Julien Teyssier [email protected] School year : 2005-2006

Renaud's life through his songs

ISTM Cité Descartes 913160 Noisy le Grand France

Summary 1 - Before his singer's life................................................................................................................... 3 2 - Amoureux De Paname (In Love With Paname) (1975)................................................................ 3 3 - Laisse Béton (Leave It Laff) (1977).............................................................................................. 3 4 - Ma Gonzesse (My Girl) (1979)..................................................................................................... 4 5 - Marche A L'Ombre (Walk In The Shadow) (1980)...................................................................... 4 6 - Le Retour De Gérard Lambert (The Return Of Gerard Lambert) (1981)......................................4 7 - Morgane De Toi (Morgan Of You) (1983)................................................................................... 5 8 - Mistral Gagnant (1986)................................................................................................................. 5 9 - Putain De Camion (Fucking Truck) (1988).................................................................................. 5 10 - Marchand De Cailloux (Dealer Of Stones) (1991)..................................................................... 6 11 - Renaud Cante El' Nord (1992).................................................................................................... 6 12 - Renaud Chante Brassens (Renaud Songs Brassens) (1996)........................................................6 13 - A La Belle De Mai (Nice May) (1994)....................................................................................... 7 14 - Boucan D'Enfer (Hell'S Row) (2002)..........................................................................................7 15 - Webography................................................................................................................................ 8

1 - Before his singer's life Renaud comes from a miner family on his mother's side. His father was a professor and a writer, his mother was a homemaker. Renaud was born in 1951 in district 14 in Paris. He has five brothers and sisters. When he was a teenager, Renaud wasn't very interrested in studies and left school early. During mouvement against the government in 1968, between two barricades, Renaud composed his first songs. The first was « Crève Salope » (Die Bitch) in reference to society. This little song was sung by students and young workers. After this first singer experience, Renaud did odd jobs and continued to write songs. With an accordionist friend, Renaud sang his first songs in the streets and building courtyards. His first songs were about his first love : Paris. Most of them were sentimental songs. Renaud is a typic parisian Titi with his street urchin cap.

2 - Amoureux De Paname (In Love With Paname) (1975) In 1975, Renaud recorded his first album « Amoureux De Paname » in which we can hear the monumental « Hexagone » (Hexagon). This title was, of course, according to the geographic shape of France. This song is the first song in which he destroys France and the french society. In « Société Tu M'Auras Pas » (Society, You Won't Have Me), he personifies society. In discussing it, he says : « I know the absurdity of your moral and your laws. And I spit on your face this little bad song ». Even if Renaud criticizes french people and France more generally (he says that 50 million people want to be king of idiots), he stays an admirer of Paris. Renaud loves his town, he speaks about the Montparnasse tower, the Eiffel tower, the Coupol, etc... but he also describes the bad parts of the city, like public urinals and narrow streets. In the song « Amoureux De Paname » he explains that he thinks Montparnasse is pretty and he is in love with Eiffel tower. Renaud loves the town but doesn't have a serious girlfriend. In his songs, he often tells the story of young men that think girls are just for fun. In « Gueule d'Aminche », he explains that it is more intelligent to slit his throat than to fall in love with a woman. Renaud was a hoodlum, and sang people like him : rabbles, crooks, bad guys, weed men like he says in « La Java Sans Joie » (The Java Without Joy). At the same time, Renaud played in small café-théâtres.

3 - Laisse Béton (Leave It Laff) (1977) In 1977, Renaud recorded the album « Laisse Béton » and introduced the slangs into french language. Renaud, tells that he wrote « Laisse Béton » in five minutes on the backside of a pack of cigarettes in a bar. The bars and alcohol influenced a lot his life and his songs. In « Laisse Béton », he explains the stories that he can see in his favortie bar. Julien Teyssier

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In the bar, he was always with the thugs. Then he writes songs for them : For example « La Chanson Du Loubard » (The Song Of The Hoodlum) where he says he is like all the hoodlums. « Les Charognards » (The Vultures) where he describes the failure of a robbery orchestrated by two hoodlums. He uses his songs to introduce some wickedness about french people and to describe places of Paris (streets, cobble stone streets, ...) We can see a first separation from his teenage life when he sings « Je Suis Une Bande De Jeunes » (I'm A Young Band) and « La Bande A Lucien » (The Lucien's Band). In these two songs, he explains that band's age was good time, but now, it's far away, and that the solution for this problem is to drink beer. Renaud also introduces Pierrot and Germaine. The first one is his virtual friend who will become his virtual child when Renaud will desire progeniture . And the second is a mysterious woman. This woman is often in Renaud's songs. She is always described as a pretty girl in a positive light. I think she is a very good friend in his real life in which he drinks and smokes a lot, like he says in his songs. Renaud makes a song for a short love story : « Adieu Minette » (Good Bye Minette).

