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 Masques
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reflets de l'âme, reflets des cieux
Masque de chair pour nous plaire, pour l'amour
Masque de pierre pour se taire, pour toujours
Derrière le masque brille un regard
Grains de colza dans l'encre noire
Derrière le masque se dresse un mur
Masques dorés pour jouer, masques d'or
Masques de fer pour la guerre, pour la mort
Derrière le masque brille un regard
Les yeux d'un chat, les feux d'un phare
Derrière le masque il y a quelqu'un
Un homme qui passe, un comédien
Derrière le masque il y a les yeux
Reflets de l'âme, reflets des cieux
Sur les bateaux, les canaux, les soupirs
Masques de peau sur les mots sans les dire
Derrière le masque brille un regard
L'or et la soie, le velours noir
Derrière le masque brille un regard
Grains de colza dans l'encre noire
Saviez vous que votre première femme la connaissait très bien, très bien
Ça vous inquiète?
The lyrics of Michel Sardou's song "Les Masques" explore the idea of masks and hidden identities. The first stanza talks about the physical masks that people wear, which are meant to hide their true selves and often serve different purposes, such as to attract love or to stay silent forever. The second stanza delves deeper into the metaphorical masks that people put on - the golden masks for play and the iron masks for war and death. The verse emphasizes that despite the masks, the eyes reveal the soul and that they range from those of a cat to a lighthouse. The third stanza sounds like an interrogation or a warning, highlighting the fact that behind every mask there is someone, whether it's a man who's just walking by or an actor who is putting on a show. In the final lines, Sardou touches upon the idea of unspoken words and how even the masks of the skin cannot conceal all.
Throughout the song, Sardou does not pass any judgment on the topic but rather highlights the complexities of human nature and our need to hide our true selves. At the same time, he reminds us that no matter how many masks we wear, our eyes will always betray us.
Line by Line Meaning
Derrière le masque il y a les yeux
The eyes are hidden behind the mask, but they reflect the soul and the heavens.
Reflets de l'âme, reflets des cieux
The eyes are mirrors of the soul and reflect the heavens.
Masque de chair pour nous plaire, pour l'amour
We wear a flesh mask to please others and attract love.
Masque de pierre pour se taire, pour toujours
We wear a stone mask to silence ourselves forever.
Derrière le masque brille un regard
Behind the mask, the eyes shine through like canola seeds in black ink.
Grains de colza dans l'encre noire
The eyes are like canola seeds soaked in black ink.
Derrière le masque se dresse un mur
Behind the mask, there is a wall of ice and darkness.
Laser de glace, lumière obscure
The ice wall shines like a laser in the dark.
Masques dorés pour jouer, masques d'or
We wear golden masks to play, and masks of gold during war and death.
Masques de fer pour la guerre, pour la mort
Masks of iron are worn during war and death.
Les yeux d'un chat, les feux d'un phare
Behind the mask, the eyes shine like a cat's and a lighthouse's lights.
Derrière le masque il y a quelqu'un
Behind the mask, there is someone.
Un homme qui passe, un comédien
It may be just a passing man, or it may be an actor.
Sur les bateaux, les canaux, les soupirs
On boats, in canals, and through sighs, we hide our true selves behind flesh masks.
Masques de peau sur les mots sans les dire
We wear flesh masks over unspoken words.
L'or et la soie, le velours noir
Behind the mask, the eyes shine with gold, silk, and black velvet.
Saviez vous que votre première femme la connaissait très bien, très bien
Did you know that your first wife knew her very well?
Ça vous inquiète?
Does that worry you?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Revaud, Jean Michel Berriat, Michel Sardou
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind