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.
Les Années trente
Michel Sardou Lyrics
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Le front populaire
Et le Président Lebrun,
Dans l'usine en grève,
Tout le monde rêve
De voir la mer à St-Aubin.
Dans les années trente,
Il faut trouver des milliards.
La gauche et la droite
S'insultent et se battent
Et retour à la case départ.
Les 200 familles,
Tous à la Bastille,
Pour applaudir Léon Blum,
Comm'dit ma grand-mère,
"Y faut pas s'en faire,
La France est prospère yop la boum !"
Dans les années trente,
Les jardiniers plantent
Sur la marmite un drapeau noir,
La gauche et la droite
Se tirent dans les pattes
Et retour à la case départ.
Les années octante,
Le franc qui serpente
Et bonjour le programme commun,
Dans l'usine en grève,
Une voix s'élève :
"Les 35 heures pour l'an prochain."
La classe ouvrière,
Les masses populaires,
Il faut trouver des milliards,
La gauche et la droite
Jouent les acrobates
Et retour à la case départ.
Dans les années folles,
Les rois du pétrole
Vivaient encore sous la tente.
La bombe atomique
Et l'informatique,
On s'en fout comm'de l'an 40.
Les années octante,
Tout'la vie augmente.
Les moules s'accrochent aux paysans
Mais Iorsque l'on sonde
La France profonde,
On nous dit qu'tout l'monde est content.
La classe ouvrière,
Le front populaire
Et le Président Lebrun,
Dans l'usine en grève,
Tout le monde rêve
De voir la mer à St Aubin
Dans les années trente,
Le tabac augmente,
Il faut trouver des milliards.
La gauche et la droite
S'insultent et se battent
Et retour à la case départ.
Les 200 familles,
Tous à la Bastille,
Pour applaudir Léon Blum,
Comm'dit ma grand-mère,
"Y faut pas s'en faire,
La France est prospère yop la boum !"
Dans les années trente,
Les jardiniers plantent
Sur la marmite un drapeau noir,
La gauche et la droite
Se tirent dans les pattes
Et retour à la case départ.
Les années octante,
Le franc qui serpente
Et bonjour le programme commun,
Dans l'usine en grève,
Une voix s'élève :
"Les 35 heures pour l'an prochain."
Les années octante,
Tout'la vie augmente.
Les moules s'accrochent aux paysans
Mais lorsque l'on sonde
La France profonde,
On nous dit qu'tout l'monde est content.
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's "Les Années trente" are a reflection on the socio-political landscape of France during the 20th century. The song covers a wide range of historical events and issues, ultimately pointing out how little progress has been made. Sardou highlights the cyclical nature of French politics and the neverending struggle for social and economic equality.
The first verse pays homage to the working class and the leftist movement, mentioning the Front Populaire and President Lebrun. It follows the story of workers on strike dreaming of escaping to St. Aubin's seaside. The second verse comments on the tobacco industry's boom and the need for billions, causing the leftist and right-wing parties to fight again, resulting in no progress.
The third verse talks about the 200 families applauding for Léon Blum, emphasizing the economic prosperity of France. However, Sardou's grandmother's comment, "La France est prospère yop la boum!" implies a sarcastic tone on France's economic success. The fourth and final verse takes us to the 80s, where the working class is still struggling to find financial stability, and the politicians are unable to provide a real solution.
Overall, the song suggests that French politics is a vicious cycle of progress and regress, where the efforts of the working and the leftist movement always lead to a return to the starting point.
Line by Line Meaning
La classe ouvrière,
The working class,
Le front populaire
The popular front
Et le Président Lebrun,
And President Lebrun
Dans l'usine en grève,
In the striking factory
Tout le monde rêve
Everybody dreams
De voir la mer à St-Aubin.
Of seeing the sea in St-Aubin.
Dans les années trente,
In the thirties,
Le tabac augmente,
The tobacco increases,
Il faut trouver des milliards.
We need to find billions.
La gauche et la droite
The left and right
S'insultent et se battent
Insult and fight
Et retour à la case départ.
And back to square one.
Les 200 familles,
The 200 families,
Tous à la Bastille,
All to the Bastille,
Pour applaudir Léon Blum,
To applaud Léon Blum,
Comm'dit ma grand-mère,
As my grandmother said,
"Y faut pas s'en faire,
"Don't worry,
La France est prospère yop la boum !"
France is prosperous yop la boom!"
Les jardiniers plantent
Gardeners plant
Sur la marmite un drapeau noir,
A black flag on the pot,
La gauche et la droite
The left and right
Se tirent dans les pattes
Fight each other
Les années octante,
The eighties,
Le franc qui serpente
The franc which slithers
Et bonjour le programme commun,
And hello to the common program,
Dans l'usine en grève,
In the striking factory,
Une voix s'élève :
A voice rises:
"Les 35 heures pour l'an prochain."
"35 hours for next year."
Les moules s'accrochent aux paysans
Mussels cling to the peasants
Mais lorsque l'on sonde
But when we survey
La France profonde,
Deep France,
On nous dit qu'tout l'monde est content.
They tell us everyone is content.
Les années folles,
The roaring twenties,
Les rois du pétrole
The kings of oil
Vivaient encore sous la tente.
Were still living in tents.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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