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 Tête Assez Dure
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pour faire éclater du béton
Alors j'ai toujours vu un mur
Pour me boucher l'horizon
Un mur entre le ciel et moi
Un mur entre l'amour et moi
Du mauvais côté du soleil
J'ai vécu comme ces animaux
Qui naissent en captivité
Un numéro dans un troupeau
Incapable de m'évader
Il fallait pas me croire un chêne
Alors que je n'étais qu'un gland
Prenant ma peur pour de la haine
Ils m'ont brisé comme un enfant
J'avais pas la tête assez dure
J'avais pas les membres assez grands
J'étais un perdant par nature
Un litre d'eau dans l'océan
Il fallait pas me croire un homme
Alors que je n'étais qu'un chien
Arrière-petits-fils de personne
Je n'enfanterai jamais rien
J'avais pas la tête assez dure
Pour faire éclater du béton
J'avais pas le cœur assez pur
Pour être sûr d'avoir raison
J'ai perdu mon temps et ma force
Dans un combat démesuré
Un combat cruel et féroce
Depuis le jour où je suis né
J'avais pas la tête assez dure
Pour faire éclater du béton
Alors j'ai toujours vu un mur
Pour me boucher l'horizon
Il fallait pas me croire un chêne
Alors que je n'étais qu'un gland
Prenant ma peur pour de la haine
Ils m'ont brisé comme un enfant
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song La Tête Assez Dure (The Head is Not Strong Enough) describe the feeling of being trapped and confined within one's own limitations. The singer paints a bleak picture of his life as being dominated by walls that block his view of the sky, love, and the sun. He feels like an animal born into captivity, unable to escape or break free. The repeated line "J'avais pas la tête assez dure" (My head was not strong enough) highlights the singer's perceived weakness and inability to overcome his obstacles.
The lyrics also portray a sense of resignation and defeat, as the singer laments the time and energy he has wasted on a futile battle. He compares himself to a small drop of water in an ocean, insignificant and powerless. In the final verses, the singer acknowledges his own shortcomings and accepts that he will never achieve greatness or leave a legacy behind.
Overall, La Tête Assez Dure is a poignant exploration of the human psyche and the struggle to rise above one's limitations. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling trapped and defeated by circumstances beyond our control, and the importance of accepting our limitations while still striving to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
J'avais pas la tête assez dure
I was not strong enough to face the obstacles in life
Pour faire éclater du béton,
To break concrete and overcome difficult challenges
Alors j'ai toujours vu un mur
I always saw a barrier blocking my path
Pour me boucher l'horizon.
Preventing me from seeing beyond my current situation
Un mur entre le ciel et moi,
A barrier separating me from hope and positivity
Un mur entre l'amour et moi,
A barrier preventing me from experiencing true love
Du mauvais côté du soleil,
In a negative or unlucky position
Je crois que j'ai toujours eu froid.
I always felt emotionally distant and unhappy
J'ai vécu comme ces animaux
I lived like an animal in captivity
Qui naissent en captivité,
Born into a situation that they cannot escape
Un numéro dans un troupeau
Just a number in a group, not an individual with unique qualities
Incapable de m'évader.
Unable to break free from my circumstances
Il fallait pas me croire un chêne
I was not as strong as people thought I was
Alors que je n'étais qu'un gland,
I was not yet fully developed and lacked the strength to grow
Prenant ma peur pour de la haine.
My fear was mistaken for anger or aggression
Ils m'ont brisé comme un enfant.
They broke me down emotionally like a child
J'avais pas les membres assez grands,
I was not physically or emotionally equipped to handle life's challenges
J'étais un perdant par nature,
I was predisposed to failure and disappointment
Un litre d'eau dans l'océan.
Just a small and insignificant piece of a larger picture
Il fallait pas me croire un homme
I was not yet mature or capable enough to be considered a man
Alors que je n'étais qu'un chien,
I was treated like an animal or subhuman
Arrière-petits-fils de personne.
With no successful or noteworthy ancestors
Je n'enfanterai jamais rien.
I will not leave any significant or lasting impact on the world
J'ai perdu mon temps et ma force
I wasted my time and energy on fruitless endeavors
Dans un combat démesuré,
In a fight that was too large and overwhelming for me to handle
Un combat cruel et féroce
A harsh and brutal battle
Depuis le jour où je suis né.
From the moment I was born and faced life's challenges
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Revaud, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind