For anyone learning French in the 1960s (and particularly impressionable teenage boys), the ultimate Parisian style icon:
RIP. She was in a lot of pain the last couple of years. I don’t even know that much about her musical career, but I developed a huge crush when I saw her in Grand Prix in 1966. She was just so cool as the seemingly bored-with-it-all girlfriend. I got a big kick seeing her musical “cameo” in Moonrise Kingdom as the soundtrack to Sam and Suzy’s first dance and kiss.
Along with Jane Birkin, who died a year ago, Hardy was the symbol of the generation of female artists that defined the 1960s in France.
I can’t say that I was a real fan, but she had a few nice songs, overall better than most of those from that era. This one, however, is a real gem :
For those who speak French, there’s this absolutely striking shift from formal “vous” to “tu” at the end of the introductory spoken bit. It’s a goosebump moment in a song that’s meant as a shy, almost fearful declaration of love, and one that’s impossible to convey in English.
Au bout du téléphone, il y a votre voix
Et il y a les mots que je ne dirai pas
Tous ces mots qui font peur quand ils ne font pas rire
Qui sont dans trop de films, de chansons et de livres
…
Je suis seule à crever et je sais où vous êtes
J’arrive, attendez-moi, nous allons nous connaître
…
Je ne peux pas vous dire que je t’aime peut-être…
Yeah. I had no idea she was anything outside of that role. But her face was all over the internet and I said, “Hey, Isn’t that the girl who left a Ferrari F1 driver for a silly American Boyfriend?”
At first I thought it was Jane Fonda. But then I looked closer…
The epitome of French Chic. Here’s a nostalgic song set to a nice collage.
https://youtu.be/17blGl9yAeI?si=GHM6Dh6szvcVa0rQ
Another one.
https://youtu.be/WHvN9owy8q4?si=YivkKyD0WNYENLY8