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 rétro
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Marquez le tempo avec des semelles en bois
C'était rétro ce temps-là
On voyait dans les rues les premières " Bel Air "
L'époque où mon père voulait emballer ma mère
Le couple à la mode c'était Fred et Ginger
Et pour les beaux jours du swing et du cinéma
Les Andrew-Sisters chantaient des tubes à trois voix
Le rock allait découvrir le Be Bop A Lu La
Be Bop A Lu La Be Bop A Lu La Be Bop A Lu La
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
C'était rétro ce temps-là
Ella et Louis faisaient craquer Carnegie
Le rock et le twist viraient le boogie-woogie
Et le King tirait la bourre au vieux Sinatra
C'était le pied ce temps-là
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
C'était rétro ce temps-là
On voyait dans les rues les premières " Bel Air "
L'époque où mon père voulait emballer ma mère
Le couple à la mode c'était Fred et Ginger
C'était le pied ce temps-là
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
C'était le pied ce temps-là
The lyrics to Michel Sardou’s “Le Temps rétro” speak of a nostalgic longing for a bygone era of music and style. The verses contain a series of directives for the listener to indulge in retro behaviors, such as mixing whiskey with Coca Cola and using wooden soles to mark the beat. These instructions are interwoven with descriptions of the music, fashion, and cultural icons of the era. Sardou sings of the early “Bel Air” cars that were popular on the streets at the time, and how his father wanted to court his mother during this period. He also references the famous dance performances of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the Andrew Sisters’ harmonies, and the rise of rock and roll.
Overall, the song is a wistful celebration of a bygone era, one that represented a simpler time when music was more pure and styles were more elegant. Sardou’s lyrics romanticize the retro styles in a way that makes the listener long for earlier times. The song’s use of directives invites the listener to participate in the retro behaviors it describes, and in doing so, encourages them to relive these times through their own imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Add whiskey to your Coca Cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Put some hair gel on your hair's forelock
Marquez le tempo avec des semelles en bois
Mark the rhythm using wooden soles
C'était rétro ce temps-là
That was a retro time
On voyait dans les rues les premières ' Bel Air '
We saw the first 'Bel Airs' in the streets
L'époque où mon père voulait emballer ma mère
The time when my father wanted to seduce my mother
Le couple à la mode c'était Fred et Ginger
The trendy couple was Fred and Ginger
C'était le pied ce temps-là
That time was the best
Et pour les beaux jours du swing et du cinéma
And for the beautiful days of swing and cinema
Les Andrew-Sisters chantaient des tubes à trois voix
The Andrew Sisters sang three-part hits
Le rock allait découvrir le Be Bop A Lu La
Rock was about to discover Be Bop A Lu La
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Add whiskey to your Coca Cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Put some hair gel on your hair's forelock
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
Dance to a tune that comes from the USA
C'était rétro ce temps-là
That was a retro time
Ella et Louis faisaient craquer Carnegie
Ella and Louis were making Carnegie Hall vibrate
Le rock et le twist viraient le boogie-woogie
Rock and twist were turning boogie-woogie upside down
Et le King tirait la bourre au vieux Sinatra
And the King was racing against old Sinatra
C'était le pied ce temps-là
That time was the best
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Add whiskey to your Coca Cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Put some hair gel on your hair's forelock
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
Dance to a tune that comes from the USA
C'était rétro ce temps-là
That was a retro time
On voyait dans les rues les premières ' Bel Air '
We saw the first 'Bel Airs' in the streets
L'époque où mon père voulait emballer ma mère
The time when my father wanted to seduce my mother
Le couple à la mode c'était Fred et Ginger
The trendy couple was Fred and Ginger
C'était le pied ce temps-là
That time was the best
Mettez du whisky dans votre coca cola
Add whiskey to your Coca Cola
Et sur l'épi de devant la gomina
Put some hair gel on your hair's forelock
Dansez sur un air qui nous vient des USA
Dance to a tune that comes from the USA
C'était le pied ce temps-là
That time was the best
Contributed by Jacob M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@luciennescarano8330
Oh la la, c'était sensationnel cette époque et notre Michel qui peut chanter tout style de musique genial😍😍😍😍💖💖💖💖💖💖
@nicole694
bonsoir j ' adore les anciennes chansons de Michel bisous
@micheledelmas9514
Je l’avais oubliée celle là …🎉🎉🎉🎉
@zetex821
Qu'elle souvenir !!
@nonolepetitrobot3015
Le temps Rétro Michel Sardou