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 Temps Des Colonies
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dakar, Conakry, Bamako.
Moi monsieur, j'ai eu la belle vie,
Au temps béni des colonies.
Les guerriers m'appelaient Grand Chef
Au temps glorieux de l'A.O.F.
J'avais des ficelles au képi,
Au temps béni des colonies.
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Y a pas d'café, pas de coton, pas d'essence
En France, mais des idées, ça on en a.
Nous on pense,
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Pour moi monsieur, rien n'égalait
Les tirailleurs Sénégalais
Qui mouraient tous pour la patrie,
Au temps béni des colonies.
Autrefois à Colomb-Béchar,
J'avais plein de serviteurs noirs
Et quatre filles dans mon lit,
Au temps béni des colonies.
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Y a pas d'café, pas de coton, pas d'essence
En France, mais des idées, ça on en a.
Nous on pense,
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Moi monsieur j'ai tué des panthères,
A Tombouctou sur le Niger,
Et des Hypos dans l'Oubangui,
Au temps béni des colonies.
Entre le gin et le tennis,
Les réceptions et le pastis,
On se serait cru au paradis,
Au temps béni des colonies.
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Y a pas d'café, pas de coton, pas d'essence
En France, mais des idées, ça on en a.
Nous on pense,
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
The song "Le Temps des Colonies" by Michel Sardou is a nostalgic tribute to the colonial era in France. The lyrics tell the story of a man who lived and worked in French colonies in Africa such as Dakar, Conakry, and Bamako. He remembers the time when he was called "Grand Chef" by the local warriors during the glory days of the A.O.F. (Afrique Occidentale Française). He reminisces about the good life he had, with servants, girls in his bed, receptions, and pastis. He killed panthers and hippos in Tombouctou and Oubangui, and he had everything he wanted. But now, times have changed, and there is no more coffee, cotton, or petrol in France. He misses the good old days and the Bwana (a term used by Africans for white people) who used to rule the colonies.
The song is a satirical take on the French colonial legacy, highlighting the arrogance and ignorance of the colonizers. The lyrics reflect a nostalgic longing for the time when the French looked upon themselves as superior beings and treated the Africans as their subordinates, working for their benefit. The song also portrays the African people as ignorant and subservient, who were happy serving the white masters. The reference to the fact that the African people called the singer "Grand Chef" is an example of this portrayal.
Michel Sardou's song "Le Temps des Colonies" was a controversial hit when it was released in 1977. It was banned in some countries due to its content and received criticism for its glorification of the French colonial era. The song sparked debates about racism, imperialism, and colonialism in France and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Moi monsieur j'ai fait la colo,
Dakar, Conakry, Bamako.
I, sir, have experienced colonial life as I have traveled to Dakar, Conakry, and Bamako.
Moi monsieur, j'ai eu la belle vie,
Au temps béni des colonies.
I, sir, had the good life during the blessed time of colonialism.
Les guerriers m'appelaient Grand Chef
Au temps glorieux de l'A.O.F.
During the glorious time of French West Africa, the warriors referred to me as the Great Chief.
J'avais des ficelles au képi,
Au temps béni des colonies.
During the blessed time of colonialism, I had strings attached to my cap to signify my higher status.
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
Y a pas d'café, pas de coton, pas d'essence
En France, mais des idées, ça on en a.
Nous on pense,
On pense encore à toi, oh Bwana.
Dis-nous ce que t'as pas, on en a.
We still think of you, oh master. Tell us what you need, we have it. There may not be coffee, cotton, or gasoline in France, but we have plenty of ideas. We still think, we still think of you, oh master. Tell us what you need, we have it.
Pour moi monsieur, rien n'égalait
Les tirailleurs Sénégalais
Qui mouraient tous pour la patrie,
Au temps béni des colonies.
For me, sir, nothing was better than the Senegalese tirailleurs who all died for the homeland during the blessed time of colonialism.
Autrefois à Colomb-Béchar,
J'avais plein de serviteurs noirs
Et quatre filles dans mon lit,
Au temps béni des colonies.
In the past, at Colomb-Béchar, I had many black servants and four girls in my bed during the blessed time of colonialism.
Moi monsieur j'ai tué des panthères,
A Tombouctou sur le Niger,
Et des Hypos dans l'Oubangui,
Au temps béni des colonies.
I, sir, have killed panthers in Tombouctou on the Niger and hippos in Oubangui during the blessed time of colonialism.
Entre le gin et le tennis,
Les réceptions et le pastis,
On se serait cru au paradis,
Au temps béni des colonies.
Between gin and tennis, receptions and pastis, we felt like we were in paradise during the blessed time of colonialism.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACQUES ABEL JULES REVAUD, MICHEL CHARLES SARDOU, PIERRE DELANOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@heliosthierry6609
Le bon vieux temps.
Inoubliable et toujours présent aux écoutes.
Des années ont passé et ce tube de S'Radou reste toujours culte dans le cœur des français.
@MoiMoi-ct5zw
Rendons leur quand même hommage à ces courageux hommes qui ont pour la plupart laissés leurs vies pour notre pays, c'est le minimum bordel !. Merci messieurs.
@lecorbeau9632
@@eddy4935 avant de leur demander de respecter ton pays respecte déjà l'orthographe
@chaussette1er
@@lecorbeau9632 ok y a juste une faute d'accord
@pierrekiroule2827
Tres belle iconographie...des images de choix....et chanson géniale de Michel Sardou: à prendre à tous les degrés...et de plus, il est possible de danser et chanter dessus... sera sans doute bientôt effacée de Youtube😅
@heliosthierry6609
Ny nostalgia dia faniriana ho ani'izay mahalala izay.
Traduction malgache ci dessous
La nostalgie c'est le désir d'on ne sait quoi.
Très précieux ce dicton..
@marcmarc5026
Vive la France éternelle,
@heliosthierry6609
L'odeur du bon vieux temps.
C'est vraiment le rétro, ca sent la mélancolie.
Dakar,Conakry,Bamako.
@heliosthierry6609
Toute ma jeunesse.
J'avais cette chanson dans mon cahier de chants, ce cahier on me l'a volé.
Michel Sardou,c'était l'un de mes chanteurs préférés.
@heliosthierry6609
"Personne ne sait si sa lumière brûlera jusqu'à demain ".(Citation africaine)