France - One song per day.
Re: France - One song per day.
Ah, Brigitte Bardot... In my opinion, the most beautiful woman in history. Great song, too. By the way, I still did not get any physical album of BB Brunes, but I managed to got some songs in digital format. They are great.Thanks for the recommendations!
Re: France - One song per day.
Benjamin Biolay - Brandt Rhapsodie - 2009
Artist Biography by Kathleen C. Fennessy (AllMusic)
Often compared to the legendary Serge Gainsbourg, singer/songwriter/arranger Benjamin Biolay is less apt to call on some lovely like Brigitte Bardot or Françoise Hardy to sing his songs when he can do it just as well himself -- although Gainsbourg did often duet with his protégées, most notably Jane Birkin on the scandalous international hit "Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus." Not that the handsome, honey-voiced Biolay hasn't worked with a few female vocalists on occasion, like, for instance, his younger sister, Coralie Clément, who has sometimes been compared to Hardy and Birkin. Biolay arranged and wrote most of the songs on her 2001 debut, Salle des Pas Perdus (which was released in the U.S. in 2002).
Benjamin Biolay was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, France, in 1973. His father was a clarinet player and member of the local orchestra. Biolay played the violin as a young man, going on to study the instrument at the Lyons Conservatoire. Over the years, his musical interests would grow to encompass classical (Mozart, Beethoven), American pop (Chuck Berry, the Beatles), and traditional French music (Trenet). From the violin, he moved on to the tuba, trombone, guitar, and piano. When he was 13, he discovered Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson," which would have a big influence on his own concept recording (2001's Rose Kennedy). From his teens through his early twenties, Biolay was a member of several groups, including Wind? and Mateo Gallion. The latter released a CD in 1994, which made little impact. In 1996, he was signed as a solo artist to EMI, but his initial singles also met with little success. Then, in 1999 he met Keren Ann Zeidel (aka Keren Ann), with whom he composed the 2000 French hit "Jardin D'hiver" for Henri Salvador's comeback album (Chambre Avec Vue). He would go on to collaborate with Keren Ann on Biographie de Luka Phillipsen (2000) and La Disparition (2002). In some form or another, Biolay has also worked with Hubert Mounier (aka Cleet Boris), Isabelle Boulay, Françoise Hardy, and Jane Birkin.
In 2001, Biolay released his full-length debut, Rose Kennedy, a concept album full of hushed vocals, lush strings, and lyrical musings about the Kennedy family -- and Marilyn Monroe -- mostly from the point of view of family matriarch Rose. The recording features audio excerpts that evoke those golden years when JFK was in the White House, brother Robert was attorney general, and Monroe was on the silver screen. Other than the English samples (from Some Like It Hot, Monroe's "River of No Return," etc.), Rose Kennedy is in French and wasn't released in the U.S. Also in 2001, Biolay issued the Remix EP, featuring new versions of seven Rose Kennedy songs.
2002 continued to be a big year for Biolay as he entered his own "dynasty" of sorts -- a Franco-Italian-acting dynasty, that is -- when he married Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni. In 2003, he released Négatif, featuring guest appearances by Chiara and Coralie..
The love life in one song, one of my favorites of the last decade.
Il faut qu'on se revoie
Tu sais depuis mardi j'ai beaucoup pensé à toi
Je suis joignable au 06 06 06 06 06
Et le soir chez moi
J'ai passé une nuit délicieuse
Même si j'ai la migraine
Tu es belle quand t'es odieuse
Je te dis à dans une semaine
Je rêve de ton corps, je rêve de ta bouche
Je te veux près de moi, je veux que tu me touches
Je rêve de ta peau et de tes mains
Je ne pense qu'à toi, je bosse plus je ne fous rien
Mon amour
Tu dormais si bien qu'j'ai pas osé te réveiller
Je travaille jusqu'à 7h20
Si tu veux après on peux s'appeller
J'sais pas ce que tu fais ce soir, moi j'ai rien de prévu
Si t'as du travail je te dis à plus tard
Et j'embrasse ton cul
Je suis à toi, je te veux, je pense à nous
Tu es mon homme, tu es mon idéal,
Je te désire tout le temps, partout
Tu es mon grand projet, je te suivrai n'importe où
Parce que je t'aime
Parce que tu me rends heureux
Parce que des fleurs dans une cuisine c'est joli
Je t'embrasse, encore, encore
Ouais là aussi
Mon amour demain matin
Rejoins-moi à l'aéroport
Orly terminal 2, 9h30
Ne pose pas de questions, prend juste ton passeport
Je t'aime, je t'aime
Bonne nuit
Chérie y'a des trucs à manger dans le frigo
J'vais rentrer tard sans doute après l'dernier métro
Tu vas pouvoir enfin te faire une soirée tranquille
Je T apostrophe et là y'a un coeur dessiné au stylo bille
Je suis enceinte
Mon amour ta mère a téléphoné tout à l'heure
Je crois qu'elle n'a pas encore osé prévenir ta soeur
Ton père a refait une attaque cette nuit
Je t'aime, appelle-moi
Je pense à toi, je pense à lui
Hier soir j'ai oublié d'te parler d'un truc important
Est-ce que tu peux m'appeller dès que tu te réveilles,
A n'importe quelle moment
Ouvrir la parenthèse : important mais pas grave
Fermer la parenthèse
Je t'embrasse
Mon amour ne m'attends pas ce soir
J'ai eu pas mal de boulot de boulot etje risque de rentrer tard
Je crois qu'il doit rester une demi pizza quelque part
Mais vérifie la date sur la boite
N'oublie pas le rendez-vous chez ma soeur
Si tu peux t'occuper du vin, tu serais un coeur
Car je risque d'être crack
Un peu plus loin j'te redonne l'adresse et le code
59 boulevard Ménilmontant code d’entrée 1981
La voisine a laissé un mot sur le pallier
Le chat a gueulé toute la nuit dans l'escalier
S’il te plait en sortant tu descendras la poubelle
Et pense à rappeler ta mère qui me harcèle
Le mec du câble passe entre 7h15 et 9h15
Tâche d’être réveillée
En plus gros, d'une langue différente
Un truc qui n’a aucun rapport style numéro d'passeport
A payer, EDF, Orange, abonnement Canal
Plus le cadeau commun pour mon frère le week-end prochain
J'trouve plus le chéquier, c'est toi qui l'as non
Si oui mets-le en évidence dans le salon
La réunion est à 19h30 précise à l'école, le "précise" est souligné
F . a encore appelé, il m'a parlé d’un chalet
J'n'ai pas compris
Enfin tu dois mieux savoir que moi
A plus. Le "plus" est une croix.
Cassez 3 œufs
Ajoutez un demi-litre de lait
Incorporez 100 grammes de farine progressivement
Ajoutez d'un seul coup 50 grammes de matières grasses
Tu mets moitié beurre moitié margarine et tu mélanges
Code réservation QWXXCJ
Mot de passe Casablanca
Départ Orly 9h47, retour le 23 a 7h15
Arrivée Paris 11h03, Charles De Gaulle, terminal 3
Une baguette, crevettes, 3 avocats, Sopalin
Tampons normaux, produit vaisselle
Lait demi-écrémé bio, 6 oeufs bio
Sacs poubelle 50 litres
D'une écriture différente, du papier à entête
Efexor 75 mg 1 gelule 3 fois par jour
Aprazolame zéro 50 g et 6 prise par jour maximum
Puis signature informe suivie d’un caducé
J'te rappelle que tu as un fils qui va à l'école tous les matins
Et qui aimerait bien prendre le petit déjeuner avec son père de temps en temps
Salut
La visite est à 16h et y'a encore plein de trucs à toi dans le bureau du fond
Tu veux sans doute les récupérer
Appelle-moi, mon nouveau numéro : 06 62 73 49 63
In English :
Brandt Rhapsodie
We need to see each other again
You know, since Tuesday I've been thinking a lot about you
You can call me at 06 06 06 06 06
And in the evening, at mine
I spent an exquisite night
Even if I have a headache
You are beautiful when obnoxious
I tell you see you next week
I dream of your body, I dream of your mouth
I want you near me, I want you to touch me
I dream of your skin and of your hands
I think of only you, I don't work, I don't do shit
My love
You were sleeping so well that I did not dare to wake you up
I work til 7:20
If you want, we can call each other afterwards
I dunno what you're doing tonight, I have no plan
If you have work to do, see you later
And I kiss your ass
I'm yours, I want you, I think about us
You are my man, you are my ideal,
I desire you, always, everywhere
You are my big plan and I'll follow you anywhere
Because I love you
Because you make me happy
Because flowers in a kitchen, it's nice
I kiss you, again, again,
Yes, there too
My love, tomorrow morning,
Join me at the airport,
Orly, Terminal 2, 9:30
Don't ask questions, just take your passport,
I love you, I love you, good night
Honey there are things to eat in the fridge
I'll be home late tonight, probably after the last train
You can have a quiet night, at last
I put here a heart drawn with a ballpoint
I'm pregnant.
My love, your mother called
I think she did not dare to tell your sister
Your father had a stroke last night
I love you, call me
I think of you, I think of him
Yesterday night I forgot to tell you something important
Can you please call me when you wake up
Whenever
Open the brackets : important but not serious
Close the brackets
Kiss
My love, don't wait for me tonight
I have a lot of work and will be home late
I think there's a slice of pizza left somewhere
But check the expiration date on the box
Don't forget the gathering at my sister's
If you can take care of the wine, you'll be a dear
Cause I may be late
Here's the adress and the code again
59, boulevard Ménilmontant, entrance code AB1981
The neighbour left a note on the door
The cat blared in the stairs all night long
Take the trash out when you leave
And call your mother back, she harasses me.
The cable guy comes between 7:15 and 9:15
Please be awake
Bolder, in another language
Something irrelevant, like a passport number
Bills : electricity, mobile phone, TV,
The common gift for my brother next week-end
I can't find the checks, you have it right ?
If so, please put it somewhere obvious in the living room
The appoitment is at 7:30 on the clock at school (on the clock is underlined)
F called again, talked about a chaler
I did not get it
Anyway, you must know better
See you, the "you", is a "u"
Break three eggs
Add half a litre of milk
Add 100 gramms of flour little by little
Add 50 gramms of fat in one batch
You make it half butter half margarine and you mix it
Reservation code : QWXXCJ
Password Casablanca
Departure Orly, 9:47, return on the 23rd, at 7:15
Arrival Paris 11:03, Charles de Gaulle, Terminal 3
A baguette, prawns, three avocados, kitchen roll,
Normal tampons, dishwashing liquid,
half-skimmed organic milk, six organic eggs,
50 litre trash bags
From another hand-writing, on a letter-headed paper,
Efexor 75 mg one pill, three times a day
Aprazolame zero 50 g, six times a day max
Then, a shapeless signature followed by a caduceus
Just reminding you that you do have a son who goes to school every morning
And who would like to have breakfast with his father once in a while
See you
The meeting is at 4 pm and there is still a lot of things of yours in the office
You probably want to take them
Call me. My new number : 06 62 73 49 63
Artist Biography by Kathleen C. Fennessy (AllMusic)
Often compared to the legendary Serge Gainsbourg, singer/songwriter/arranger Benjamin Biolay is less apt to call on some lovely like Brigitte Bardot or Françoise Hardy to sing his songs when he can do it just as well himself -- although Gainsbourg did often duet with his protégées, most notably Jane Birkin on the scandalous international hit "Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus." Not that the handsome, honey-voiced Biolay hasn't worked with a few female vocalists on occasion, like, for instance, his younger sister, Coralie Clément, who has sometimes been compared to Hardy and Birkin. Biolay arranged and wrote most of the songs on her 2001 debut, Salle des Pas Perdus (which was released in the U.S. in 2002).
Benjamin Biolay was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, France, in 1973. His father was a clarinet player and member of the local orchestra. Biolay played the violin as a young man, going on to study the instrument at the Lyons Conservatoire. Over the years, his musical interests would grow to encompass classical (Mozart, Beethoven), American pop (Chuck Berry, the Beatles), and traditional French music (Trenet). From the violin, he moved on to the tuba, trombone, guitar, and piano. When he was 13, he discovered Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson," which would have a big influence on his own concept recording (2001's Rose Kennedy). From his teens through his early twenties, Biolay was a member of several groups, including Wind? and Mateo Gallion. The latter released a CD in 1994, which made little impact. In 1996, he was signed as a solo artist to EMI, but his initial singles also met with little success. Then, in 1999 he met Keren Ann Zeidel (aka Keren Ann), with whom he composed the 2000 French hit "Jardin D'hiver" for Henri Salvador's comeback album (Chambre Avec Vue). He would go on to collaborate with Keren Ann on Biographie de Luka Phillipsen (2000) and La Disparition (2002). In some form or another, Biolay has also worked with Hubert Mounier (aka Cleet Boris), Isabelle Boulay, Françoise Hardy, and Jane Birkin.
In 2001, Biolay released his full-length debut, Rose Kennedy, a concept album full of hushed vocals, lush strings, and lyrical musings about the Kennedy family -- and Marilyn Monroe -- mostly from the point of view of family matriarch Rose. The recording features audio excerpts that evoke those golden years when JFK was in the White House, brother Robert was attorney general, and Monroe was on the silver screen. Other than the English samples (from Some Like It Hot, Monroe's "River of No Return," etc.), Rose Kennedy is in French and wasn't released in the U.S. Also in 2001, Biolay issued the Remix EP, featuring new versions of seven Rose Kennedy songs.
2002 continued to be a big year for Biolay as he entered his own "dynasty" of sorts -- a Franco-Italian-acting dynasty, that is -- when he married Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni. In 2003, he released Négatif, featuring guest appearances by Chiara and Coralie..
The love life in one song, one of my favorites of the last decade.
Lyrics :
Il faut qu'on se revoie
Tu sais depuis mardi j'ai beaucoup pensé à toi
Je suis joignable au 06 06 06 06 06
Et le soir chez moi
J'ai passé une nuit délicieuse
Même si j'ai la migraine
Tu es belle quand t'es odieuse
Je te dis à dans une semaine
Je rêve de ton corps, je rêve de ta bouche
Je te veux près de moi, je veux que tu me touches
Je rêve de ta peau et de tes mains
Je ne pense qu'à toi, je bosse plus je ne fous rien
Mon amour
Tu dormais si bien qu'j'ai pas osé te réveiller
Je travaille jusqu'à 7h20
Si tu veux après on peux s'appeller
J'sais pas ce que tu fais ce soir, moi j'ai rien de prévu
Si t'as du travail je te dis à plus tard
Et j'embrasse ton cul
Je suis à toi, je te veux, je pense à nous
Tu es mon homme, tu es mon idéal,
Je te désire tout le temps, partout
Tu es mon grand projet, je te suivrai n'importe où
Parce que je t'aime
Parce que tu me rends heureux
Parce que des fleurs dans une cuisine c'est joli
Je t'embrasse, encore, encore
Ouais là aussi
Mon amour demain matin
Rejoins-moi à l'aéroport
Orly terminal 2, 9h30
Ne pose pas de questions, prend juste ton passeport
Je t'aime, je t'aime
Bonne nuit
Chérie y'a des trucs à manger dans le frigo
J'vais rentrer tard sans doute après l'dernier métro
Tu vas pouvoir enfin te faire une soirée tranquille
Je T apostrophe et là y'a un coeur dessiné au stylo bille
Je suis enceinte
Mon amour ta mère a téléphoné tout à l'heure
Je crois qu'elle n'a pas encore osé prévenir ta soeur
Ton père a refait une attaque cette nuit
Je t'aime, appelle-moi
Je pense à toi, je pense à lui
Hier soir j'ai oublié d'te parler d'un truc important
Est-ce que tu peux m'appeller dès que tu te réveilles,
A n'importe quelle moment
Ouvrir la parenthèse : important mais pas grave
Fermer la parenthèse
Je t'embrasse
Mon amour ne m'attends pas ce soir
J'ai eu pas mal de boulot de boulot etje risque de rentrer tard
Je crois qu'il doit rester une demi pizza quelque part
Mais vérifie la date sur la boite
N'oublie pas le rendez-vous chez ma soeur
Si tu peux t'occuper du vin, tu serais un coeur
Car je risque d'être crack
Un peu plus loin j'te redonne l'adresse et le code
59 boulevard Ménilmontant code d’entrée 1981
La voisine a laissé un mot sur le pallier
Le chat a gueulé toute la nuit dans l'escalier
S’il te plait en sortant tu descendras la poubelle
Et pense à rappeler ta mère qui me harcèle
Le mec du câble passe entre 7h15 et 9h15
Tâche d’être réveillée
En plus gros, d'une langue différente
Un truc qui n’a aucun rapport style numéro d'passeport
A payer, EDF, Orange, abonnement Canal
Plus le cadeau commun pour mon frère le week-end prochain
J'trouve plus le chéquier, c'est toi qui l'as non
Si oui mets-le en évidence dans le salon
La réunion est à 19h30 précise à l'école, le "précise" est souligné
F . a encore appelé, il m'a parlé d’un chalet
J'n'ai pas compris
Enfin tu dois mieux savoir que moi
A plus. Le "plus" est une croix.
Cassez 3 œufs
Ajoutez un demi-litre de lait
Incorporez 100 grammes de farine progressivement
Ajoutez d'un seul coup 50 grammes de matières grasses
Tu mets moitié beurre moitié margarine et tu mélanges
Code réservation QWXXCJ
Mot de passe Casablanca
Départ Orly 9h47, retour le 23 a 7h15
Arrivée Paris 11h03, Charles De Gaulle, terminal 3
Une baguette, crevettes, 3 avocats, Sopalin
Tampons normaux, produit vaisselle
Lait demi-écrémé bio, 6 oeufs bio
Sacs poubelle 50 litres
D'une écriture différente, du papier à entête
Efexor 75 mg 1 gelule 3 fois par jour
Aprazolame zéro 50 g et 6 prise par jour maximum
Puis signature informe suivie d’un caducé
J'te rappelle que tu as un fils qui va à l'école tous les matins
Et qui aimerait bien prendre le petit déjeuner avec son père de temps en temps
Salut
La visite est à 16h et y'a encore plein de trucs à toi dans le bureau du fond
Tu veux sans doute les récupérer
Appelle-moi, mon nouveau numéro : 06 62 73 49 63
In English :
Brandt Rhapsodie
We need to see each other again
You know, since Tuesday I've been thinking a lot about you
You can call me at 06 06 06 06 06
And in the evening, at mine
I spent an exquisite night
Even if I have a headache
You are beautiful when obnoxious
I tell you see you next week
I dream of your body, I dream of your mouth
I want you near me, I want you to touch me
I dream of your skin and of your hands
I think of only you, I don't work, I don't do shit
My love
You were sleeping so well that I did not dare to wake you up
I work til 7:20
If you want, we can call each other afterwards
I dunno what you're doing tonight, I have no plan
If you have work to do, see you later
And I kiss your ass
I'm yours, I want you, I think about us
You are my man, you are my ideal,
I desire you, always, everywhere
You are my big plan and I'll follow you anywhere
Because I love you
Because you make me happy
Because flowers in a kitchen, it's nice
I kiss you, again, again,
Yes, there too
My love, tomorrow morning,
Join me at the airport,
Orly, Terminal 2, 9:30
Don't ask questions, just take your passport,
I love you, I love you, good night
Honey there are things to eat in the fridge
I'll be home late tonight, probably after the last train
You can have a quiet night, at last
I put here a heart drawn with a ballpoint
I'm pregnant.
My love, your mother called
I think she did not dare to tell your sister
Your father had a stroke last night
I love you, call me
I think of you, I think of him
Yesterday night I forgot to tell you something important
Can you please call me when you wake up
Whenever
Open the brackets : important but not serious
Close the brackets
Kiss
My love, don't wait for me tonight
I have a lot of work and will be home late
I think there's a slice of pizza left somewhere
But check the expiration date on the box
Don't forget the gathering at my sister's
If you can take care of the wine, you'll be a dear
Cause I may be late
Here's the adress and the code again
59, boulevard Ménilmontant, entrance code AB1981
The neighbour left a note on the door
The cat blared in the stairs all night long
Take the trash out when you leave
And call your mother back, she harasses me.
The cable guy comes between 7:15 and 9:15
Please be awake
Bolder, in another language
Something irrelevant, like a passport number
Bills : electricity, mobile phone, TV,
The common gift for my brother next week-end
I can't find the checks, you have it right ?
If so, please put it somewhere obvious in the living room
The appoitment is at 7:30 on the clock at school (on the clock is underlined)
F called again, talked about a chaler
I did not get it
Anyway, you must know better
See you, the "you", is a "u"
Break three eggs
Add half a litre of milk
Add 100 gramms of flour little by little
Add 50 gramms of fat in one batch
You make it half butter half margarine and you mix it
Reservation code : QWXXCJ
Password Casablanca
Departure Orly, 9:47, return on the 23rd, at 7:15
Arrival Paris 11:03, Charles de Gaulle, Terminal 3
A baguette, prawns, three avocados, kitchen roll,
Normal tampons, dishwashing liquid,
half-skimmed organic milk, six organic eggs,
50 litre trash bags
From another hand-writing, on a letter-headed paper,
Efexor 75 mg one pill, three times a day
Aprazolame zero 50 g, six times a day max
Then, a shapeless signature followed by a caduceus
Just reminding you that you do have a son who goes to school every morning
And who would like to have breakfast with his father once in a while
See you
The meeting is at 4 pm and there is still a lot of things of yours in the office
You probably want to take them
Call me. My new number : 06 62 73 49 63
Last edited by Romain on Thu Jan 23, 2014 5:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
I suggest you don't look for recent photographs or actualities about Bardot... She has aged badly in every sense of the word, sadly...Blanco wrote:Ah, Brigitte Bardot... In my opinion, the most beautiful woman in history. Great song, too. By the way, I still did not get any physical album of BB Brunes, but I managed to got some songs in digital format. They are great.Thanks for the recommendations!
Otherwise, Romain, this Moodoid song you posted two songs ago is one of the bizarrest-sounding stuff I've heard in a long time...
Arty stuff is en vogue in France, with that and La Femme last year too...Re: France - One song per day.
That Moodoid piece, in its look and feel, reminded me of a wonderful movie from 1966 with Genevieve Bujold "The King of Hearts" (La Roi de Couer), I think her first film.Pierre wrote:Otherwise, Romain, this Moodoid song you posted two songs ago is one of the bizarrest-sounding stuff I've heard in a long time...
Re: France - One song per day.
Pierre wrote: Otherwise, Romain, this Moodoid song you posted two songs ago is one of the bizarrest-sounding stuff I've heard in a long time...
Bizarre, certes! But so catchy, I'm unable to extract this song to my brain since two weeks. And I really love the clip too.
Re: France - One song per day.
Pierre Henry - Psyché Rock - 1967
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (AllMusic)
The celebrated French composer Pierre Henry was among the pivotal forces behind the development of musique concrète, becoming the first formally educated musician to devote his energies to the electronic medium. Born in Paris on December 9, 1927, he began training at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of ten, studying piano under Nadia Boulanger and percussion under Felix Passerone while also attending the classes of Olivier Messiaen. Still, Henry had little regard for traditional musical instruments, preferring instead to experiment privately with non-musical sound sources; over time, he grew fascinated with the notion of incorporating noise into the compositional process, and perhaps unsurprisingly first attracted notice in performing circles for his prowess as a percussionist.
In 1949, Henry joined the staff of the RTF electronic studio, founded by Pierre Schaeffer five years earlier; he soon immersed himself completely in electronic music, heading the Groupe de Research de Musique Concrète throughout the greater part of the 1950s. Henry soon began compiling a "sound herbal," a catalog of any sound potentially useful from a musical standpoint -- everything from animal cries to editing techniques to speed variations, all of which he deemed superior to conventional instrumentation. It inspired 1950's Symphonie Pour un Homme Seul, a 12-movement work co-written by Henry and Schaeffer employing the sounds of the human body; solo pieces including 1951's Le Microphone Bien Tempere (the first attempt at notated musique concrète), Musique Sans Titre, and Concerto des Ambiguites (which combined live piano with its own recorded distorted sounds) all broke new ground as well.
In 1952, Henry produced the first musique concrète ever commissioned for commercial films when he scored Jean Grémillon's Astrologie; a year later, at the Donaueschingen Festival, he premiered Orpheé 53, the first musique concrète piece composed for the stage. Henry also frequently collaborated with choreographer Maurice Béjart, a pairing that yielded 1955's Arcane, 1956's Haut-Voltage, 1962's Le Voyage, 1963's La Reine, 1967's Messe pour le temps présent, and 1971's Nijinsky, Clown de Dieu -- in all, he scored more than 30 films and stage productions during his long career. In 1958, Henry left the RTF, and in 1960 he teamed with Jean Baronnet to found the Apsone-Cabasse Studio, the first private electronic music workshop in France; concurrent was his realization that for musique concrète to evolve, it would need to begin incorporating the electronic aesthetics pioneered in other areas of the world.
Toward that end, in 1959 Henry composed both Coexistence and Investigations, trailed a year later by La Noire a Soixante, which fused musique concrète with pure electronics. Throughout the decade to follow his music adopted increasingly spiritual and meditative qualities; 1968's La Messe de Liverpool, in fact, was commissioned for the consecration of that city's Cathedral of Christ the King. Spoken Biblical text was also prominent in L'apocalypse de Jean, which was debuted in Paris on October 30, 1968, at a 24-hour celebration of Henry's music. A year later, he premiered Ceremony, which included music by the pop band Spooky Tooth. By the 1970s, his primary interest was large-scale works complete with elaborate lighting effects, among them Mise en Musique de Corticolart and Kylderstück.
During the mid-'70s, Henry's projects frequently paid homage to his own inspirations -- 1975's Futuriste celebrated the Italian futurist Luigi Russolo and his 1913 work The Art of Noises, while 1979's La Dixieme Symphonie served as a follow-up to Beethoven's nine symphonies. Continuing to work regularly throughout the years that followed in a vast range of musical contexts -- he even collaborated with the American alternative rock trio Violent Femmes -- in 1997 Henry completed Interieur/Exterieur, a work commissioned by Radio France that he declared the culmination of his life's work. His influence on contemporary music was underlined by the concurrent release of the LP Metamorphosé, which featured remixes of his work by the likes of Coldcut, DJ Vadim, William Orbit, Fatboy Slim, and Funki Porcini.
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (AllMusic)
The celebrated French composer Pierre Henry was among the pivotal forces behind the development of musique concrète, becoming the first formally educated musician to devote his energies to the electronic medium. Born in Paris on December 9, 1927, he began training at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of ten, studying piano under Nadia Boulanger and percussion under Felix Passerone while also attending the classes of Olivier Messiaen. Still, Henry had little regard for traditional musical instruments, preferring instead to experiment privately with non-musical sound sources; over time, he grew fascinated with the notion of incorporating noise into the compositional process, and perhaps unsurprisingly first attracted notice in performing circles for his prowess as a percussionist.
In 1949, Henry joined the staff of the RTF electronic studio, founded by Pierre Schaeffer five years earlier; he soon immersed himself completely in electronic music, heading the Groupe de Research de Musique Concrète throughout the greater part of the 1950s. Henry soon began compiling a "sound herbal," a catalog of any sound potentially useful from a musical standpoint -- everything from animal cries to editing techniques to speed variations, all of which he deemed superior to conventional instrumentation. It inspired 1950's Symphonie Pour un Homme Seul, a 12-movement work co-written by Henry and Schaeffer employing the sounds of the human body; solo pieces including 1951's Le Microphone Bien Tempere (the first attempt at notated musique concrète), Musique Sans Titre, and Concerto des Ambiguites (which combined live piano with its own recorded distorted sounds) all broke new ground as well.
In 1952, Henry produced the first musique concrète ever commissioned for commercial films when he scored Jean Grémillon's Astrologie; a year later, at the Donaueschingen Festival, he premiered Orpheé 53, the first musique concrète piece composed for the stage. Henry also frequently collaborated with choreographer Maurice Béjart, a pairing that yielded 1955's Arcane, 1956's Haut-Voltage, 1962's Le Voyage, 1963's La Reine, 1967's Messe pour le temps présent, and 1971's Nijinsky, Clown de Dieu -- in all, he scored more than 30 films and stage productions during his long career. In 1958, Henry left the RTF, and in 1960 he teamed with Jean Baronnet to found the Apsone-Cabasse Studio, the first private electronic music workshop in France; concurrent was his realization that for musique concrète to evolve, it would need to begin incorporating the electronic aesthetics pioneered in other areas of the world.
Toward that end, in 1959 Henry composed both Coexistence and Investigations, trailed a year later by La Noire a Soixante, which fused musique concrète with pure electronics. Throughout the decade to follow his music adopted increasingly spiritual and meditative qualities; 1968's La Messe de Liverpool, in fact, was commissioned for the consecration of that city's Cathedral of Christ the King. Spoken Biblical text was also prominent in L'apocalypse de Jean, which was debuted in Paris on October 30, 1968, at a 24-hour celebration of Henry's music. A year later, he premiered Ceremony, which included music by the pop band Spooky Tooth. By the 1970s, his primary interest was large-scale works complete with elaborate lighting effects, among them Mise en Musique de Corticolart and Kylderstück.
During the mid-'70s, Henry's projects frequently paid homage to his own inspirations -- 1975's Futuriste celebrated the Italian futurist Luigi Russolo and his 1913 work The Art of Noises, while 1979's La Dixieme Symphonie served as a follow-up to Beethoven's nine symphonies. Continuing to work regularly throughout the years that followed in a vast range of musical contexts -- he even collaborated with the American alternative rock trio Violent Femmes -- in 1997 Henry completed Interieur/Exterieur, a work commissioned by Radio France that he declared the culmination of his life's work. His influence on contemporary music was underlined by the concurrent release of the LP Metamorphosé, which featured remixes of his work by the likes of Coldcut, DJ Vadim, William Orbit, Fatboy Slim, and Funki Porcini.
Last edited by Romain on Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:47 pm, edited 5 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Psyche rock was the "inspiration" for the theme song of the animated series Futurama, one of my all-time favourite series. It's 47 years old, but it's still futuristic Amazing song, thanks Romain!
Amazing song, thanks Romain!Re: France - One song per day.
De nada Chilton ! I try to find the exact short theme of Futurama in youtube but I only find extended versions.Chilton wrote:Psyche rock was the "inspiration" for the theme song of the animated series Futurama, one of my all-time favourite series. It's 47 years old, but it's still futuristic
Re: France - One song per day.
May I?Romain wrote:Pierre, if you want, you can put songs you like too (and Nassim, and Nicolas and everybody).
I choose to post a song in English 'cause I'm too lazy tonight to translate lyrics.
The Dogs are a French rock band from Rouen, Normandy. They formed the band in 1973, released their first album in 1979, and never really disbanded until the death of the leader, Dominique Laboubée, who remains a sort of legend in the French rock scene. They have gone through several musical genres, from post-punk to rootsy rock to alternative rock, developped a cult following both in France and (to a smaller scale) abroad, and their former members are now working on several projects, mainly with the punkabilly band Les Wampas, but the guitarist is also releasing stuff in solo as Tony Truant. They are still critically acclaimed, although I don't always agree with the critics on their high points.
The song I'm posting is "The Most Forgotten French Boy" from their 1982 album Too Much Class for the Neigbourhood, in my opinion one of their summits. It is a sad yet catchy alternative pop-rock song, influenced by roots rock, but with its own flavour.
LYRICS:
Oh well, I – I feel so lonely
And I – I sometimes feel so bad
l’ve been tryin’ – I never give up
Oh no no no
It seems this world is made up of lies
(Don’t you ever feel it ?) Ooooh…
(Don’t you ever feel it ?)
Oh well, l’m the most forgotten french boy
(Don’t you ever feel it ?)
The one who searches but never finds
(That’s what they say)
Ooooh – and I really feel it
Ooooh…
I wish I could be loved
(Loved by you)
l’m the most forgotten french boy
(That’s what they say)
Ooooh do you really want to be like me ?
Ooooh…
Don’t you ever
Don’t you ever feel it
Don’t you ever feel so bad ?
I wish I could be loved
(Loved by you)
l’m the most forgotten french boy
(That’s what they say)
Ooooh do you really want to be like me ?
Re: France - One song per day.
Mireille et Jean Sablon - Puisque vous partez en voyage- 1938
Wikipédia :
Mireille Hartuch (30 September 1906 – 29 December 1996) was a French singer, composer, and actress. She was generally known by the stage name "Mireille".
She was born in Paris to Jewish parents. Her mother came from a family of musicians and as a child Mireille was taught to play the piano and encouraged to pursue a career in music. As a teenager she worked in live theatre and, influenced by the music of the great dance halls of Paris, she began composing music for the theatre. For her performances, she was billed simply as Mireille, the single name a common practice at the time. In 1928 she began a collaboration with lyricist Jean Nohain (1900–1981) that led to considerable success for many years.
Fluent in the English language, she spent two years in the United States, first in New York City where she performed in a Broadway play before going on to Hollywood. In 1931, she appeared in a film with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and another with Buster Keaton. Back in France, her songwriting career took off when her songs were recorded by the great French singers of the time, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet and a young Jean Sablon.
In 1933, she appeared in the French film Chourinette but did not play on the screen again until 1951's Au fil des ondes. In 1937, she married the writer Emmanuel Berl, giving him the nickname Théodore. Three years later during the Nazi occupation, because they were Jews they were forced to go into hiding in Argentat in the remote Corrèze département in the Limousin region. There, Mireille Hartuch was very active in the French Resistance and was head of the local liberation committee.
After the War, through her songwriting, she became close friends of Jean Cocteau, Albert Camus, and André Malraux. In the 1950s, her friend, Sacha Guitry gave her the idea of opening the "Petit Conservatoire de la chanson" (Little Conservatory of Song [1]) to use her talents to train young singers. Opened in 1955, it proved to be a highly beneficial institution that nurtured the voices of a number of young singers who went on to success.
In her long and respected career, Mireille Hartuch composed more than six hundred songs and was twice decorated by the government for her contributions to French culture.
Mireille Hartuch died in Paris in 1996 at the age of 90 and was interred there in the Cimetière du Montparnasse.
Lyrics :
{Parlé:}
Savez-vous que c'est la première fois
Que nous nous séparons depuis que c'est arrivé ?
Remarquez que ça ne fait que quinze jours !...
Evidemment quinze jours ce n'est pas très long...
mais songez tout de même à ce que ça fait d'heures !...
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Puisque nous nous quittons ce soir
Mon cœur fait son apprentissage
Je veux sourire avec courage
Voyez j'ai posé vos bagages,
Marche avant, côté du couloir
Et pour les grands signaux d'usage
J'ai préparé mon grand mouchoir
Dans un instant le train démarre
Je resterai seul sur le quai
Et je vous verrai de la gare
Me dire adieu là-bas avec votre bouquet
Promettez-moi d'être bien sage
De penser à moi tous les jours
Et revenez dans notre cage
Où je guette votre retour.
{Parlé;}
Voilà, je vous ai trouvé une bonne place dans un compartiment
où il y a une grosse dame et un vieux curé avec une barbe blanche.
Et puis je vous ai acheté deux livres...
Le premier, c'est la vie des saintes...
Et l'autre, c'est l'exemple de bienheureuse Ernestine...
Cela vous plaît ?
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Vous m'avez promis ma chérie
De m'écrire quatorze pages
Tous les matins ou davantage
Pour que je voie votre visage
Baissez la vitre je vous prie
C'est affreux je perds tout courage
Soudain je déteste Paris
Le contrôleur crie : "En voiture"
Le cochon il sait pourtant bien
Que je dois rester, mais je jure
Que s'il le crie encore une fois, moi je viens
J'ai mon amour pour seul bagage
Et tout le reste je m'en fous
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Ma chérie... je pars avec vous.
Do you know that it is the first time
That we are separating since it has arrived ?
Please note that it is not more than fifteen days !
Obviously fifteen days is not that long...
But think that it takes hours all the same !
Since you are leaving for a trip
Since we are leaving each other tonight
My heart is taking lessons
I want to smile with courage
Look, I put down your luggage
Move forward, alongside the corridor
And for the big typical goodbyes
I have prepared my big tissue
In a moment the train sets off
I will remain alone in the platform
And you will watch from the train station
Telling me "goodbye" over there with you bouquet
Promise me you to be sane
To think of me every day
And you will be back in our cage
Where I am looking forward for your return
Look, I found you a good place in a compartment
Where there is a big lady and an old priest with a white bear
And then I bought you two books
The first one is about the life of saints
And the other one is the example of the happy Ernestine
Do you like that ?
Since you are leaving for a trip
You have promised me you my beloved one
to write me fourteen pages
every morning or more
So that I can see your face
I beg you to kiss the window pane
This is terrible, I am losing all my courage
Suddenly, I am hating Paris
The ticket inspector is screaming: "Get in"
The pig, he already knows well
That I have to stay, But I swear
If he will shout it one more time, me I am coming
I have my love for a luggage
And for all the rest I couldn't care less
Since you are leaving for a trip
My love... I am leaving with you
Thanks to GrEnFrSv on LyricsTranslate
Wikipédia :
Mireille Hartuch (30 September 1906 – 29 December 1996) was a French singer, composer, and actress. She was generally known by the stage name "Mireille".
She was born in Paris to Jewish parents. Her mother came from a family of musicians and as a child Mireille was taught to play the piano and encouraged to pursue a career in music. As a teenager she worked in live theatre and, influenced by the music of the great dance halls of Paris, she began composing music for the theatre. For her performances, she was billed simply as Mireille, the single name a common practice at the time. In 1928 she began a collaboration with lyricist Jean Nohain (1900–1981) that led to considerable success for many years.
Fluent in the English language, she spent two years in the United States, first in New York City where she performed in a Broadway play before going on to Hollywood. In 1931, she appeared in a film with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and another with Buster Keaton. Back in France, her songwriting career took off when her songs were recorded by the great French singers of the time, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet and a young Jean Sablon.
In 1933, she appeared in the French film Chourinette but did not play on the screen again until 1951's Au fil des ondes. In 1937, she married the writer Emmanuel Berl, giving him the nickname Théodore. Three years later during the Nazi occupation, because they were Jews they were forced to go into hiding in Argentat in the remote Corrèze département in the Limousin region. There, Mireille Hartuch was very active in the French Resistance and was head of the local liberation committee.
After the War, through her songwriting, she became close friends of Jean Cocteau, Albert Camus, and André Malraux. In the 1950s, her friend, Sacha Guitry gave her the idea of opening the "Petit Conservatoire de la chanson" (Little Conservatory of Song [1]) to use her talents to train young singers. Opened in 1955, it proved to be a highly beneficial institution that nurtured the voices of a number of young singers who went on to success.
In her long and respected career, Mireille Hartuch composed more than six hundred songs and was twice decorated by the government for her contributions to French culture.
Mireille Hartuch died in Paris in 1996 at the age of 90 and was interred there in the Cimetière du Montparnasse.
Lyrics :
{Parlé:}
Savez-vous que c'est la première fois
Que nous nous séparons depuis que c'est arrivé ?
Remarquez que ça ne fait que quinze jours !...
Evidemment quinze jours ce n'est pas très long...
mais songez tout de même à ce que ça fait d'heures !...
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Puisque nous nous quittons ce soir
Mon cœur fait son apprentissage
Je veux sourire avec courage
Voyez j'ai posé vos bagages,
Marche avant, côté du couloir
Et pour les grands signaux d'usage
J'ai préparé mon grand mouchoir
Dans un instant le train démarre
Je resterai seul sur le quai
Et je vous verrai de la gare
Me dire adieu là-bas avec votre bouquet
Promettez-moi d'être bien sage
De penser à moi tous les jours
Et revenez dans notre cage
Où je guette votre retour.
{Parlé;}
Voilà, je vous ai trouvé une bonne place dans un compartiment
où il y a une grosse dame et un vieux curé avec une barbe blanche.
Et puis je vous ai acheté deux livres...
Le premier, c'est la vie des saintes...
Et l'autre, c'est l'exemple de bienheureuse Ernestine...
Cela vous plaît ?
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Vous m'avez promis ma chérie
De m'écrire quatorze pages
Tous les matins ou davantage
Pour que je voie votre visage
Baissez la vitre je vous prie
C'est affreux je perds tout courage
Soudain je déteste Paris
Le contrôleur crie : "En voiture"
Le cochon il sait pourtant bien
Que je dois rester, mais je jure
Que s'il le crie encore une fois, moi je viens
J'ai mon amour pour seul bagage
Et tout le reste je m'en fous
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Ma chérie... je pars avec vous.
Do you know that it is the first time
That we are separating since it has arrived ?
Please note that it is not more than fifteen days !
Obviously fifteen days is not that long...
But think that it takes hours all the same !
Since you are leaving for a trip
Since we are leaving each other tonight
My heart is taking lessons
I want to smile with courage
Look, I put down your luggage
Move forward, alongside the corridor
And for the big typical goodbyes
I have prepared my big tissue
In a moment the train sets off
I will remain alone in the platform
And you will watch from the train station
Telling me "goodbye" over there with you bouquet
Promise me you to be sane
To think of me every day
And you will be back in our cage
Where I am looking forward for your return
Look, I found you a good place in a compartment
Where there is a big lady and an old priest with a white bear
And then I bought you two books
The first one is about the life of saints
And the other one is the example of the happy Ernestine
Do you like that ?
Since you are leaving for a trip
You have promised me you my beloved one
to write me fourteen pages
every morning or more
So that I can see your face
I beg you to kiss the window pane
This is terrible, I am losing all my courage
Suddenly, I am hating Paris
The ticket inspector is screaming: "Get in"
The pig, he already knows well
That I have to stay, But I swear
If he will shout it one more time, me I am coming
I have my love for a luggage
And for all the rest I couldn't care less
Since you are leaving for a trip
My love... I am leaving with you
Thanks to GrEnFrSv on LyricsTranslate
Last edited by Romain on Fri Oct 31, 2014 8:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Very excited to check out these songs (as well as those from other countries). Romain, you led off with an amazing track as well! The vocals and organ make "Le bal des Laze" so wonderfully mysterious!
Re: France - One song per day.
Interesting Moonbeam. For what I know about Polnareff, I really see some songs who can satiesfied your taste (for what I know about). For this particular song, I will try to found translate. The story of the song is interesting (the videoclip have nothing to do with the song).Moonbeam wrote:Very excited to check out these songs (as well as those from other countries). Romain, you led off with an amazing track as well! The vocals and organ make "Le bal des Laze" so wonderfully mysterious!
You have to listen the Moodoïd song, I imagine is the thing you can like too.
Re: France - One song per day.
Finally, I hear you and I try to put some informations about the artist + the lyrics.DocBrown wrote:Moi aussi, Romain.Chilton wrote:Loving this thread so far
One thought; perhaps you could offer some context about your choices; who they are, where they're from, what they're best known for? En francais, s'il vous plait.
Re: France - One song per day.
Another song by Polnareff
Michel Polnareff - Qui A Tué Grand' Maman - 1971
des fleurs qui poussaient dans son jardin
le temps a passé seules restent les pensées
et dans tes mains il ne reste plus rien
{Refrain:}
qui a tué grand-maman, est-ce le temps
où les hommes qui n'ont plus l' temps
d' passer le temps?
la la la la la la...
il y avait du temps de grand-maman
du silence à écouter
des branches sur les arbres, des feuilles sur les branches
des oiseaux sur les feuilles et qui chantaient
{au Refrain}
le bulldozer a tué grand-maman
et changé ses fleurs en marteaux-piqueurs
les oiseaux pour chanter ne trouvent que des chantiers
est-ce pour cela que l'on te pleure?
{au Refrain}
qui a tué grand-maman, est-ce le temps
ou les hommes qui n'ont plus l' temps
d' passer le temps?
In Grandma's time, there were1
Flowers which grew in her garden
The time passed alone stays as thoughts
And in your hands there's nothing left
{Chorus}
Who killed Grandma, is it the time
Where men no longer have the time
To pass the time?
la la la la la la...
In Grandma's time, there was
Silence to listen to
The branches on the trees, the leaves on the branches
The birds on the leaves and they sang
{Chorus}
The bulldozer killed Grandma
and changed her flowers into jackhammers
The singing birds only find construction sites
Is that why we're crying for you?
{Chorus}
Who killed Grandma, is it the time
Where men no longer have the time
To pass the time?
Michel Polnareff - Qui A Tué Grand' Maman - 1971
il y avait du temps de grand-maman
des fleurs qui poussaient dans son jardin
le temps a passé seules restent les pensées
et dans tes mains il ne reste plus rien
{Refrain:}
qui a tué grand-maman, est-ce le temps
où les hommes qui n'ont plus l' temps
d' passer le temps?
la la la la la la...
il y avait du temps de grand-maman
du silence à écouter
des branches sur les arbres, des feuilles sur les branches
des oiseaux sur les feuilles et qui chantaient
{au Refrain}
le bulldozer a tué grand-maman
et changé ses fleurs en marteaux-piqueurs
les oiseaux pour chanter ne trouvent que des chantiers
est-ce pour cela que l'on te pleure?
{au Refrain}
qui a tué grand-maman, est-ce le temps
ou les hommes qui n'ont plus l' temps
d' passer le temps?
In Grandma's time, there were1
Flowers which grew in her garden
The time passed alone stays as thoughts
And in your hands there's nothing left
{Chorus}
Who killed Grandma, is it the time
Where men no longer have the time
To pass the time?
la la la la la la...
In Grandma's time, there was
Silence to listen to
The branches on the trees, the leaves on the branches
The birds on the leaves and they sang
{Chorus}
The bulldozer killed Grandma
and changed her flowers into jackhammers
The singing birds only find construction sites
Is that why we're crying for you?
{Chorus}
Who killed Grandma, is it the time
Where men no longer have the time
To pass the time?
Last edited by Romain on Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:01 am, edited 4 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Johnny Hallyday - Marie! - 2002
Artist Biography by Steve Huey (AllMusic)
Johnny Hallyday was France's first and only full-fledged rock star. Other French artists may have been influenced by rock & roll, but none was as beholden to the original sources, or as enduringly successful, as Hallyday. He was a distinctly French phenomenon, never achieving recognition in the U.S. or U.K.; certainly, part of the reason was that a good chunk of his repertoire consisted of French-language covers of early American rock hits. Moreover, his appropriations of Elvis Presley and James Dean captured the French imagination, but -- language barrier aside -- were often too stylized and imitative to resonate with audiences used to the genuine article. Yet even if his musical interpretations lacked some of the punch of their sources, his sense of rock & roll style, with all its rebellious trappings, was impeccable. His stage presence was undeniably electric, and his life was the stuff of which tabloid reporters' dreams are made: high-profile romances (and breakups), cocaine use, chronic tax problems, a taste for auto racing and motorcycles, and other assorted fallouts from life in the fast lane. In the end, though, Hallyday's appeal rested on a central balancing act: he may have been fascinated by a foreign cultural phenomenon, but he managed to maintain his essential Frenchness. His covers provided a way for American rock & roll to conquer France, adapting it to fit the country's own sensibilities without threatening its well-protected cultural autonomy. His later move into quintessentially French balladry helped increase his cross-generational appeal, and somewhat mirrored the career trajectory of his hero Elvis. With a career of several decades behind him, and sales figures in the tens of millions, the unconditionally adored Hallyday still ranks among France's greatest cultural icons.
Hallyday was born Jean-Philippe Smet on June 15, 1943, in the Malesherbes area of Paris. His Belgian parents split up just months after he was born, and he went to live with an aunt, former silent film actress Hélène Mar. His cousins Desta and Menen were dancers, and he accompanied them on tour for most of his childhood. Desta's boyfriend and eventual husband, the Oklahoma-born Lee Halliday, became part of the act, and Jean-Philippe would later adopt a version of his last name in tribute to his kindness. Surrounded by show business, the youngster learned guitar and took dance lessons; by age nine, he was already performing on-stage with his relatives, singing songs like "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" during costume changes. He also appeared in his first film, Les Diaboliques, in 1954. By 1957, the family had given up life on the road and settled in Paris, where Johnny (as Lee called him) sang songs by American country artists as well as Georges Brassens, and also acted in commercials. That year he discovered Elvis Presley through the film Lovin' You, and immediately decided that he wanted to be a rock & roll singer. He began performing in clubs and cabarets, some of which kicked him out for singing the new American music.
Having adopted the name Johnny Hallyday, he caught his big break in late 1959, when an appearance on the Paris Cocktail television show led to a record contract with Vogue. Hallyday released his first single, "Laisse les Filles," in early 1960. Its follow-up, "Souvenirs, Souvenirs," became his first major hit, and when he performed at France's first rock festival at the Palais de Sport in early 1961, he set off a near-riot that led to a ban on rock & roll shows for several months. He switched from Vogue to Philips later that summer, and issued the smash LP Salut Mes Copains, which kicked off the so-called "yé-yé" era of French pop and made him a full-fledged teen idol. His tour of France that year touched off a hysteria not unlike the furor surrounding Elvis in the States. Toward the end of the year, Hallyday took French citizenship, appeared in the film Les Parisiennes, and had an enormous hit with "Viens Danser le Twist," an adaptation of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again." Hallyday's success continued to snowball over the next few years, mixing American covers (as on the LP Johnny Hallyday Sings America's Rockin' Hits) with more traditional French pop: "Retiens la Nuit" (penned by Charles Aznavour), "Elle Est Terrible," "Be Bop a Lula," "Pas Cette Chanson," and two of his biggest hits, "L'Idole des Jeunes" and "Da Dou Ron Ron." 1963 found him starring in the film D'où Viens-Tu, Johnny?, which was directed by Noel Coward and co-starred fellow pop star Sylvie Vartan.
In 1964, Hallyday was called for military service, and much as it had for Elvis, his acceptance of his duty helped make him more respectable in the eyes of the mainstream public. Shortly before his induction, he completed another single, "Le Pénitencier," an adaptation of "House of the Rising Sun." Stationed in Germany, he married Sylvie Vartan in April 1965, and was discharged late that year. Initially, Hallyday found it difficult to recapture his career momentum; the rock & roll fad had already begun to pass in France, and even Elvis had been eclipsed by emerging stars like the Beatles and Bob Dylan. The socially conscious single "Cheveux Longs, Idées Courtes" didn't quite give Hallyday the credibility he'd hoped for. His son David (later a singer in his own right) was born in August 1966, but not long after, a deeply depressed Hallyday attempted suicide. After his recovery, he issued the despairing single "Noir, C'est Noir" as a commentary on the near-tragedy. He also assembled a more R&B-influenced touring band called the Blackbirds, headed up by British guitarist Mick Jones (later of Foreigner) and drummer Tommy Brown; their October gig at the Olympia in Paris featured a then-unknown opening act called the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Hallyday covered the Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" in 1967 (the same year he started racing cars), and dabbled in slightly heavier psychedelic rock over the next couple of years. His title song for the 1968 film A Tout Casser (in which he also starred) featured Jimmy Page as a session guitarist, as did the aptly titled "Psychedelic." 1969 saw the release of Que Je T'aime, a distinctly Cream-influenced rock record with a hit title track, as well as Je Suis Né Dans la Rue, a darker and more personal record that featured contributions from the Small Faces' Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. In 1970, Hallyday flirted with a flower-child image via the single "Jesus Christ (Est un Hippie)," but quickly backed away from the posture. He continued to tour internationally and appear in movies, including 1971's L'Aventure, C'est L'Aventure; that year he also scored a major hit with "Oh Ma Jolie Sarah."
Despite releasing one of his better albums in Country-Folk-Rock, Hallyday's excesses began to catch up with him in 1972: his debauchery led to a year's separation from his wife, Sylvie Vartan. He also mounted a lavish tour dubbed the Johnny Circus that was actually staged in a big-top tent, and transported him between gigs in a Rolls-Royce. It was a financial disaster, mitigated somewhat by his reconciliation with Vartan in 1973. Together they recorded a smash duet, "J'ai un Problème," that became one of the biggest hits of the summer. On his own, Hallyday also scored with "Toute la Musique Que J'aime," written with his primary collaborator for much of the '70s, Michel Mallory. He spent part of 1974 in America, recording an album of rock standards in Memphis (Rock à Memphis) and another of country-rock in Nashville (La Terre Promise); he also rode across Death Valley on a motorcycle, and attended Elvis' Las Vegas revue. The following year, he and his family relocated to Los Angeles in order to escape a massive tax debt of around 100 million francs. He continued to score hits in France, among them 1976's "Joue Pas de Rock'n'Roll Pour Moi" and "Gabrielle," 1977's "J'ai Oublié de Vivre," and 1978's "Elle M'oublie"; however, his double-LP recording of the rock opera Hamlet was a colossal flop.
Hallyday collapsed on-stage during an August 1980 concert, and his marriage to Vartan broke up for good by the end of the year; rumors about his private life swirled, and one paper erroneously reported his death in early 1981. Late that year, he married model Babeth Etienne, a union that lasted not much more than two months. Not long afterward, he struck up a romance with actress Nathalie Baye, who bore him a daughter, Laura, in late 1983. Meanwhile, his lyricist, Michel Mallory, was replaced first by Pierre Billon, then Michel Berger, a writer grounded more in traditional cabaret and pop than rock & roll. Berger was partly responsible for 1985's "Quelque Chose de Tennessee," which became one of Hallyday's biggest and best-known hits. Hallyday also revived his flagging movie career in 1985 by teaming with legendary French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard for Détective; he would continue to appear regularly in films through the early '90s. His romance with Baye ended in 1986, but that year he dominated the charts with the Jean-Jacques Goldman-penned album Gang, one of his biggest latter-day successes thanks to hits like "Laura," "L'Envie," "Je Te Promets," and a duet with Carmel, "J'oublierai Ton Nom." 1989's Cadillac featured two songs by Hallyday's son David, who would shortly go on to his own singing career.
Hallyday remarried again in 1990, this time to Adeline Blondiau, the daughter of a longtime friend; this too proved short-lived, and they divorced in 1992. In the meantime, he released a new album, 1991's Ça Ne Change Pas un Homme, which featured covers of everyone from new-generation French pop star Patrick Bruel to Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams. In commemoration of Hallyday's 50th birthday in 1993, his entire catalog was reissued on CD (with numerous compilations appearing thereafter), and he gave a series of gala concerts in Paris. The 1994 English-language album Rough Town tanked, but 1995's Lorada was a tremendous success, spawning hit singles in "J'la Croise Tous les Matins," "Quand le Masque Tombe," and "Ne M'oublie Pas." In 1996, Hallyday embarked on his fifth marriage, this time to Laeticia Boudou; he also recorded another album of rock & roll classics in French, Destination Vegas, titled in reference to his concert at the Aladdin in Las Vegas (for which several thousand French fans were flown in). Hallyday was awarded a Legion d'Honneur medal by French President Jacques Chirac in 1997, and the following year he gave spectacular concerts to close the World Cup soccer tournament and commemorate France's first championship. In 1999, Hallyday returned with the successful new album Sang Pour Sang, for which his son David composed all the music (accompanied by various lyricists). Taking a break from recording and touring, Hallyday rang in the new millennium with a couple of acclaimed acting turns in the films L'Homme du Train and Crime Spree. In late 2002, he released the double album À la Vie, à la Mort, which produced the hit singles "Marie" and "Ne Reviens Pas."
Further hit albums followed in 2005 and 2007 in the shape of Ma Vérité and the bluesy Le Cœur d'un Homme, which featured a track written for him by Bono. Shortly after its release, he announced that in 2009 he would retire from live performance after a farewell tour. After recording another successful album, Ça Ne Finira Jamais, in 2008, he was cast as the lead in Hong Kong director Johnnie To's first English-language film, Vengeance. In 2009, he underwent surgery for colon cancer, and his successful recovery must have made him reconsider his decision to quit the stage, for in 2012, after the release of yet another new studio album, Jamais Seul -- which received heavy international promotion -- he played three high-profile North American dates, in Los Angeles, Québec City and New York.
Tout le mal que l´on me fait
Ô Marie, si je pouvais
Dans tes bras nus
Me reposer
Evanouie mon innocence
Tu étais pour moi ma dernière chance
Peu à peu tu disparais
Malgré mes efforts désespérés
Et rien ne sera jamais plus pareil
J´ai vu plus d´horreurs que de merveilles
Les hommes sont devenus fous à lier
Je donnerais tout pour oublier
Ô Marie, si tu savais
Tout le mal que l´on me fait
Ô Marie, si je pouvais
Dans tes bras nus,
Me reposer
Et je cours toute la journée
Sans savoir où je vais
Dans le bruit dans la fumée
Je vois des ombres s´entretuer
Demain ce sera le grand jour
Il faudra faire preuve de bravoure
Pour monter au front en première ligne
Ô Marie, je t´en prie, fais-moi un signe
Allongé dans l´herbe, je m´éveille
J´ai vu la mort dans son plus simple appareil
Elle m´a promis des vacances
Oui la mort m´a promis sa dernière danse
Ô Marie, si tu savais
Tout le mal que l´on m´a fait
Ô Marie, j´attendrai
Qu´au ciel tu viennes
Me retrouver
Ô Marie, j´attendrai
Qu´au ciel tu viennes
Me retrouver
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, if I could have rested
In your bare arms
My innocence has vanished
You were my last chance
Little by little you faded
In spite of my desperate efforts
And nothing will ever be the same
I saw more horrors than marvels
Men were crazy to unite
I would give everything to forget
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, if I could have rested
In your bare arms
And I run all day
Not knowing where I go
In the noise in the smoke
I see shadows kill one another
Tomorrow will be the great day
It will be necessary to show proof of bravery
To be at the front in the first row
Oh Marie, I beg you, show me a sign
Lying in the grass, I wake
I saw death in its simplest trappings
It promised me a holiday
Yes death promised me the last dance
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, I will wait
Till, in heaven, you come
To find me
Oh Marie , I will wait
Till, in heaven, you come
To find me
Lyrics Translate
Artist Biography by Steve Huey (AllMusic)
Johnny Hallyday was France's first and only full-fledged rock star. Other French artists may have been influenced by rock & roll, but none was as beholden to the original sources, or as enduringly successful, as Hallyday. He was a distinctly French phenomenon, never achieving recognition in the U.S. or U.K.; certainly, part of the reason was that a good chunk of his repertoire consisted of French-language covers of early American rock hits. Moreover, his appropriations of Elvis Presley and James Dean captured the French imagination, but -- language barrier aside -- were often too stylized and imitative to resonate with audiences used to the genuine article. Yet even if his musical interpretations lacked some of the punch of their sources, his sense of rock & roll style, with all its rebellious trappings, was impeccable. His stage presence was undeniably electric, and his life was the stuff of which tabloid reporters' dreams are made: high-profile romances (and breakups), cocaine use, chronic tax problems, a taste for auto racing and motorcycles, and other assorted fallouts from life in the fast lane. In the end, though, Hallyday's appeal rested on a central balancing act: he may have been fascinated by a foreign cultural phenomenon, but he managed to maintain his essential Frenchness. His covers provided a way for American rock & roll to conquer France, adapting it to fit the country's own sensibilities without threatening its well-protected cultural autonomy. His later move into quintessentially French balladry helped increase his cross-generational appeal, and somewhat mirrored the career trajectory of his hero Elvis. With a career of several decades behind him, and sales figures in the tens of millions, the unconditionally adored Hallyday still ranks among France's greatest cultural icons.
Hallyday was born Jean-Philippe Smet on June 15, 1943, in the Malesherbes area of Paris. His Belgian parents split up just months after he was born, and he went to live with an aunt, former silent film actress Hélène Mar. His cousins Desta and Menen were dancers, and he accompanied them on tour for most of his childhood. Desta's boyfriend and eventual husband, the Oklahoma-born Lee Halliday, became part of the act, and Jean-Philippe would later adopt a version of his last name in tribute to his kindness. Surrounded by show business, the youngster learned guitar and took dance lessons; by age nine, he was already performing on-stage with his relatives, singing songs like "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" during costume changes. He also appeared in his first film, Les Diaboliques, in 1954. By 1957, the family had given up life on the road and settled in Paris, where Johnny (as Lee called him) sang songs by American country artists as well as Georges Brassens, and also acted in commercials. That year he discovered Elvis Presley through the film Lovin' You, and immediately decided that he wanted to be a rock & roll singer. He began performing in clubs and cabarets, some of which kicked him out for singing the new American music.
Having adopted the name Johnny Hallyday, he caught his big break in late 1959, when an appearance on the Paris Cocktail television show led to a record contract with Vogue. Hallyday released his first single, "Laisse les Filles," in early 1960. Its follow-up, "Souvenirs, Souvenirs," became his first major hit, and when he performed at France's first rock festival at the Palais de Sport in early 1961, he set off a near-riot that led to a ban on rock & roll shows for several months. He switched from Vogue to Philips later that summer, and issued the smash LP Salut Mes Copains, which kicked off the so-called "yé-yé" era of French pop and made him a full-fledged teen idol. His tour of France that year touched off a hysteria not unlike the furor surrounding Elvis in the States. Toward the end of the year, Hallyday took French citizenship, appeared in the film Les Parisiennes, and had an enormous hit with "Viens Danser le Twist," an adaptation of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again." Hallyday's success continued to snowball over the next few years, mixing American covers (as on the LP Johnny Hallyday Sings America's Rockin' Hits) with more traditional French pop: "Retiens la Nuit" (penned by Charles Aznavour), "Elle Est Terrible," "Be Bop a Lula," "Pas Cette Chanson," and two of his biggest hits, "L'Idole des Jeunes" and "Da Dou Ron Ron." 1963 found him starring in the film D'où Viens-Tu, Johnny?, which was directed by Noel Coward and co-starred fellow pop star Sylvie Vartan.
In 1964, Hallyday was called for military service, and much as it had for Elvis, his acceptance of his duty helped make him more respectable in the eyes of the mainstream public. Shortly before his induction, he completed another single, "Le Pénitencier," an adaptation of "House of the Rising Sun." Stationed in Germany, he married Sylvie Vartan in April 1965, and was discharged late that year. Initially, Hallyday found it difficult to recapture his career momentum; the rock & roll fad had already begun to pass in France, and even Elvis had been eclipsed by emerging stars like the Beatles and Bob Dylan. The socially conscious single "Cheveux Longs, Idées Courtes" didn't quite give Hallyday the credibility he'd hoped for. His son David (later a singer in his own right) was born in August 1966, but not long after, a deeply depressed Hallyday attempted suicide. After his recovery, he issued the despairing single "Noir, C'est Noir" as a commentary on the near-tragedy. He also assembled a more R&B-influenced touring band called the Blackbirds, headed up by British guitarist Mick Jones (later of Foreigner) and drummer Tommy Brown; their October gig at the Olympia in Paris featured a then-unknown opening act called the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Hallyday covered the Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" in 1967 (the same year he started racing cars), and dabbled in slightly heavier psychedelic rock over the next couple of years. His title song for the 1968 film A Tout Casser (in which he also starred) featured Jimmy Page as a session guitarist, as did the aptly titled "Psychedelic." 1969 saw the release of Que Je T'aime, a distinctly Cream-influenced rock record with a hit title track, as well as Je Suis Né Dans la Rue, a darker and more personal record that featured contributions from the Small Faces' Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. In 1970, Hallyday flirted with a flower-child image via the single "Jesus Christ (Est un Hippie)," but quickly backed away from the posture. He continued to tour internationally and appear in movies, including 1971's L'Aventure, C'est L'Aventure; that year he also scored a major hit with "Oh Ma Jolie Sarah."
Despite releasing one of his better albums in Country-Folk-Rock, Hallyday's excesses began to catch up with him in 1972: his debauchery led to a year's separation from his wife, Sylvie Vartan. He also mounted a lavish tour dubbed the Johnny Circus that was actually staged in a big-top tent, and transported him between gigs in a Rolls-Royce. It was a financial disaster, mitigated somewhat by his reconciliation with Vartan in 1973. Together they recorded a smash duet, "J'ai un Problème," that became one of the biggest hits of the summer. On his own, Hallyday also scored with "Toute la Musique Que J'aime," written with his primary collaborator for much of the '70s, Michel Mallory. He spent part of 1974 in America, recording an album of rock standards in Memphis (Rock à Memphis) and another of country-rock in Nashville (La Terre Promise); he also rode across Death Valley on a motorcycle, and attended Elvis' Las Vegas revue. The following year, he and his family relocated to Los Angeles in order to escape a massive tax debt of around 100 million francs. He continued to score hits in France, among them 1976's "Joue Pas de Rock'n'Roll Pour Moi" and "Gabrielle," 1977's "J'ai Oublié de Vivre," and 1978's "Elle M'oublie"; however, his double-LP recording of the rock opera Hamlet was a colossal flop.
Hallyday collapsed on-stage during an August 1980 concert, and his marriage to Vartan broke up for good by the end of the year; rumors about his private life swirled, and one paper erroneously reported his death in early 1981. Late that year, he married model Babeth Etienne, a union that lasted not much more than two months. Not long afterward, he struck up a romance with actress Nathalie Baye, who bore him a daughter, Laura, in late 1983. Meanwhile, his lyricist, Michel Mallory, was replaced first by Pierre Billon, then Michel Berger, a writer grounded more in traditional cabaret and pop than rock & roll. Berger was partly responsible for 1985's "Quelque Chose de Tennessee," which became one of Hallyday's biggest and best-known hits. Hallyday also revived his flagging movie career in 1985 by teaming with legendary French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard for Détective; he would continue to appear regularly in films through the early '90s. His romance with Baye ended in 1986, but that year he dominated the charts with the Jean-Jacques Goldman-penned album Gang, one of his biggest latter-day successes thanks to hits like "Laura," "L'Envie," "Je Te Promets," and a duet with Carmel, "J'oublierai Ton Nom." 1989's Cadillac featured two songs by Hallyday's son David, who would shortly go on to his own singing career.
Hallyday remarried again in 1990, this time to Adeline Blondiau, the daughter of a longtime friend; this too proved short-lived, and they divorced in 1992. In the meantime, he released a new album, 1991's Ça Ne Change Pas un Homme, which featured covers of everyone from new-generation French pop star Patrick Bruel to Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams. In commemoration of Hallyday's 50th birthday in 1993, his entire catalog was reissued on CD (with numerous compilations appearing thereafter), and he gave a series of gala concerts in Paris. The 1994 English-language album Rough Town tanked, but 1995's Lorada was a tremendous success, spawning hit singles in "J'la Croise Tous les Matins," "Quand le Masque Tombe," and "Ne M'oublie Pas." In 1996, Hallyday embarked on his fifth marriage, this time to Laeticia Boudou; he also recorded another album of rock & roll classics in French, Destination Vegas, titled in reference to his concert at the Aladdin in Las Vegas (for which several thousand French fans were flown in). Hallyday was awarded a Legion d'Honneur medal by French President Jacques Chirac in 1997, and the following year he gave spectacular concerts to close the World Cup soccer tournament and commemorate France's first championship. In 1999, Hallyday returned with the successful new album Sang Pour Sang, for which his son David composed all the music (accompanied by various lyricists). Taking a break from recording and touring, Hallyday rang in the new millennium with a couple of acclaimed acting turns in the films L'Homme du Train and Crime Spree. In late 2002, he released the double album À la Vie, à la Mort, which produced the hit singles "Marie" and "Ne Reviens Pas."
Further hit albums followed in 2005 and 2007 in the shape of Ma Vérité and the bluesy Le Cœur d'un Homme, which featured a track written for him by Bono. Shortly after its release, he announced that in 2009 he would retire from live performance after a farewell tour. After recording another successful album, Ça Ne Finira Jamais, in 2008, he was cast as the lead in Hong Kong director Johnnie To's first English-language film, Vengeance. In 2009, he underwent surgery for colon cancer, and his successful recovery must have made him reconsider his decision to quit the stage, for in 2012, after the release of yet another new studio album, Jamais Seul -- which received heavy international promotion -- he played three high-profile North American dates, in Los Angeles, Québec City and New York.
Ô Marie, si tu savais
Tout le mal que l´on me fait
Ô Marie, si je pouvais
Dans tes bras nus
Me reposer
Evanouie mon innocence
Tu étais pour moi ma dernière chance
Peu à peu tu disparais
Malgré mes efforts désespérés
Et rien ne sera jamais plus pareil
J´ai vu plus d´horreurs que de merveilles
Les hommes sont devenus fous à lier
Je donnerais tout pour oublier
Ô Marie, si tu savais
Tout le mal que l´on me fait
Ô Marie, si je pouvais
Dans tes bras nus,
Me reposer
Et je cours toute la journée
Sans savoir où je vais
Dans le bruit dans la fumée
Je vois des ombres s´entretuer
Demain ce sera le grand jour
Il faudra faire preuve de bravoure
Pour monter au front en première ligne
Ô Marie, je t´en prie, fais-moi un signe
Allongé dans l´herbe, je m´éveille
J´ai vu la mort dans son plus simple appareil
Elle m´a promis des vacances
Oui la mort m´a promis sa dernière danse
Ô Marie, si tu savais
Tout le mal que l´on m´a fait
Ô Marie, j´attendrai
Qu´au ciel tu viennes
Me retrouver
Ô Marie, j´attendrai
Qu´au ciel tu viennes
Me retrouver
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, if I could have rested
In your bare arms
My innocence has vanished
You were my last chance
Little by little you faded
In spite of my desperate efforts
And nothing will ever be the same
I saw more horrors than marvels
Men were crazy to unite
I would give everything to forget
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, if I could have rested
In your bare arms
And I run all day
Not knowing where I go
In the noise in the smoke
I see shadows kill one another
Tomorrow will be the great day
It will be necessary to show proof of bravery
To be at the front in the first row
Oh Marie, I beg you, show me a sign
Lying in the grass, I wake
I saw death in its simplest trappings
It promised me a holiday
Yes death promised me the last dance
Oh Marie, if you knew
All the pain they caused me
Oh Marie, I will wait
Till, in heaven, you come
To find me
Oh Marie , I will wait
Till, in heaven, you come
To find me
Lyrics Translate
Last edited by Romain on Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Some great songs of Brittany, west region of France with celtic roots. All the songs are sung in Breton, a regional language.
Re: France - One song per day.
Françoise Hardy - La Nuit Est Sur La Ville - 1964
Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger (AllMusic)
Usually thought of as a middle-of-the-road popular singer, Françoise Hardy -- at the beginning of her career, at least -- covered more stylistic ground and owed more debts to pop/rock than she's given credit for. Immensely popular in her native France, the chanteuse first displayed her breathy, measured vocals in the early and mid-'60s. Her (mostly self-penned) recordings from that era draw from French pop traditions, lightweight '50s teen idol rock, girl groups, and sultry jazz and blues -- sometimes in the same song. The material is perhaps too unreservedly sentimental for some (in the French tradition), but the songs are invariably catchy and the production, arrangements, and near-operatic backup harmonies excellent, at times almost Spector-esque. Fans of Marianne Faithfull's mid-'60s work can find something of a French equivalent here, though Hardy's material was stronger and her delivery more confident.
In the 1950s, Hardy was inspired by early rock recordings to pick up the guitar, and was already writing her own songs by the time she was a teenager. By the age of 17, she was already singing her own compositions in French clubs, and successfully auditioned for Vogue Records in France in late 1961. Her debut EP appeared the following year, inaugurating a series of successful EPs and albums that would last through the '60s. Hardy sang of young love with both fetching moodiness and unrestrained ebullience; although she often wrote both her music and lyrics, she co-wrote tunes with others as well. She was greatly aided by a number of talented arrangers who seemed to be attempting (usually successfully) to blend American and British production sophistication with a Continental European sensibility. Charles Blackwell was the most notable and effective of these figures; in 1964, interestingly, she recorded some tracks under the direction of the great American R&B guitarist Mickey Baker (yes, the same one who played on Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange"), who was then based in France.
Starting in 1964, Hardy made periodic attempts to capture the international market with English-language recordings. Although these weren't entirely unsuccessful ("All Over the World" was actually a British Top 20 hit in 1965), by the late '60s she was concentrating on more mainstream, middle-of-the-road material and arrangements on both her French and English sessions. She has remained popular in France and continued recording well into the 2000s, releasing such notable albums as 2006's Parenthèses, a 12-track collection of duets with the likes of longtime collaborator Henri Salvador, Jacques Dutronc (Hardy's husband), Julio Iglesias, and relative newcomer Ben Christophers. In the following decade, her success continued with 2010's La Pluie sans Parapluie, and 2012's L'Amour Fou, which came bundled with an accompanying novel of the same title also written by Hardy, and saw her nominated for two Victoires de la Musique.
Près de moi, tranquille
Il est là, qui attend
Loin, dans une autre ville
Toi que j'aime tant
Que fais-tu maintenant?
J'étais si sûre de nous
Si confiante en tout
Mais voilà qu'à présent
Tout me semble fragile
Ce serait facile
Lui et moi, maintenant
Loin de toi que je m'ennuie
Toute seule tant de nuits
Pourquoi? Pourquoi?
Tout me pousse-t-il vers lui
Tout de moi soudain oublie
Pourquoi? Pourquoi?
Le jour est sur la ville
Dans cette autre ville
Dors-tu seul, insouciant?
Tout n'est pas si facile
Je crois bien pourtant
Que je t'aime vraiment
Oui, je j'aime vraiment.
Night lies over the town
Close to me the calm one
He who is waiting is there
Far away in another town
You who I love so much
What are you doing now?
I was always so sure about us
So credulous about everything
But right now
Everything seems fragile to me
It would be easy
Me and him now
Far from you, bored
All alone so many nights
Why, why
Is everything pushing me towards him
Everything in me forgets about you in a sudden
Why, why?
Day lies over the town
In this other town
Are you sleeping alone, carefree?
Nothing is really easy
Nevertheless I still believe
That I truly love you
Yes, I truly love you
Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger (AllMusic)
Usually thought of as a middle-of-the-road popular singer, Françoise Hardy -- at the beginning of her career, at least -- covered more stylistic ground and owed more debts to pop/rock than she's given credit for. Immensely popular in her native France, the chanteuse first displayed her breathy, measured vocals in the early and mid-'60s. Her (mostly self-penned) recordings from that era draw from French pop traditions, lightweight '50s teen idol rock, girl groups, and sultry jazz and blues -- sometimes in the same song. The material is perhaps too unreservedly sentimental for some (in the French tradition), but the songs are invariably catchy and the production, arrangements, and near-operatic backup harmonies excellent, at times almost Spector-esque. Fans of Marianne Faithfull's mid-'60s work can find something of a French equivalent here, though Hardy's material was stronger and her delivery more confident.
In the 1950s, Hardy was inspired by early rock recordings to pick up the guitar, and was already writing her own songs by the time she was a teenager. By the age of 17, she was already singing her own compositions in French clubs, and successfully auditioned for Vogue Records in France in late 1961. Her debut EP appeared the following year, inaugurating a series of successful EPs and albums that would last through the '60s. Hardy sang of young love with both fetching moodiness and unrestrained ebullience; although she often wrote both her music and lyrics, she co-wrote tunes with others as well. She was greatly aided by a number of talented arrangers who seemed to be attempting (usually successfully) to blend American and British production sophistication with a Continental European sensibility. Charles Blackwell was the most notable and effective of these figures; in 1964, interestingly, she recorded some tracks under the direction of the great American R&B guitarist Mickey Baker (yes, the same one who played on Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange"), who was then based in France.
Starting in 1964, Hardy made periodic attempts to capture the international market with English-language recordings. Although these weren't entirely unsuccessful ("All Over the World" was actually a British Top 20 hit in 1965), by the late '60s she was concentrating on more mainstream, middle-of-the-road material and arrangements on both her French and English sessions. She has remained popular in France and continued recording well into the 2000s, releasing such notable albums as 2006's Parenthèses, a 12-track collection of duets with the likes of longtime collaborator Henri Salvador, Jacques Dutronc (Hardy's husband), Julio Iglesias, and relative newcomer Ben Christophers. In the following decade, her success continued with 2010's La Pluie sans Parapluie, and 2012's L'Amour Fou, which came bundled with an accompanying novel of the same title also written by Hardy, and saw her nominated for two Victoires de la Musique.
La nuit est sur la ville
Près de moi, tranquille
Il est là, qui attend
Loin, dans une autre ville
Toi que j'aime tant
Que fais-tu maintenant?
J'étais si sûre de nous
Si confiante en tout
Mais voilà qu'à présent
Tout me semble fragile
Ce serait facile
Lui et moi, maintenant
Loin de toi que je m'ennuie
Toute seule tant de nuits
Pourquoi? Pourquoi?
Tout me pousse-t-il vers lui
Tout de moi soudain oublie
Pourquoi? Pourquoi?
Le jour est sur la ville
Dans cette autre ville
Dors-tu seul, insouciant?
Tout n'est pas si facile
Je crois bien pourtant
Que je t'aime vraiment
Oui, je j'aime vraiment.
Night lies over the town
Close to me the calm one
He who is waiting is there
Far away in another town
You who I love so much
What are you doing now?
I was always so sure about us
So credulous about everything
But right now
Everything seems fragile to me
It would be easy
Me and him now
Far from you, bored
All alone so many nights
Why, why
Is everything pushing me towards him
Everything in me forgets about you in a sudden
Why, why?
