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.
Le Curé
Michel Sardou Lyrics
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De la paroisse abandonnée
Là-bas, au flanc de la montagne
Moi qui n'intéresse personne
Pas plus les cardinaux de Rome
Que mes paroissiens qui se damnent
Quand je m'ennuie, les soirs d'hiver
Comme un berger dans son désert
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir
On ne serait pas trop de deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Moi qui suis le jeune curé
De la paroisse abandonnée
Souvent, je pense à cette femme
Qui partagerait le pain, le sel
Qui m'endormirait avec elle
Et qui protégerait mon âme
Mais là, devant la croix de Dieu
Ma prière n'atteint pas les cieux
Je suis tout seul dans mon église
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir
On ne serait pas trop de deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Accorde-moi cette faveur
Si tu ne m'entends pas, Seigneur
Demain on fermera ton église
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir
On ne serait pas trop de deux
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's "Le Curé" tell the story of a young priest in a deserted parish, who feels alone and unimportant. The priest laments that he does not interest anyone, neither the cardinals in Rome nor his parishioners who are on their way to damnation. The only one he has is his faith, and sometimes he feels so lonely that he sleeps in his church because there is nowhere else he feels at home. He longs for someone to share his life, his bread, and salt with; someone who would protect his soul and pray with him. He dreams of a woman who would sleep beside him, but he cannot reach out to God in prayer because he feels isolated in his desolate church.
The chorus of "Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux!" (Oh, good God, if we were two!) repeats twice in each verse, emphasizing the priest's desire for companionship. He believes that if there were two people in his deserted church, they could serve and love God better. However, he resigns himself to the fact that his prayers may go unheard, and he is aware that his church might be closed down tomorrow because of how deserted it is. The song touches on themes of loneliness, love, and faith, and suggests that these themes could be unrelated or intertwined.
Line by Line Meaning
Moi qui suis le jeune curé
As the young priest of this abandoned parish
De la paroisse abandonnée,
Of the abandoned parish
Là-bas, au flanc de la montagne,
There, on the side of the mountain
Moi qui n'intéresse personne
As someone who interests no one
Pas plus les cardinaux de Rome
Not even the cardinals in Rome
Que mes paroissiens qui se damnent,
Or my parishioners who damn themselves
Quand je m'ennuie, les soirs d'hiver,
When I am bored on winter evenings
Comme un berger dans son désert,
Like a shepherd in his desert
Je vais coucher dans mon église
I go to sleep in my church
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux!
Oh, good God, if only there were two of us!
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir
To love you, to serve you
On ne serait pas trop de deux.
There would not be too many of us.
Moi qui suis le jeune curé
As the young priest of this abandoned parish
De la paroisse abandonnée,
Of the abandoned parish
Souvent, je pense à cette femme
Often I think about this woman
Qui partagerait le pain, le sel,
Who would share bread and salt with me
Qui m'endormirait avec elle
Who would put me to sleep with her
Et qui protégerait mon âme,
And who would protect my soul
Mais là, devant la croix de Dieu
But here, in front of God's cross
Ma prière n'atteint pas les cieux
My prayer does not reach the heavens
Je suis tout seul dans mon église
I am all alone in my church
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux!
Oh, good God, if only there were two of us!
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir,
To love you, to serve you
On ne serait pas trop de deux
There would not be too many of us
Accorde-moi cette faveur.
Grant me this favor
Si tu ne m'entends pas, Seigneur,
If you can't hear me, Lord
Demain on fermera ton église
Tomorrow your church will be closed
Ah, bon Dieu, si l'on était deux!
Oh, good God, if only there were two of us!
Pour t'aimer, pour te servir,
To love you, to serve you
On ne serait pas trop de deux
There would not be too many of us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Pierre Delanoe, Jacques Revaud, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind