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 Bals Populaires
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L'ouvrier parisien
La casquette en arrière
Tourne, tourne, tourne bien
Dans les bals populaires
Les "Raquel" du Samedi
Du bleu sur les paupières
Tournent, tournent, tournent aussi
Mais là-bas près du comptoir en bois
Nous on n'danse pas
On est là pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
Pour boire un coup
Et j'dirais même un bon coup
Et rigoler entre nous
Sur des airs populaires
Sur des airs populaires
Dans les bals populaires
Quand l'accordéon joue
Le tango des grands-mères
Elles dansent entre elles et l'on s'en fout
Dans les bals populaires
On chante un peu c'qu'on veut
Moins on fait de manières
Et plus ça tourne, tourne mieux
Mais là-bas près du comptoir en bois
Nous on n'danse pas
On est là pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
Pour boire un coup
Et j'dirais même un bon coup
Et rigoler entre nous
Sur des airs populaires
Sur des airs populaires
Dans les bals populaires
Chacun veut sa chanson
L'orchestre joue c'qu'il sait faire
Ca tourne, tourne plus ou moins rond
Dans les bals populaires
Quand le barman s'endort
Même après la dernière
Ca tourne, tourne, tourne encore
Mais là-bas près du comptoir en bois
Nous on n'danse pas
On est là pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
Pour boire un coup
Et j'dirais même un bon coup
Et rigoler entre nous
Sur des airs populaires
Sur des airs populaires
On est là pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
Pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
Pour boire un coup
On est là pour faire les fous
Et pour se reboire un coup
Et pas payer nos verres
The song Les Bals Populaires by Michel Sardou is a commentary on the social dynamics of popular dances in Paris in the mid-twentieth century. In the first two stanzas, Sardou describes the various people who attend these dances, including working-class people in their caps and the "Raquels" with blue eyeshadow. He suggests that everyone, regardless of their background or appearance, is welcome at these dances, where the accordion plays music for various dances, including the tango of grandmothers. However, Sardou also notes that there is a distinct group of people who are not interested in dancing, but instead gather around the wooden counter to socialize.
This group of people, which presumably includes Sardou himself, is at the dance to drink, act foolishly, and have a good time. They are not interested in paying for their drinks since they want to enjoy themselves without worrying about the cost. Sardou emphasizes that this group is there to have a good laugh and enjoy the popular music that is playing, even if they are not out on the dance floor.
Overall, the lyrics of Les Bals Populaires capture the vibrancy and diversity of popular dance in France in the mid-twentieth century, while also providing a commentary on the social dynamics that played out on the dance floor and around the bar.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans les bals populaires
In the popular dance halls
L'ouvrier parisien
The Parisian worker
La casquette en arrière
With his cap turned backwards
Tourne, tourne, tourne bien
He dances, dances, dances well
Les Raquels du sam'di
The Saturday Raquels
Du bleu sur les paupières
With blue eyeshadow
Tournent, tournent, tournent aussi
They dance, dance, dance too
Mais là-bas près du comptoir en bois
But over near the wooden bar
Nous on n'danse pas
We don't dance
On est là pour boire un coup
We're here to have a drink
On est là pour faire les fous
We're here to act crazy
Et pour se reboire un bon coup
And to have another good drink
Et pas payer nos verres
And not pay for our drinks
Pour boire un coup
To have a drink
Et j'dirais même un bon coup
And I would even say a good one
Et rigoler entre nous
And laugh amongst ourselves
Sur des airs populaires
To the tune of popular songs
Quand l'accordéon joue
When the accordion plays
Le tango des grands-mères
The grandmothers' tango
Elles dansent entre elles
They dance with each other
Et l'on s'en fout
And we don't care
On chante un peu c'qu'on veut
We sing whatever we want
Moins on fait de manières
The less formal we are
Et plus ça tourne, tourne mieux
The more it spins, the better
Chacun veut sa chanson
Everyone wants their song
L'orchestre joue c'qu'il sait faire
The band plays what they know how to do
Ca tourne, tourne plus ou moins rond
It spins, spins more or less round
Quand le barman s'endort
When the bartender falls asleep
Même après la dernière
Even after the last call
Ca tourne, tourne, tourne encore
It still spins, spins, spins
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Buggy Vline, Michel Sardou, Jacques Revaux, Jean Claudric
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
🌶es pibous
Un hymne à la France.🪗
Jacqueline Tonglet
J'adore Sardou il provoque il nous fait pleurer Belle voix et tous les sujets abodés ..
Fabrice Cauet
La légende de la musique française le numéro 1 500 chansons et mini 80 tubes personne n a fait ça dans l histoire francaise
Anne-Marie Décoret
Super de super ces NB un GRAND MERCI et pour les
vraies belles descriptions des moments de ce temps là : le véridique!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lila Benhamed
magnifique féerique sublime chanson interprété par notre bien aimé michou.que du bonheur et de la nostalgie en revoyant ces vidéos musicales.que des années bonheurs et de joie en ce temps là.
Alain Vielmon
Une'vrai 'chanson de' mon'epoque 'que' de'la 'joie 💕😁😍😊💛💙🍻🥂🍾🍻🍺Merci' michel 'sardou 💙💞🎈💕💗💚💜💖💛🥂❤️🍻😘🤣
Daniel Blain
Belle époque
Laurence Cordone Zabalza
J'adore cette chanson
Jean Marc D
Merci Michel pour c est belle chanson
simone merlin
Merci Michel que de Plaisir a vous écouter Comme vous avez Raison Simone