4 - Ma Gonzesse (My Girl) (1979) The album « Ma Gonzesse » from 1979 was his first melancholy oriented album. This album corresponds to his meeting with Dominique, who will later become his wife. The main song in this album is, of course, a love declaration for his woman. He says in this song that even if he is a bad guy, he wants to make love songs for his wife. Renaud also describes bad people but he now doesn't compare himself to them. He speaks of bad guys with an external eye, like in « Salut Manouche » (Hi Gipsy). We can deduce that Renaud always likes bad people, but he isn't one of them.

5 - Marche A L'Ombre (Walk In The Shadow) (1980) In the album « Marche A L'Ombre » Renaud comes back to his first wickedness, probably because of fame. For example, in « Où C'Est Qu'J'Ai Mis Mon Flingue ? » (Where Is My Gun ?) he says that since he has seen his face in newspapers and TV, everybody harcels him : boys, cops... Then, he says, leave me, my future is in bad bars. He always describes this bars, like in the song « Marche A L'Ombre ». Even if Renaud is now famous and rich, he always lives in a building. He continues to describe it, like in « Mon H.L.M. » (My building), where we found Germaine who lives at the 8th floor. And we can understand in « Mimi L'Ennui » (Mimi The Worry) that his woman is depressed and lives a difficult period. Renaud begins to devaluate itself. He compares his power with sparrow's power. He explains that Dominique is depressed because she is with a little man without talent in music.

6 - Le Retour De Gérard Lambert (The Return Of Gerard Lambert) (1981) In his next album, we are listening to a really auto-biographic song. « Manu » is the a song of man who has love problems. Emmanuel is the second first name of Renaud. He said one day to a journalist that the Manu of the song is in reality Renaud himself. He wrote this song in a troubled Julien Teyssier

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period with his wife. « Soleil Immonde » (Foul Sun) is one of the few songs that Renaud sings which he didn't wrote. The author is Coluche. Coluche is a very important person for Renaud. We can met him in different Renaud's song. Coluche who will be the godfather of Lola. We will know all this in « Putain De Camion » (Fucking Truck), a very sad song. Renaud begins to introduce his origin in his songs. In « Oscar », that is the name of his grandfather, he explains the life of this chtimi man. Renaud is now conscious of the minority. Now, he writes a lot for them : corsican, chtimi, etc... « La Blanche » (The White) is a song for Coluche. It's the story of Michel who is falling in drugs. This Michel is Michel Colluci. It's of course Coluche.

7 - Morgane De Toi (Morgan Of You) (1983) This album is a turn in Renaud's life : the birth of his daughter Lola. He writes a song before his birth : « En Cloque » (Pregnant) where he describes the doubt and the joy of his wife and him. Renaud insinuates it will be a boy... Certainly Pierrot, but the future will say that Renaud was wrong. Effectively, it will be a little girl ; he will write the song « Lola » for her. In this song, we can see Renaud conscious of the violence of the external world. This side will be very present in the futur album. We also find two songs where we can see Renaud fidel of his first songs. « Seconde génération » (Second generation) : this song is for the minority of immigrants, specialy the boys from maghrebin countrys who were born in France. And « Déserteur » (Deserter) : this song is a remake of the song of Boris Vian. He uses nearly all the sentences but changes the lyrics to make them more common. « Pochtron » (Drunk Man) is an alcoolic song again.

8 - Mistral Gagnant (1986) Renaud continues to write for his daughter. And he now writes for his daughter and all the children. In « Morts Les Enfants » (Killed, The Children), he alerts them from all over the world to be carefull of it. In « Baby-Sitting Blues » he talks about Lola, in « Mistral Gagnant » it's the same thing. Mostly all of his songs deal with his daughter. Renaud is now less agressive. When he has reproaches for people, he now uses weariness. For example, in « Fatigué » (Tired), Renaud is weary of the stupidity of humans. In « P'tite Conne » (Stupid Little Girl) Renaud says « No » to the drugs. In all Renaud's carreer, Renaud talks about the joy of alcool, sometimes of cannabis, but he always blames the strong drug. « Miss Maggie » is an homage to women. But he has a violent critic of Tatcher.

9 - Putain De Camion (Fucking Truck) (1988) « Putain De Camion » is the black album of Renaud. The main song, which title is the same of the album deals with the died of Coluche. He describes Julien Teyssier

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this tragic day and explains he hopes the land of died people will be more sympathic than our. This album is the album of the homages for people Renaud loves. « Putain De Camion » for Coluche. « Jonathan » for Johnny Clegg « Rouge-Gorge » (Robin) for Robert Doisneau. « La Mère A Titi » (Titi's Mother) for his guitariste and his mother's.

