Jacques Michel through 12 songs

Jacques Michel was born in 1941 in a trapper’s cabin in Abitibi. His mother was a cook in a lumber camp. He got his start in show business at age 16, singing in French with the group Les Colibris. In 1963, Muriel Millard invited him to take part in her show at the Comédie-Canadienne. As the saying goes: the rest is history…

With 200 compositions to his credit—30 of which have reached the top of the French-language charts—Jacques Michel talks to us about 12 of his songs. Read the stories while listening to a playlist!

Sur un dinosaure (1967)

I don’t really do yéyé, but I won an award for a song in that style at the Festival du disque canadien (this was before the Félix Awards came along). I was teased because I wrote for others: my big hit, Monsieur Le Robot, was sung by the group Les Lutins. Sur un dinosaure brought me into the world, with a catchy melody and accessible lyrics. I learned my trade on my own, on the job.

Amène-toi chez nous (1970)

Roger Gravel did the orchestrations for this song that made me famous, with a first prize at the Festival Spa in Belgium. Then, I took second place in Tokyo, with Un nouveau jour va se lever, among entries from 40 countries. Guy Latraverse offered me the opportunity to play Place des Arts. I refused, due to a lack of material, but I accepted in late-1971, after the release of the album S.O.S.

Un nouveau jour va se lever (1970)

You ask me if the lyrics were naive? Absolutely not! I was singing about my time. It was the Quiet Revolution in Quebec, the Prague Spring, May 68 in Paris, Algeria was fighting for its independence, black Americans were fighting for their civil rights, the Vietnam War was raging. A generation wanted to change the world. Songs come from what is happening around us, and I felt a sense of urgency.

S.O.S On va couler (1971)

It’s a song about ecology. I was ahead of my time. Again, that sense of urgency 

J’débarque (1971)

I co-wrote it with Raymond Paquin. Since childhood, I have always questioned the established order. I am left-wing, but I was criticizing both the United States and the Soviet Union.

Soleil aime nous (1971)

It’s a pro-independence song with a biblical inspiration: we crossed the Red Sea in the tenth month of the year (an allusion to October 1970)… All we have to do now is cross the Jordan.

Pas besoin de frapper pour entrer (1972)

It’s an inclusive song, inspired by the era of communes. I was renovating my house in North Hatley, and the door had been removed. I told myself that I no longer needed to knock to enter—I had my title! The rest came through improvisation. You can extend the image to an entire country, by becoming sovereign in order to open doors. And I always appreciated being independent: I published my own songs, produced my own albums, rented my venues, purchased my advertising. I followed the example of my father, who told me to cherish my independence. Independence doesn’t mean being against someone but rather taking matters into your own hands without waiting for an opportunity.

Voyez-vous le temps qu’il fait? (1977)

It’s another song about freedom.

Vodka cola (1980)

This song is more relevant today than when I wrote it. The world has changed, and I wonder if it is worse than during the Cold War, when the values were the same in Moscow as in New York but trampled on in different ways. With Putin, who wants a return to the USSR by invading Ukraine, and Trump’s expansionism, have we really changed 

Salut Léon (1980)

This song, which I set to music, was written by my ex-wife, Eve Déziel. It illustrates the different expectations that women and men have… and says that feminism is a good thing. I’m against the war of the sexes: guys, let's stop yelling at women who have taken charge of themselves, let's follow their example and carry out our own projects.

Soleil Soleil (1982)

Another of Eve Déziel’s songs, which simply explains that sometimes you need a change of scene and a reset. The sun is light, the source of life.

Happy Song (1984)

It wasn’t the happiest of times, with the lost referendum, the recession, and Quebec song that had taken a hell of a turn. I wanted to express something positive. It was by promoting this song that I wound up on TV, with Le Village de Nathalie and On n’a pas tout vu. I ended up leaving the stage at that time. And now here I am on tour again, with my guitar and my harmonica!

Jacques Michel will present his show Seul à Seuls in Salle Claude-Léveillée, from March 27 to 29, 2025.