Singer, songwriter, born in Pointe-aux-Trembles (Montreal) 27 Mar 1952. He … Read Full Bio ↴Singer, songwriter, born in Pointe-aux-Trembles (Montreal) 27 Mar 1952. He began his career with his twin sister Marie-Claire Séguin. From the outset they adopted a personal style derived from folk music and modern song, and at first sang under the name Les Nochers and then formed the duo Marie et Richard (1967-8) which was named discovery of the year for 1968 at the Patriote. With other musicians, they founded the group La Nouvelle frontière (1969-71), which recorded two LPs for Gamma. Subsequently they performed until 1977 as Les Séguin, recording four LPs, and then began to pursue independent careers.

In 1977, besides participating at the Ontario Festival, Richard Séguin made a tour of Switzerland, France, and Quebec. The next year he collaborated with Serge Fiori of the group Harmonium on the LP Deux cents nuits à l'heure (CBS PFS-90456), which sold 100,000 copies and won three Félix Awards at the first ADISQ gala in 1979. His first solo album was followed by a tour in Quebec and in New-Brunswick. His 'Chanson pour durer' won three awards at the Spa Festival in 1981. That year, Séguin also won the second prize for the 'jeune chanson' at the Festival mondial de la chanson française held in Antibes, Côte d'Azur. He then sang in some 40 Quebec cities and at Montreal's Spectrum.

Of folk inspiration initially, Richard Séguin's style slowly evolved toward rock without renouncing its sources, however. His is the legacy of the 1960s. As stated by Micheline Lortie in the magazine Wow, 'those who consider him converted granola have not understood anything; in truth, for many years, Séguin has pursued simple folk-rock, with guitar touches, vocal harmonies on a human scale, and a preoccupation with others who are not success crazy' (August 1989). His album Double vie, inspired by a greater emphasis on rock, marked a new stage in his career. It was listed on the Radio activité chart for more than 50 weeks and won the Félix award for best rock album of 1986, when Séguin was crowned best songwriter. Journée d'Amérique won the Félix Award for best rock album of 1988 and the public's award at the Festival d'été international de Québec 1989. The record was followed by four videoclips and became a gold record. Séguin took part, in Sénégal, in the program 'D'accord-Dakar,' as part of the Sommet de la francophonie (1988). His song 'Ici comme ailleurs' won the CBC competition 'Notre chanson' in 1989. Séguin then performed at the Francofolies in La Rochelle and in the Botaniques in Brussels.

Author: Christian Rioux

Journée d'Amérique
Richard Séguin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Il fait froid y'est cassé
Sans diplôme, sans papier
Accoté le long d'un mur
Y cherche un peu d'azur

Dans la foule y s'faufile
Ou bien y fait la file
Y'a des rêves qui brûlent

Au fond de sa poitrine

Journée d'Amérique
Journée d'Amérique
Journée de silence
Journée d'impatience
Journée sans travail
Journée de cobaye
Journée de soupir
Journée de désir

Le vent qui mord
Quinze ans d'effort
Du mauvais sang
Besoin d'argent
Un billet de loterie
Le million du samedi

Y'a déjà tout prévu
Y'aura même du surplus
Pour les proches, les parents
Des douceurs, du bon temps
Une retraite au soleil
Terminus y s'réveille

Refrain

Y'a des rêves qui brûlent
Au fond de sa poitrine
Quand y s'ennuie
Quand y s'enfuit

Le vent du nord
Y'est déjà tard
Y fait c'qu'y peut
Y fait de son mieux

Travaille au noir
Un peu d'espoir
Les hauts, les bas

D'l'anonymat
Vingt-quatre heures de combat

Overall Meaning

The song Journée d'Amérique by Richard Séguin talks about the struggles and hardships of an immigrant in America. The lyrics depict a person who is struggling to make a living in a foreign land, who does not have any diploma or papers, and who is trying to find some relief in the midst of all the struggles. The person is standing against a wall, looking for some peace, and exploring ways to work and fit in with the rest of the crowd. The lyrics talk about the dreams that burn within the person's heart, and the sense of restlessness that they feel every day.

The chorus of the song talks about how everyday life in America is a silent and desperate struggle for the immigrants. They face a world that is indifferent to their presence, and they are left on their own to survive. The chorus talks about how every day is a day of silence, impatience, lack of work, experimentation, sighing, and desire for the immigrants. The verse talks about the different ways in which the person tries to survive, such as working in the black market, buying a lottery ticket, and struggling with the daily grind.

Overall, the song Journée d'Amérique by Richard Séguin is a powerful portrayal of the struggles faced by immigrants in America. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of their daily lives, and the sense of despair and hopelessness that they experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Il fait froid y'est cassé
He is broken and it's cold outside.

Sans diplôme, sans papier
He has no education nor documents.

Accoté le long d'un mur
He leans against a wall.

Y cherche un peu d'azur
He is looking for a way up.

Dans la foule y s'faufile
He sneaks through the crowd.

Ou bien y fait la file
Or he waits in line.

Y'a des rêves qui brûlent
There are dreams burning in his heart.

Au fond de sa poitrine
At the bottom of his heart.

Journée d'Amérique
A day in America.

Journée de silence
A day of silence.

Journée d'impatience
A day of impatience.