10 - Marchand De Cailloux (Dealer Of Stones) (1991) Renaud was an anarchist, but during the 80's (during the two seven-year term of François Mitterand), Renaud joined the socialists. We can notice in some of the last albums some mark of liking with the left. The song which supports this idea is « Tonton » (Uncle) that is a reference to François Mitterand. In reality, it's the man Mitterand that Renaud likes. We will find an other song for Mitterand in his last album. « Les Dimanches A La Con » (Stupid Sundays) conforts the idea I exposed before that was Renaud regrets his teenager's age. In « Dealer Of Stones » Renaud writes a song in which he moves into his daughter's skin. We can know all the questions that his daughter asked to Renaud, and for those Renaud hasn't got any answer : « Why lots of children are hungry ? » « Why Belfast's children are killed ? » In « C'est Pas Du Pipeau » (It's Not Lie) Renaud answers to his dautghter's interrogations by adressing her a list of recommendations : « Be careful, the streets are trap ». « Don't walk on strong lines » He conclues with « We 'll never be adults ». Of course, we can continue to see his relation with his wife : in « Dans Ton Sac » (In Your Bag), Renaud exposes his jalousie. Renaud quiets himself down in this album. Just one song critics the military, the newspapers, the society, etc... It's « L'Aquarium » (The Aquarium).

11 - Renaud Cante El' Nord (1992) Like we saw in « Oscar », Renaud's grandfather was chtimi. In 1992 he participed to the film « Germinal », and in the same year, he recorded « Renaud Cante El' Nord ». This album refers one more time his origin.

12 - Renaud Chante Brassens (Renaud Songs Brassens) (1996) Renaud likes Brassens. He has never made any song for him, but in 1996, Renaud recorded the album « Renaud Chante Brassens ». Then, he songs twenty three songs of his master.

Julien Teyssier

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13 - A La Belle De Mai (Nice May) (1994) In 1994 Renaud recorded « A La Belle De Mai ». This album really relates his fear to become old. « Cheveu Blanc » (White Hair), « Son Bleu » (His Blue Clothes), « Le Sirop De La Rue » (Syrup Of The Street). Renaud's daughter becomes a teenager. In « C'Est Quand Qu'On Va Où ? » (When Does We Go Where ?), Lola asks his father questions about school. In « Mon Amoureux » (My love) Lola comes back home with a boyfriend. Renaud isn't the rebel we have know at his first times. But his public stay faithful to him because he grows old in the same time of him, and has probably the same problems.

14 - Boucan D'Enfer (Hell'S Row) (2002) During eight years, we don't have news about Renaud. But after the most long period between two albums Renaud come back with « Boucan D'Enfer ». This is the therapeutic album. During eight years Renaud suffered. He really felt in the alcohol. His wife leaved him. His daughter became an adult. Mitterand died. All the subjects Renaud deals with are dark subjects. Firstly himself. He depicts himself like a man with two personalities : one good : « Renaud » ; and one bad « Renard ». He explains that Renard was stronger than Renaud during this last years, but now, Renaud has the advantage. The song « Docteur Renaud, Mister Renard » (Doctor Renaud, Mister Renard) explains that. It's also a parallel with Gainsbourg and Gainsbar. Mitterand died. He wrote a song in which he is in the skin of Mitterand's dog looking his master during the funeral ceremony. We can ear the first Renaud's duo with Axelle Red. They deals with an American boy's life, an Afghane's girl life in reference to the september 21 attacks. But this album is mostly printed by the rupture with his wife. Almost all the song deals with breaking loves stories and impossible love stories. In « Coeur Perdu » (Lost Heart), he says « I give you my lost heart, which will never love again ». In « Mal Barré », he says « You're young and you don't know, for loving people, the life is rotten, one day your love go out. » In « Tout Arrêter » (Stop Everything), he says he will stop everything, expect to love his ex-wife. In the methaforic song « Elle A Vu Le Loup » (She Has Seen The Wolf) Renaud continues to speak about his daughter. But now she is a young adult and he explains she has sexual experiences. Renaud continues to defend minorities, like in « Petit Pédé » (Little PD) and « Corsic'Armes » (Corsic'Guns). We can't see his original wickedness. Even if this album was a great success (600 000 sold in three weeks) and won in 2003 at the « Victory of the music » three recompenses. « Best male artist », « Best album » and « Best song », some people reproach him a too much kind album. Renaud promises than that the futur album will be as wicked as his firsts.

Julien Teyssier

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15 - Webography www.renaud-chanteur.com For the list of albums and songs's title.

Julien Teyssier

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