haine la haine
Regardez-la en Arménie
Et à Varsovie qu'elle écrase
Ecoutez l'écho de ses cris
Aux portes de la chambre à gaz
Voyez ces terribles mégères
Tricotant devant l'échafaud
Et la déclaration de guerre
D'un homme derrière son bureau
Qui d'un trait de plume déchaîne
La haine ! la haine ! la haine !
In Michel Sardou's song "La Haine", he describes how hatred is personified as a menacing entity with the face of a centurion, the eyes of Hitler or Attila, the mask of religion, and the smile of Caligula. It is shown to be a powerful and destructive force, more lethal than cancer and more devastating than the worst epidemic. It has ravaged the world throughout history, causing wars, atrocities, and genocide. The lyrics describe how hatred is born out of feelings of love, fear, and jealousy, and how it begets torture and slander.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle a la gueule d'un centurion
She has the face of a centurion
Les yeux d'Hitler ou d'Attila
The eyes of Hitler or Attila
Le masque de la religion
The mask of religion
Le sourire de Caligula
The smile of Caligula
Elle peut sortir d'une voiture
She can get out of a car
Le poing levé sur la fureur
Fists raised in anger
Vomissant des torrents d'injures
Vomiting torrents of insults
En arborant le bras d'honneur
Displaying the middle finger
Elle a le rictus de la hyène
She has the grin of a hyena
La haine la haine la haine
Hate, hate, hate
Plus meurtrière qu'un cancer
More deadly than cancer
Plus sûre qu'une épidémie
More certain than an epidemic
Elle a ravagé l'Univers
It has ravaged the universe
Mieux que la pire des maladies
Better than the worst diseases
On parle de la peste noire
We talk of the black death
On meurt devant le choléra
We die from cholera
On en frémit sans trop y croire
We shudder without really believing it
Mais pourquoi ne le dit-on pas
But why don't we say it
Elle a la bombe à hydrogène
She has the hydrogen bomb
La haine la haine la haine
Hate, hate, hate
Fille bâtarde de l'amour
Bastard daughter of love
De la peur de la jalousie
Of fear and jealousy
Elle a engendré à son tour
She has given birth in turn
La torture et la calomnie
Torture and slander
Elle met des cagoules qui font peur
She wears hoods that are frightening
La djellaba du black mosslem
The djellaba of the black Mosslem
La haine la haine
Hate, hate
Regardez-la en Arménie
Look at it in Armenia
Et à Varsovie qu'elle écrase
And in Warsaw where she crushes
Ecoutez l'écho de ses cris
Listen to the echo of her cries
Aux portes de la chambre à gaz
At the doors of the gas chamber
Voyez ces terribles mégères
See these terrible shrews
Tricotant devant l'échafaud
Knitting in front of the scaffold
Et la déclaration de guerre
And the declaration of war
D'un homme derrière son bureau
Of a man behind his desk
Qui d'un trait de plume déchaîne
Unleashing with a stroke of the pen
La haine ! la haine ! la haine !
Hate! Hate! Hate!
Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.