A classic of the 1950s chanson québécoise, this song’s simple melody and humane and generous lyrics ensured its success despite changing pop styles over the years. Quand les hommes vivront d’amour has been recorded by both French and Quebec artists, as well as by Raymond Lévesque himself. At the 1974 Superfrancofête celebration in Quebec City, several performers breathed new life into this classic: among them were Fernand Gignac, Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault and Robert Charlebois. Inspired 50 years ago by the Algerian war, the song remains topical in the context of the war in Iraq. In Europe, Quand les hommes vivront d’amour is still heard today. The title of the song also appears on two collections of Lévesque’s songs, poems and monologues published in Quebec City (1968) and in Montreal (1989).
