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 successeur
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dans mon costume de scène
Il n'a rien à m'envier
Il n'a même pas salué
J'm'entends encore lui dire
La manière de sourire
La façon d'arriver
Gladiateur sacrifié
Il commence sa chanson
Et j'reconnais l'intro
C'est ma première leçon
D'la rigueur, mais pas trop
Pour sa première rengaine
Il parle avec mes mots
D'une jungle africaine
De l'adieu d'un bateau
Et il est jeune
Il est bon, il est beau
Quel talent, quelle leçon
Quel salaud
Quand il parle d'une femme
Elle ressemble à la mienne
Dans le bleu de ses larmes
Je me fais de la peine
Il joue avec mesure
De la mélancolie
Des passions, des blessures
Sur le fil de ma vie
Et il est jeune
Il est bon, il est beau
Quel talent, quelle leçon
Quel salaud
Il s'arrête, un silence
Et le public délire
Sur une histoire d'amour
Il enchaîne à plaisir
Il connaît mes images
Il sait les colorier
Il accroche un nuage
Que je lui ai soufflé
Il finit, dans sa loge
Sonné comme un boxeur
Quand quelqu'un l'interroge
Il répond "tout à l'heure"
Et puis il m'aperçoit
Il m'embrasse, il m'attire
Est-ce que c'est bien ma voix
Que j'entends pour lui dire?
Qu'il a raison
D'être jeune, d'être beau?
Quel talent, quelle leçon
Quel salaud
Qu'il a raison
D'être jeune, d'être beau?
Quel leçon, quelle talent
Quel salaud
The lyrics to Michel Sardou's song, Le Successeur, tell a story of a veteran performer coming face-to-face with his successor. The veteran singer is decked out in his stage costume, ready to take the stage, when his successor appears. The younger singer has no reason to envy his elder, and doesn't even bother to acknowledge him. The elder singer remembers giving the younger one lessons on how to smile, how to arrive on stage like a gladiator. The younger singer begins to perform and the veteran recognizes the familiar introduction. The elder singer realizes he has taught him well, but also knows that the younger singer has added his own touch to his performance which seems to have captivated the audience. The lyrics then describe the younger singer's ability to evoke powerful emotions through his music and lyrics, particularly when he sings about a woman, which makes the elder singer feel a sense of pain. The elder singer then meets the younger one after the show and congratulates him, acknowledging his talent and beauty.
The lyrics highlight the generational divide between veteran performers and the new blood who are trying to make their way into the industry. The song reflects the anxieties of those nearing the end of their careers, apprehensive about the younger generation who are proving to be just as good, if not better, than they are. It also talks about the bittersweet feelings that come with witnessing your successor's success, particularly when it surpasses your own.
Line by Line Meaning
Il vient d'entrer en scène
A young and talented successor has just taken the stage, wearing my costume with confidence and ease.
Dans mon costume de scène.
The successor is now clad in my signature outfit, symbolizing his desire to continue my legacy.
Il n'a rien à m'envier,
The successor feels no sense of competition or envy towards me. He is here to pay homage and continue my work.
Il n'a même pas salué.
The successor has not even bothered to acknowledge me, as he is focused solely on his performance and the adoring crowd.
J'm'entends encore lui dire la manière de sourire,
I can still remember teaching him how to smile and project his emotions when singing.
La façon d'arriver, gladiateur sacrifié.
I also instructed him on how to capture the intensity of a gladiator entering the arena, sacrificing everything for his art.
Il commence sa chanson et j'reconnais l'intro.
As the successor starts to sing, I recognize the opening notes of the song he learned from me.
C'est ma première leçon, d'la rigueur, mais pas trop.
This song was the first lesson I taught him, emphasizing the importance of discipline and precision, but also allowing some room for creativity and originality.
Pour sa première rengaine, il parle avec les mots d'une jungle africaine, de l'adieu d'un bateau.
The song he chose for his debut performance tells the story of an African jungle and a departing ship, utilizing the words and themes I taught him to evoke powerful emotions in the audience.
Et il est jeune, il est bon, il est beau. Quel talent, quelle leçon, quel salaud!
As the successor continues to sing, I can't help but be impressed by his youthful energy, musical talent, and handsome appearance. I simultaneously appreciate his homage to me while also feeling a twinge of envy towards his natural abilities and success.
Quand il parle d'une femme, elle ressemble à la mienne.
When the successor sings about a woman, he chooses words and images that are similar to those used in my own songs and describe the same type of woman I often depicted.
Dans le bleu de ses larmes, je me fais de la peine.
However, hearing him sing about the same type of woman and seeing the emotions it stirs in the audience makes me feel a bit sad and nostalgic, as if I am reliving my own experiences through his music.
Il joue avec mesure de la mélancolie, des passions, des blessures, sur le fil de ma vie.
The successor skillfully weaves together themes of melancholy, passion, and pain in his music, drawing upon the many experiences and emotions I have shared in my own songs.
Il s'arrête, un silence et le public délire.
When the successor pauses briefly between songs, the crowd goes wild with excitement, eagerly anticipating what comes next.
Sur une histoire d'amour, il enchaîne à plaisir.
The successor, knowing how to read the crowd, transitions smoothly to a love song that has them enraptured.
Il connaît mes images. Il sait les colorier.
The successor is intimately familiar with the images and themes I have used in my music, and he is able to build upon them with his own unique style and perspective.
Il accroche un nuage que je lui ai soufflé.
The successor takes a phrase or image I used in one of my songs, adds his own personal touch, and creates something new and beautiful that still pays tribute to my legacy.
Il finit, dans sa loge, sonné comme un boxeur. Quand quelqu'un l'interroge, il répond "Tout à l'heure!"
After his performance, the successor is exhausted and overwhelmed, feeling like a boxer who has just gone multiple rounds in the ring. When someone asks him to reflect on his performance, he can hardly find the words and simply tells them he needs time to recover.
Et puis il m'aperçoit, il m'embrasse, il m'attire.
When the successor sees me backstage, he rushes over to embrace me, showing his deep respect and admiration for me as his mentor and inspiration.
Est-ce que c'est bien ma voix que j'entends pour lui dire qu'il a raison d'être jeune, d'être beau? Quel talent, quelle leçon, quel salaud!
As we talk and reflect on his performance, I tell him how proud I am of him and encourage him to keep being young, talented, and handsome. At the same time, I still harbor some envy and resentment towards his natural abilities and success.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Didier Barbelivien, Jacques Revaud, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind