Richard Desjardins (born 16 March 1948, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada) is a… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Desjardins (born 16 March 1948, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada) is a quebecois folk singer and film director.

He and his friends formed the country rock ensemble Abbittibbi in the 1970s. Desjardins played piano, guitar, and sang. When the group disbanded in 1982, Desjardins pursued a solo career.

He also found work scoring films, especially documentaries. This involvement in the Quebec film industry even led him to co-direct a number of feature length documentaries. As well as his singing career, he is well known for his environmental activism.

Avec l'amour de Jésus
Richard Desjardins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Avec l’amour de Jésus
Avec la souplesse de Tarzan
Avec le timing de Zorro
Avec la touche de Picasso et les mots de Rimbaud

Avec le swing de Presley
Avec la générosité du Père Noël joufflu
Avec l’ardeur d’Abraham

et le cœur de Maurice Richard
Avec la joie des Beatles

Avec la sincérité d’Ernesto Guevara
Avec la bonté de Bouddha

Avec le doigté de Chopin
Avec la ferveur de Pontiac
Avec la franchise de Karl Marx
Avec la grâce de Michel-Ange et le sourire d’Einstein

Avec mon pack sac de héros

Et avec mes p’tits défauts
Je m’en viens t’aimer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard Desjardins's song "Avec l'amour de Jésus" depict a person expressing their love and affection for someone. The use of various references to iconic figures serves to emphasize the depth and intensity of their love.

The first verse mentions Jesus, Tarzan, Zorro, Picasso, and Rimbaud. These figures represent different qualities that the person wishes to bring into their expression of love. Jesus symbolizes unwavering love and compassion, Tarzan represents boldness and fearlessness, Zorro represents timing and precision, Picasso represents artistic touch and creativity, and Rimbaud represents poetic and romantic expression.

Moving into the second verse, Elvis Presley is mentioned for his energetic swing, the chubby Father Christmas represents generosity, Abraham symbolizes passion and determination, and Maurice Richard, a Canadian ice hockey player, symbolizes a deep and passionate heart. These references highlight different aspects the person wants to bring to their love.

The third verse introduces Ernesto Guevara, also known as Che Guevara, for his sincerity and commitment to a cause, and Buddha for his kindness and compassion. These references show the person's desire to love with sincerity and kindness.

Chopin is mentioned for his skillful finger movements on the piano, Pontiac symbolizes fervor and enthusiasm, Karl Marx represents honesty and frankness, and Michelangelo and Einstein symbolize gracefulness and intelligence respectively. These references emphasize the person's desire to love with skill, passion, honesty, grace, and intelligence.

In the final line, the person asserts that they come to love with their own mix of heroism, with a backpack full of flaws. This line suggests that they are imperfect, but they are wholeheartedly and unconditionally offering their love.

Overall, the lyrics of "Avec l'amour de Jésus" express a declaration of love, using iconic figures as metaphors to portray the various qualities and depths of affection the person wishes to convey.

Line by Line Meaning

Avec l’amour de Jésus
With the unconditional love and compassion of Jesus

Avec la souplesse de Tarzan
With the agility and flexibility of Tarzan

Avec le timing de Zorro
With the perfect timing and precision of Zorro

Avec la touche de Picasso et les mots de Rimbaud
With the artistic brilliance and creativity of Picasso and the poetic words of Rimbaud

Avec le swing de Presley
With the rhythmic and captivating swing of Presley

Avec la générosité du Père Noël joufflu
With the generous and jovial nature of Santa Claus

Avec l’ardeur d’Abraham
With the passion and dedication of Abraham

et le cœur de Maurice Richard
and the heart of Maurice Richard

Avec la joie des Beatles
With the joy and energy of the Beatles

Avec la sincérité d’Ernesto Guevara
With the sincerity and honesty of Ernesto Guevara

Avec la bonté de Bouddha
With the kindness and compassion of Buddha