In March 1974, a slightly nervous Michel Berger played a song for France Gall—one he had written for himself but with her in mind. As he strummed a few chords, the lyrics left little room for doubt: Quand je suis seul et que je peux rêver / Je rêve que je suis dans tes bras / Je rêve que je te fais tout bas / Une déclaration, ma déclaration.

But the greatest love of the singer-songwriter was neither Véronique Sanson nor France Gall—his longtime partner in both life and music—but rather music itself, the only remedy for wounds that never quite healed. Behind his polished, almost reserved exterior lay a tormented man who drew boundless energy from his own fractures. A singular melodist and an underrated lyricist whose simplicity struck straight to the heart, Michel Berger didn’t just revive France Gall’s career—he also shaped those of icons like Françoise Hardy (Message personnel) and Johnny Hallyday (Le Chanteur abandonné, Quelque chose de Tennessee).

In French.