Michel Sardou (born January 26, 1947) is a French singer.

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 Grand Réveil
Michel Sardou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Incapable de bouger son corps
Sentir sa mémoire s'en aller
Sa terreur fut son dernier effort
Et il n'a jamais
Plus parlé

Il est assis, il est couché
Des heures à fixer le soleil

Et quand les nuits sont étoilées
Son cerveau
Entend les abeilles

(Rain, rain, rain, rain)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)

Je sais, je sens
Que dans son néant
Il comprend
Tout ce qui résiste en ce monde
Est vivant
Tout ce qui résiste est vivant

(Rain, rain, rain, rain)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)

Une nuit, ses yeux se sont ouverts
Un instant, l'orage est passé
Il a saisi dans un éclair
Une femme assise
À ses côtés

Une nuit, ses yeux se sont ouverts
Une bougie dans l'obscurité
Il a su qu'elle était sa mère
Les abeilles ont recommencé

(Rain, rain, rain, rain)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)

Je sais, je sens
Que dans son néant
Il comprend
Tout ce qui résiste en ce monde
Est vivant
Je sais, je sens
Que dans son désert, il m'attend
Très loin, dans sa mémoire profonde
Il m'entend
Tout ce qui résiste est vivant

(Rain, rain, rain, rain)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)
(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)

(Rain, rain, go away)
(Rubbers and raincoats for today)

Overall Meaning

The song “Le Grand Réveil” by Michel Sardou is a poignant and melancholic representation of a man’s struggle with memory loss and the loss of communication. The first verse speaks of a man who is unable to move his body and can feel his memory slipping away. His final act is an expression of terror, and he never speaks again. The second verse describes how he spends his days staring at the sun, and at night he can hear the buzzing of bees. The chorus uses the phrase “Rai rain” to represent the sounds of rain, and in the context of the song, it’s a metaphor for a life that is falling apart. “Rubbers and raincoats for today” is an expression of the need for protection in a world that is harsh and unforgiving.

The third verse takes a sudden turn, with the man’s eyes opening and seeing a woman sitting next to him. He recognizes her as his mother and gets a brief moment of clarity. The final chorus expresses a sense of understanding that everything that resists in this world is alive. It’s a reminder that even in the face of despair, there is still life and vitality. The repeated phrase “Je sais, Je sens” (“I know, I feel”) adds emotional depth and conveys a sense of empathy for the man’s struggles.

Line by Line Meaning

Incapable de bouger son corps,
Unable to move his body,

Sentir sa mémoire s'en aller.
Feeling his memory slipping away.

Sa terreur fut son dernier effort
His terror was his last effort,

Et il n'a jamais plus parlé.
And he never spoke again.

Il est assis, il est couché,
He sits, he lies down,

Des heures à fixer le soleil
For hours, he stares at the sun.

Et quand les nuits sont étoilées,
And when the nights are starry,

Son cerveau entend les abeilles.
His brain hears the bees.

Je sais,
I know,

Je sens
I feel

Que dans son néant, il comprend.
That in his emptiness, he understands.