Michel Sardou (born January 26, 1947) is a French singer.

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.

Merci seigneur
Michel Sardou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Écoutez bien,
Écoutez bien.

Je sais que je dois mourir.
J'ai peur d'y mettre le temps.
Dis-moi le bel âge pour mourir,
Et bien mon vieux c'est à vingt ans.

Alors tant pis pour nos vieillards,
Pour nos anciens combattants
Ils partiront un peu plus tard,
Quand les fusils auront des dents.

Je meurs de faim,
Je meurs de faim,

"Qui dort dîne", dit le proverbe.
La vache est couchée dans l'herbe,
Mais comme cette vache est sacrée,
Aucun indien ne peut la bouffer,
Alors tant pis pour leurs vieillards,
Pour leurs anciens combattants
Ils mangeront un peu plus tard,
Lorsque les vaches perdront leurs dents.

Merci Seigneur,
Merci Seigneur,

Les pauvres noirs, on les tue.
On lâche les chiens dans la rue.
Ne pleurons pas sur leur sort.
Nous sommes condamnés à mort.
Alors tant pis pour nos vieillards,
Pour nos anciens combattants
S'ils sont habillés de noir,
La fille que j'aime est tout en blanc.

Merci Seigneur je meurs de faim,
Merci Seigneur je meurs de faim.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for Michel Sardou's "Merci Seigneur" are deeply introspective and meditative. Sardou appears to be contemplating his own mortality and expressing his apprehension about the inevitability of death. He wonders at what age it is appropriate to die, and as he concludes, "mon vieux c'est à vingt ans" ("my friend, it's at age twenty"). He then laments the fact that older people, including veterans who have served their country, must wait longer to pass away.

The song then takes a turn towards social commentary as Sardou shifts his focus to the plight of black people, who are being killed and chased like dogs in the streets. He acknowledges this grim reality but ultimately resigns himself to the fact that "Nous sommes condamnés à mort" ("We are condemned to death"). In the final lines, Sardou returns to his original theme of hunger and thanks God despite the pain it causes him, saying "Merci Seigneur je meurs de faim" ("Thank you, Lord, I am starving").

Overall, "Merci Seigneur" is a deeply introspective song that grapples with powerful themes of mortality, social injustice, and hunger. It is a testament to Michel Sardou's powerful songwriting and ability to create thought-provoking lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Écoutez bien,
Pay attention,

Je sais que je dois mourir.
I know I have to die.

J'ai peur d'y mettre le temps.
I'm afraid it will take too long.

Dis-moi le bel âge pour mourir,
Tell me the ideal age to die,

Et bien mon vieux c'est à vingt ans.
Well, my friend, it's at twenty years old.

Alors tant pis pour nos vieillards,
So much for our elderly,

Pour nos anciens combattants
For our war veterans

Ils partiront un peu plus tard,
They will leave a little later,

Quand les fusils auront des dents.
When rifles have teeth.

Je meurs de faim,
I'm starving,

"Qui dort dîne", dit le proverbe.
"The one who sleeps dines," says the proverb.