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
L'usine
Richard Séguin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ça fait vingt ans qu'chu là
Si ça ferme
Ché pas c'qu'on va devenir
Ça fait des mois
Qu'on nous dit rien
On nous cache tout
Faut qu'on endure mais ça s'fait pas
J'vois pu la route
J'écoute tout c'qu'on raconte
Des histoires qui tiennent pas d'boutte
Qui viennent toujours du bout du monde
Encore une belle fin d'semaine
Avant qu'on nous apprenne, ça ferme
Encore une belle fin d'semaine
Fait com' si y'avait pas d'problèmes
Encore une belle fin d'semaine
Dans la mire du mauvais temps
Tout près d'l'usine, y'a la rivière
Remplie de promesses pour toi ma belle
Pour les enfants
Des rêves de chaque instant
J'sais pu c'qui nous attend
Si l'bonheur nous comprend
Tout c'qu'on a bâti
Pour nous ça n'a pas de prix
J'ai fait le tour du village
Du premier rang jusqu'au dernier
Devant le paysage
J'ai pas pu continuer
On t'fait attendre au bout d'la ligne
Une p'tite musique pour patienter
Pendant que monte la grogne
Je sens la terre bouger
Pis dans l'journal
C't'à peine si on en parle
C'est'un coin d'pays trop p'tit, trop loin
Sur la carte, un point
Parmi tant d'autres
In Richard Séguin's song 'L'usine,' the singer talks about working in a factory for twenty years and how uncertain the future is for them and their fellow workers as the factory may close any time without notice. The factory workers have not been alerted of any closing plans, and they are enduring mistreatment. The singer feels disconnected as they listen to random stories that don't make sense, which they believe come from distant places. They also talk about the uncertainty of the future and the fact that they no longer know what to expect, particularly if happiness still exists for them. The singer describes the factory's location near a river, full of hope and dreams for their children, but it remains unclear whether their hard work will pay off in the promised land. The singer laments the village's small size and distance from the city, which implies that their factories and voices are often ignored by the authorities.
The song portrays the struggles of working-class people, particularly those employed in factories, who have invested time and sweat into their jobs but are still stuck in a cycle of mistreatment, insecurity, and uncertainty. The singer feels particularly disconnected, imagining that they are listening to stories that don't make sense and come from so far away that they are irrelevant to their situation. The song expresses the singer's desire for a resolution, an end to their predicament, closure or other forms of protection, but nothing is forthcoming. The song highlights the fact that, despite the factory workers' hardships, their lives remain just another dot on the map, easily overlooked by those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
J'travaille dans c't'usine là
I work at this factory
Ça fait vingt ans qu'chu là
I have been here for twenty years
Si ça ferme
If it closes
Ché pas c'qu'on va devenir
I don't know what will become of us
Ça fait des mois
It has been months
Qu'on nous dit rien
Since we have been told nothing
On nous cache tout
They hide everything from us
Faut qu'on endure mais ça s'fait pas
We have to endure but it's not right
Traiter le monde com' ça
Treating people like that
J'vois pu la route
I can't see the road anymore
J'écoute tout c'qu'on raconte
I listen to everything that is said
Des histoires qui tiennent pas d'boutte
Stories that don't make sense
Qui viennent toujours du bout du monde
That always come from far away
Encore une belle fin d'semaine
Another beautiful weekend
Avant qu'on nous apprenne, ça ferme
Before we are told it's closing
Fait com' si y'avait pas d'problèmes
It's like there are no problems
Dans la mire du mauvais temps
In the crosshairs of bad weather
Tout près d'l'usine, y'a la rivière
Close to the factory, there is the river
Remplie de promesses pour toi ma belle
Full of promises for you, my love
Pour les enfants
For the children
Des rêves de chaque instant
Dreams for every moment
J'sais pu c'qui nous attend
I don't know what awaits us
Si l'bonheur nous comprend
If happiness understands us
Tout c'qu'on a bâti
Everything we have built
Pour nous ça n'a pas de prix
To us, it is priceless
J'ai fait le tour du village
I went around the village
Du premier rang jusqu'au dernier
From the first row to the last
Devant le paysage
In front of the landscape
J'ai pas pu continuer
I couldn't continue
On t'fait attendre au bout d'la ligne
They make you wait on the line
Une p'tite musique pour patienter
A little music to wait
Pendant que monte la grogne
While the grumbling is rising
Je sens la terre bouger
I feel the ground shaking
Pis dans l'journal
And in the newspaper
C't'à peine si on en parle
They hardly talk about it
C'est'un coin d'pays trop p'tit, trop loin
It's a small, faraway corner of the country
Sur la carte, un point
On the map, it's just a dot
Parmi tant d'autres
Among so many others
Lyrics © Les Éditions de la Roche Éclatée
Written by: Richard Seguin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jaaaacques
Ce serait encore plus beau en 1080p : (
TheSoulmusik
l'usine de mes valeurs
nikkythanh
engagé - j'ai le béguin pour les textes qui luttent et encore plus pour ceux et celles qui se risquent à les écrire à les lire les chanter - il a raison y en a marre des usines qui ferment !!! merci Monsieur Richard Seguin
merio0269
Très beau texte et douce mélodie sur un sujet important. J'ai reconnu notre beau et talentueux Simon mais je cherche l'identité de celui à ta gauche. Est-ce possible la prochaine fois d'écrire le générique dans la section "À propose de" ? Un gros Merci à toute l'équipe et gros bisous reconnaissants de Gatineau! XOX
Louis Hébert
merio0269 Il s’agit de Hugo Perreault :)