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.
que sont devenus mes amis
Richard Desjardins Lyrics
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Réfugiés dans des femmes?
Oh! Que je les envie
Dans leurs nuits, une flamme.
Peut-être sont-ils mal pris ?
Des démons à leurs trousses
Pas mal cotée en bourse.
Peut-être sont-ils heureux ?
Sans même me le dire
Mais qu’est-ce qu’une soirée sans eux ?
Un petit feu froid et pire.
Que sont devenus mes amis ?
On aimait sans remise de peine
Les barmaids l’avaient prédit:
« Y s’ront pirates ou capitaines
Mais boiront pas à crédit. »
Peut-être avons-nous trop fait chier ?
Tous les jaloux d’la terre
Aux abords de notre amitié
La vie venait prendre l’air.
On chatouillait même les momies
Qui hurlaient : « Encore, encore! »
C’est ça que j’veux pour mes amis
Qu’y dansent même quand’sont morts.
Que sont devenus mes amis ?
The song "Que sont devenus mes amis?" by Richard Desjardins reflects on the artist's nostalgia for his old friends whom he has lost touch with. The first verse suggests that he imagines his friends finding refuge in women, envying them for the flame that they have found in their lives. He wonders if they are in trouble, being chased by demons or hanging out with people who are going places. He then questions if they are happy without telling him, with the next verse suggesting that a night without them is akin to a small, cold fire that is worse than useless.
The third verse reminisces about their younger days, where they loved life without reservation and where they would never let someone else pay for their drinks. But now, the artist thinks that they might have been too difficult to be around, with jealous people lurking around their friendship. Their friendship was so strong that even the dead would want to dance with them.
Overall, the song is about the bittersweet memories of intricate and inseparable friendships formed in youth that seem to fade into obscurity. The artist longs for the camaraderie of old times and the connections with his friends which he believes may have been lost forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Que sont devenus mes amis ?
What has become of my friends?
Réfugiés dans des femmes?
Have they taken refuge in women?
Oh! Que je les envie
Oh! How I envy them
Dans leurs nuits, une flamme.
In their nights, a flame.
Peut-être sont-ils mal pris ?
Perhaps they are in trouble?
Des démons à leurs trousses
Demons on their tail
Ou en chaude compagnie
Or in warm company
Pas mal cotée en bourse.
Quite highly regarded.
Peut-être sont-ils heureux ?
Perhaps they are happy?
Sans même me le dire
Without even telling me
Mais qu’est-ce qu’une soirée sans eux ?
But what is an evening without them?
Un petit feu froid et pire.
A small, cold and worse fire.
On aimait sans remise de peine
We loved without fail
Les barmaids l’avaient prédit:
The barmaids had predicted it:
« Y s’ront pirates ou capitaines
"They will be pirates or captains
Mais boiront pas à crédit. »
But they won't drink on credit."
Peut-être avons-nous trop fait chier ?
Perhaps we bothered too much?
Tous les jaloux d’la terre
All the jealous ones on earth
Aux abords de notre amitié
Around the edges of our friendship
La vie venait prendre l’air.
Life was taking a breath.
On chatouillait même les momies
We even tickled the mummies
Qui hurlaient : « Encore, encore! »
Who screamed: "Encore, encore!"
C’est ça que j’veux pour mes amis
That's what I want for my friends
Qu’y dansent même quand’sont morts.
To dance even when they're dead.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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