LE RÉPONDEUR
A deeply disturbing and glorious work
24 October 2023
At first glance, Le Répondeur, the piece written by Dédé Fortin, may seem like a simple melancholic song among many others, but when the themes addressed are particularly studied, it is clear that it opens the door for further discussion. Thus, a sinister problem emerges from this poem; given the context behind the author's death, are mental health issues among popular artists taken seriously? To be able to formulate a hypothesis, one must of course ask other questions, such as; Can this song be seen as a cry for help from the author? How does the artist address seasonal depression in this musical work? How does the culture of idolatry affect artists? Obviously, Dédé Fortin's last songs were very damning, but as with many artists before and after him, the public never really questioned the truth behind his writings, until it was too late.
Indeed, during the creation of the album Dehors Novembre, which houses Le Répondeur, the public did not really ask questions about the shock and sadness that the artist was experiencing after the death of his great friend, Patrick Esposito, or the impact of the referendum vote on the artist. On the contrary, the public wanted more. At the same time, Mike Sawasksy, the group's bassist, revealed in an interview for Voir magazine that the record company under which Les Colocs was located was putting considerable pressure on the group to release a third album before the end of 1998. Consequently, Dédé Fortin, who was considered the heart of the group, therefore found himself with an immense weight on his shoulders, especially after the worldwide success of his previous albums. In the same interview, Jimmy Bourgoing, who assisted in the production of the album Dehors Novembre, notes that Dédé was often alone and isolated when he wrote the disturbing texts for the songs on the album, "Sometimes, he showed me drafts, and I couldn’t help but ask him how he was […]” reports the former drummer of the group. It is important to note that most of the songs written by the author address themes of sadness, depression and suffering, but often a cheerful melody and wacky metaphors follow, probably with the aim of hide the true and overwhelming emotions behind these texts. On the other hand, in Le Répondeur, the composer drops all facades and opens up, it is one of the rare works where he is completely on edge. A clear message is therefore sent, Dédé Fortin is unhappy.
Seasonal depression in a few words
Par ailleurs, les multiples références de tristesse hivernale dans cette œuvre nous laissent supposer que l’artiste souffrait peut-être de dépression saisonnière. Le refrain aborde brièvement l'hiver et le froid, mais ce sont les vers de la chanson qui nous ramènent constamment sur le thème de l’hiver. La connotation négative que l’artiste rapporte à l'hiver est illustrée dès les premières paroles de la
chanson, lorsque Dédé Fortin écrit; « Malgré l'hiver qui fait son smate, Si y'a un soleil y brille pas fort, J'aime la lumière c'est un peu plate ». « Smate » , « y’er même pas sûr de lui », « peureux », ce sont des caractéristiques que l’artiste utilise à travers le texte pour décrire l’hiver, avant de finir le dernier vers avec une dose d’espoir crédité au soleil. Cependant, malgré toutes les preuves mentionnées, qui prouvent que la dépression saisonnière est un sujet majeur dans la chanson Le Répondeur, la mention la plus flagrante de la dépression se trouve dans cet extrait « Si j'ai pas l'goût d'aller vous voir, Vous autres qui dansez comme le feu, Ç'pas parce que j'aime pas vos histoires, Ch't'un peu jaloux de vous voir heureux » où l’artiste utilise le feu, donc le contraire du froid, pour décrire la joie des gens heureux et qui ,dans le même couplet, se distance littéralement et figurativement des gens heureux. Il utilise alors les mots « vous autres» , pour mettre une emphase sur le fait qu’il ne s'inclut pas dans cette définition de «gens heureux». Il est assez clair, lorsque nous portons attention aux œuvres d’André Fortin, que le défunt chanteur laisse des traces de sa dépression un peu partout dans ses écrits, mais spécifiquement et, plus brusquement, dans l’œuvre étudiée.
The depth of sad artists
Fortunately, over the years we have started talking about mental health issues to get rid of the taboo that surrounds it, however, today's artists do not yet have the chance to fully express themselves and authentically on it. Whether it is because of blogs, magazines and newspapers that publish their lives and traumas daily without consideration for these world-renowned stars, or because of fans who constantly violate their rights to privacy, popular stars are constantly dehumanized in today's culture. It is obvious that from now on it is impossible for an artist to create a work that marks history without the threat of being idolized by millions, with no possibility of escape. Consequently, these recognized artists are frequently isolated in a world that censors them, humiliates them or seeks to change their image, their values and their appearance to sell more products with their names. All the more, a link between the toxicity of idolatry and the death of Dédé Fortin is sadly formed by an alarming mention in the investigation report of Dédé Fortin's suicide, which reveals that on the day of his death, the ex-member of Les Colocs confides to a psychologist that the weight of his celebrity contributes to his inner demons. A bitter reality that several art revolutionaries have, unfortunately, experienced.
In conclusion, it is important to point out that art and mental health can have many different definitions for many people, but the sad truth remains the same, clear signs of psychological distress are often taken for granted, especially among popular artists which we consider “superhuman”. The celebrity of André Fortin, a Quebec icon, unfortunately did not keep him safe from mental illness; on the contrary, it was guilty of camouflaging it. In particular, Le Répondeur is a seriously disturbing and glorious work since it candidly highlights a mental illness that more than 12% of Quebecois have had during their lives, according to statistics from the Quebec government. Without a doubt, this song has the possibility of opening the door for a frank discussion about depression, one that all Quebecers should have with their loved ones. On the other hand, it is not the only work of the artist which deals with the subject of evil, death, loneliness, sorrow, but for some reason, the Quebec people have never taken the time to, collectively, question ourselves about the challenges psychological problems that the artist was overcoming at the time. To conclude this study project, Le Répondeur will thus remain anchored in the memory of all Quebecois that supported the artist. This deep and sincere work transports us into the dark and cold universe of the artist, and it does so with a melancholic and unusual delicacy.
SOURCES :
https://voir.ca/musique/2018/11/09/il-y-a-20-ans-les-colocs-dehors-novembre/
http://ecrituresetpauvrete.evenement.usherbrooke.ca/communic_LED.html
