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.
On Est Planté
Michel Sardou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que vous croyez
On est planté.
Et tout à coup la terre est vide
Le monde inhabité.
Et ceux qui disent
C'est pour les autres
J'suis à l'abri.
Et puis c'est fini.
Ca va plus loin
Qu'on s'imagine
On est planté
Soudain la terre est une ruine
Une horloge arrêtée.
Et ceux qui disent
Attends demain
Tu seras guéri
Se prennent un sacré gadin
Et puis c'est fini.
Nos amours partent en vrille
Comme les oiseaux blessés
Un cadenas sur la grille
On est enfermé
On est enfermé.
La cigarette après minuit
L'avant dernière du condamné
Etre soi-même son ennemi.
Ca va plus vite que vous croyez.
On n' sait jamais
Ni quand ni où
Ca va tomber.
Les amis y'en a plus du tout
Ils se sont barrés.
Quand à sa femme
N'en parlons pas
C'est souvent la première qui s'en va.
Ca va plus vite
Que vous croyez
On est planté
Et tout à coup la terre est vide
Personne à qui parler
Et ceux qui disent
C'est pour les autres
J' suis à l'abri.
Se ramassent ou bien se vautrent
Et puis c'est fini.
The lyrics to Michel Sardou's song "On Est Planté" are about the inevitability of life's difficulties, the fragility of relationships, and the fleeting nature of existence. The song's title "On Est Planté" translates to "We Are Stuck" or "We Are Screwed," indicating that Sardou is addressing a particularly somber topic. In the first verse, Sardou speaks of the swiftness of life and how it moves faster than people may realize, warning that "we are stuck." Soon after, he describes a desolate world that has been emptied and abandoned, stating that "we are stuck."
In the chorus, Sardou emphasizes that the struggles of life go beyond what people may have initially assumed, with life turning into a "ruin" and time standing still. Those who claimed to be safe from the chaos suffer as well and, in the end, everything comes to an abrupt close. The second verse uses the metaphor of circling, wounded birds, to describe dealing with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song's final verse is a reflection on how quickly one's life can change and how people's support systems can crumble in the face of tragedy, forcing them to confront harsh realities.
Overall, "On Est Planté" showcases Sardou's talent for creating poignant lyrics that reflect the complexities of life. He communicates a message of urgency while at the same time offering a sense of somber acceptance for the inevitability of life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Ca va plus vite
Things happen faster than we expect.
Que vous croyez
Faster than what many believe.
On est planté.
We are stuck or we have failed.
Et tout à coup la terre est vide
Suddenly everything is empty and lonely.
Le monde inhabité.
The world feels desolate and abandoned.
Et ceux qui disent
Those who claim.
C'est pour les autres
Bad things happen only to others.
J'suis à l'abri.
I'm safe and secure.
Se ramassent ou bien se vautrent
They either get up or give up.
Et puis c'est fini.
And then it's over.
Ca va plus loin
Things get worse than we expect.
Qu'on s'imagine
Worse than our imagination.
Soudain la terre est une ruine
Suddenly everything is destroyed.
Une horloge arrêtée.
Time stands still.
Attends demain
Wait till tomorrow.
Tu seras guéri
Things will get better.
Se prennent un sacré gadin
They take a nasty fall.
Nos amours partent en vrille
Our love life spirals out of control.
Comme les oiseaux blessés
Like wounded birds.
Un cadenas sur la grille
A lock on the gate.
On est enfermé
We are trapped or imprisoned.
La cigarette après minuit
The cigarette after midnight.
L'avant dernière du condamné
The condemned's penultimate.
Etre soi-même son ennemi.
To be one's own worst enemy.
On n' sait jamais
We never know.
Ni quand ni où
Neither when nor where.
Ca va tomber.
Things will fall apart suddenly.
Les amis y'en a plus du tout
We lose our friends along the way.
Ils se sont barrés.
They have left for good.
Quand à sa femme
As for one's wife.
N'en parlons pas
Let's not even talk about it.
C'est souvent la première qui s'en va.
She is often the first to leave.
Personne à qui parler
No one to talk to.
J' suis à l'abri.
I'm safe and secure.
Et tout à coup la terre est vide
Suddenly everything is empty and lonely.
Et ceux qui disent
Those who claim.
C'est pour les autres
Bad things happen only to others.
Se ramassent ou bien se vautrent
They either get up or give up.
Et puis c'est fini.
And then it's over.
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.