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.
Laisse-Toi Prendre
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Au blanc des caravelles, sur un océan bleu
Aux glaciers éternels avant la terre de feu
Aux sourires d'un enfant qui te parlent en silence
À tous ces drapeaux blancs quand les soldats s'avancent
À toutes ces mélodies qui te cognent dans la tête
À tous ces paradis où tu viendras peut-être.
Au souvenir infidèle d'un impossible adieu
Aux sirènes des bateaux qui te rappellent un homme
À ces doigts sur ta peau quand tu n'attends personne
À toutes ces punitions que tu as dans la tête
À toutes ces émotions que tu vivras peut-être.
Laisse-toi prendre aux mots des chansons tendres
Aux violons de septembre, sur le lit d'une chambre.
Laisse-toi prendre à des yeux couleur chambre
À des bras qui se tendent, oublie de te défendre.
Laisse-toi prendre aux frissons interdits
Aux balades sous la pluie, fais c'que ton corps demande.
Laisse-toi prendre comme une étoile de mer
Sur une plage en hiver, essaie de te surprendre, laisse-toi prendre.
Aux couleurs du soleil dans des jardins d'automne
À ces nuits sans sommeil passées au téléphone
Au bonheur éphémère, à la douceur des larmes
Au plaisir solitaire quand tu ne rends pas les armes
À tous ces souvenirs qui te cognent dans la tête
Aux matins d'avenir que tu vivras peut-être.
Laisse-toi prendre aux mots des chansons tendres
Aux violons de septembre sur le lit d'une chambre.
Laisse-toi prendre à des yeux couleur chambre
À des bras qui se tendent, oublie de te défendre.
Laisse-toi prendre aux frissons interdits
Aux balades sous la pluie, fais c'que ton corps demande.
Laisse-toi prendre comme une étoile de mer
Sur une plage en hiver, essaie de te surprendre, laisse-toi prendre.
The lyrics to Michel Sardou's song Laisse-Toi Prendre can be interpreted as a call to live in the present and to let oneself be taken by life's experiences. The song is a mix of different images and emotions that evoke memories, desires, and aspirations. The first verse paints a picture of different landscapes and situations that the listener may have encountered or may encounter in the future. The images evoke both beauty and danger, from the blue ocean to the eternal glaciers, from the innocent smile of a child to the white flags of surrender. The second verse shifts the focus to personal experiences, from the artificial nights that sparkle in the eyes to the unfaithful memory of an impossible goodbye. The lyrics also highlight the tension between pleasure and pain, between punishment and emotion, between past and future.
The refrain of the song is a repeated invitation to let oneself be taken (Laisse-toi prendre). The lyrics suggest that one should not resist life's emotions, but instead embrace them and let them guide one's actions. The singer invites the listener to let go of their defenses and to surrender to the sensations of love, passion, and desire. The singer's message is both romantic and philosophical, urging the listener to seize the moment and to live life to the fullest.
Overall, Michel Sardou's song Laisse-Toi Prendre is a lyrical meditation on the human experience, full of poetic imagery and emotional depth. The song celebrates life's beauty and complexity, and encourages the listener to be open to whatever comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Au blanc des caravelles, sur un océan bleu
Amidst the white sails of caravels sailing on a blue ocean
Aux glaciers éternels avant la terre de feu
To the eternal glaciers before the land of fire
Aux sourires d'un enfant qui te parlent en silence
To the smiles of a child that speak to you in silence
À tous ces drapeaux blancs quand les soldats s'avancent
To all the white flags raised when soldiers advance
À toutes ces mélodies qui te cognent dans la tête
To all those melodies that thump inside your head
À tous ces paradis où tu viendras peut-être.
To all those paradises where you may one day come
Aux nuits artificielles quand elles brillent dans tes yeux
To the artificial nights that shine in your eyes
Au souvenir infidèle d'un impossible adieu
To the unfaithful memory of an impossible farewell
Aux sirènes des bateaux qui te rappellent un homme
To the boat sirens that remind you of a man
À ces doigts sur ta peau quand tu n'attends personne
To those fingers on your skin when you're not expecting anyone
À toutes ces punitions que tu as dans la tête
To all those punishments that you have brewing in your head
À toutes ces émotions que tu vivras peut-être.
To all those emotions that you may experience
Laisse-toi prendre aux mots des chansons tendres
Let yourself be caught up in the words of tender songs
Aux violons de septembre, sur le lit d'une chambre.
To the violins of September, on a bedroom bed
Laisse-toi prendre à des yeux couleur chambre
Let yourself be taken in by room-colored eyes
À des bras qui se tendent, oublie de te défendre.
To arms that reach out, forget to defend yourself
Laisse-toi prendre aux frissons interdits
Let forbidden shivers take over you
Aux balades sous la pluie, fais c'que ton corps demande.
To walks in the rain, do what your body asks of you
Laisse-toi prendre comme une étoile de mer
Let yourself be caught like a starfish
Sur une plage en hiver, essaie de te surprendre, laisse-toi prendre.
On a winter beach, try to surprise yourself, let yourself be caught
Aux couleurs du soleil dans des jardins d'automne
To the colors of the sun in autumnal gardens
À ces nuits sans sommeil passées au téléphone
To those sleepless nights spent on the phone
Au bonheur éphémère, à la douceur des larmes
To the fleeting happiness and the sweetness of tears
Au plaisir solitaire quand tu ne rends pas les armes
To the solitary pleasure when you don't give up
À tous ces souvenirs qui te cognent dans la tête
To all those memories that thump inside your head
Aux matins d'avenir que tu vivras peut-être.
To the future mornings that you may experience
Contributed by Daniel J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.