Day lies over the town
In this other town
Are you sleeping alone, carefree?
Nothing is really easy
Nevertheless I still believe
That I truly love you
Yes, I truly love you
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:39 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
William Sheller - un Homme Heureux - 1991
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
William Sheller is one of France's most technically and musically accomplished songwriters, capable of leading symphonic orchestras as well as handling the stage alone with a microphone and a piano or writing elaborate classical pieces. In the pop music domain, and since the beginning of his official career in 1968, he's had a bunch of hit singles, from Les Irrésistibles' "My Year Is a Day" to "Rock'n'Dollars," "Symphoman," or the famous "Un Homme Heureux," all displaying strong songwriting and melodic skills and fragile, gentle vocal parts.
Born in Paris in 1946, Sheller was the son of an American father and a French mother, and spent his childhood in the U.S.A. Raised to the sounds of jazz music and to the teaching of classical music, his parents encouraged him to follow a promising musician career at the early age of 16. But Sheller only met his true master when he heard the Beatles for the first time, an experience that would imprint his entire career. Sheller sought his inspiration in this passion without ever copying their works in any way. In 1968, he formed a first band, the Worst, and hit his first success that same year with "My Year Is a Day," a song he had written for the band Les Irrésistibles. After the release of a couple of commercially deceptive singles, he got back to the studio as an arranger for Dalida and Barbara. On the side, he kept writing film music and classical pieces, showing a tendency to mix classical elements with pop music elements in a very personal way. Encouraged by Barbara, who was a strong believer in his talents, he recorded a debut LP in 1975, Rock'n'Dollars, that would be his breakthrough record. Reassured by this success, he went on releasing four other records (Dans un Vieux Rock'n'Roll, Symphoman, Nicolas, and J'Suis Pas Bien), but only hit the stage in 1981, in Bobino, and in the Olympia one year later, leading to the release of a first live album. He kept on juggling with his various skills and inspirations throughout the '80s, performing on-stage with the Halvenalf Quatuor in 1983 and recording 1989's Ailleurs record. In 1991, a recording of a piano/vocals series of career-spanning live shows was released under the title Sheller en Solitaire. The record featured Sheller's most successful and popular song to date, "Un Homme Heureux," an utterly beautiful track, but one that unfortunately channeled a distorted, less challenging image of Sheller's works. An ambiguous situation that was to be illustrated by 1994's Albion's cold public welcome, in spite of general critical praise. In 2000's album Les Machines Absurdes, Sheller synthesized most of his various musical obsessions, only to come back in 2004 with a home-recorded, critically acclaimed piano/vocal intimate LP, Epures. In 2005, a career-celebrating concert was released on DVD, and Sheller kept on working on Ostinato, a classical piece to be interpreted by the Ostinato Orchestra.
Sont-ils toujours un peu les mêmes
Ils ont quand ils s'en viennent
Le même regard d'un seul désir pour deux
Ce sont des gens heureux
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu les mêmes
Quand ils ont leurs problèmes
Ben y a rien à dire, y a rien à faire pour eux
Ce sont des gens qui s'aiment
Et moi j'te connais à peine
Mais ce serait une veine
Qu'on s'en aille un peu comme eux
On pourrait se faire sans qu'ça gène
De la place pour deux
Mais si ça ne vaut pas la peine
Que j'y revienne
Il faut me le dire au fond des yeux
Quelque soit le temps que ça prenne
Quelque soit l'enjeu
Je veux être un homme heureux
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu rebelle
Ils ont un monde à aux
Que rien n'oblige à ressembler à ceux
Qu'on nous donne en modèle
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu cruels
Quand ils vous parlent d'eux
Y a quelque chose qui vous éloigne un peu
Ce sont des choses humaines
Why are people in love
Always a little bit the same?
When they come by they have
The same look of one craving for two
They’re happy people
Why are people in love
Always a little bit the same?
When they have problems
Well, there’s nothing to say
Nothing you can do for them
They’re people in love
As for me I hardly know you
But how lucky it’d be
If we took off a little bit like them
We could without too much fuss
Make room for the two of us
But if my coming on again isn’t worth it
Let me know from a glint in your eyes
However long it takes
However high the stakes
I want to be a happy man
Why are people in love
Always a little bit rebellious?
They have a world of their own
That nothing compels to look like
Those we’re given as models
Why are people in love
Always a little bit cruel?
When they tell you about themselves
Something keeps you a little further at bay
Something only too human
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
William Sheller is one of France's most technically and musically accomplished songwriters, capable of leading symphonic orchestras as well as handling the stage alone with a microphone and a piano or writing elaborate classical pieces. In the pop music domain, and since the beginning of his official career in 1968, he's had a bunch of hit singles, from Les Irrésistibles' "My Year Is a Day" to "Rock'n'Dollars," "Symphoman," or the famous "Un Homme Heureux," all displaying strong songwriting and melodic skills and fragile, gentle vocal parts.
Born in Paris in 1946, Sheller was the son of an American father and a French mother, and spent his childhood in the U.S.A. Raised to the sounds of jazz music and to the teaching of classical music, his parents encouraged him to follow a promising musician career at the early age of 16. But Sheller only met his true master when he heard the Beatles for the first time, an experience that would imprint his entire career. Sheller sought his inspiration in this passion without ever copying their works in any way. In 1968, he formed a first band, the Worst, and hit his first success that same year with "My Year Is a Day," a song he had written for the band Les Irrésistibles. After the release of a couple of commercially deceptive singles, he got back to the studio as an arranger for Dalida and Barbara. On the side, he kept writing film music and classical pieces, showing a tendency to mix classical elements with pop music elements in a very personal way. Encouraged by Barbara, who was a strong believer in his talents, he recorded a debut LP in 1975, Rock'n'Dollars, that would be his breakthrough record. Reassured by this success, he went on releasing four other records (Dans un Vieux Rock'n'Roll, Symphoman, Nicolas, and J'Suis Pas Bien), but only hit the stage in 1981, in Bobino, and in the Olympia one year later, leading to the release of a first live album. He kept on juggling with his various skills and inspirations throughout the '80s, performing on-stage with the Halvenalf Quatuor in 1983 and recording 1989's Ailleurs record. In 1991, a recording of a piano/vocals series of career-spanning live shows was released under the title Sheller en Solitaire. The record featured Sheller's most successful and popular song to date, "Un Homme Heureux," an utterly beautiful track, but one that unfortunately channeled a distorted, less challenging image of Sheller's works. An ambiguous situation that was to be illustrated by 1994's Albion's cold public welcome, in spite of general critical praise. In 2000's album Les Machines Absurdes, Sheller synthesized most of his various musical obsessions, only to come back in 2004 with a home-recorded, critically acclaimed piano/vocal intimate LP, Epures. In 2005, a career-celebrating concert was released on DVD, and Sheller kept on working on Ostinato, a classical piece to be interpreted by the Ostinato Orchestra.
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu les mêmes
Ils ont quand ils s'en viennent
Le même regard d'un seul désir pour deux
Ce sont des gens heureux
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu les mêmes
Quand ils ont leurs problèmes
Ben y a rien à dire, y a rien à faire pour eux
Ce sont des gens qui s'aiment
Et moi j'te connais à peine
Mais ce serait une veine
Qu'on s'en aille un peu comme eux
On pourrait se faire sans qu'ça gène
De la place pour deux
Mais si ça ne vaut pas la peine
Que j'y revienne
Il faut me le dire au fond des yeux
Quelque soit le temps que ça prenne
Quelque soit l'enjeu
Je veux être un homme heureux
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu rebelle
Ils ont un monde à aux
Que rien n'oblige à ressembler à ceux
Qu'on nous donne en modèle
Pourquoi les gens qui s'aiment
Sont-ils toujours un peu cruels
Quand ils vous parlent d'eux
Y a quelque chose qui vous éloigne un peu
Ce sont des choses humaines
Why are people in love
Always a little bit the same?
When they come by they have
The same look of one craving for two
They’re happy people
Why are people in love
Always a little bit the same?
When they have problems
Well, there’s nothing to say
Nothing you can do for them
They’re people in love
As for me I hardly know you
But how lucky it’d be
If we took off a little bit like them
We could without too much fuss
Make room for the two of us
But if my coming on again isn’t worth it
Let me know from a glint in your eyes
However long it takes
However high the stakes
I want to be a happy man
Why are people in love
Always a little bit rebellious?
They have a world of their own
That nothing compels to look like
Those we’re given as models
Why are people in love
Always a little bit cruel?
When they tell you about themselves
Something keeps you a little further at bay
Something only too human
Re: France - One song per day.
She's still a babe.Pierre wrote:I suggest you don't look for recent photographs or actualities about Bardot... She has aged badly in every sense of the word, sadly...Blanco wrote:Ah, Brigitte Bardot... In my opinion, the most beautiful woman in history.
Re: France - One song per day.
A song for Moonbeam?
Mylène Farmer - Libertine - 1986
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Mylène Farmer is a Canadian-born French pop superstar who rose to fame in the 1980s and topped the charts time and time again for decades thereafter. Known for giving precious few interviews and doing little to no promotion, she is a deeply mysterious figure with a cult following of fans around the world. Videos and concerts are an integral part of her musical act and its inclination toward taboo subject matters such as sex and death.
Born Mylène Jeanne Gautier on September 12, 1961, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she moved to France at age eight and attended the Parisian drama school Cours Florent as a teenager. While studying to become an actress, she adopted the name Mylène Farmer in tribute to Frances Farmer, an iconic Hollywood actress from the 1930s. Upon meeting fellow Cours Florent student Laurent Boutonnat, Farmer made her recording debut as a pop singer with "Maman a Tort" in 1984. "Maman a Tort" was the first of many Farmer songs composed by Boutonnat, who also directed a risqué video starring Farmer as a Lolita figure in a revealing nightgown. More singles followed, and Farmer eventually scored her first Top Ten hit with "Libertine" in 1986. Her full-length album debut, Cendres de Lune (1986), was released around this same time.
Her second album, Ainsi Soit Je... (1988), spawned her first chart-topping single, "Pourvu Qu'elles Soient Douces," another provocative song with an epic video that ran for nearly 20 minutes and coupled French history with sex and death. As with subsequent albums, all the lyrics of Ainsi Soit Je... were written by Farmer while Boutonnat composed the music and directed the videos. In addition to her recording output, Farmer established herself right away as a dramatic concert performer, releasing the first of many live albums with En Concert in 1989.
Following third album L'Autre... (1991), subsequent studio albums were long awaited, released every half-decade or so. In the meantime, Farmer mounted sold-out concert tours, released an array of live and remix albums, and spent a lot of time out of the public eye. Despite the long absences, her popularity never waned; for instance, her seventh album, Point de Suture (2008), spawned five straight number one hit singles.
Farmer returned in the latter half of 2010 and appeared on celebrated French songstress Line Renaud's record Rue Wahington, where she performed a duet and wrote “C’est Pas l’Heure”. The same year she also released her well-received eighth album, Bleu Noir, which topped the French charts for three consecutive weeks. Farmer enlisted Lady Gaga producer RedOne to handle the production and write music for the record, which marked the first material without long-time collaborator Boutonnat. In 2011 a second installment of greatest hits 2001.2011 was released and contains all of her hit singles since 2001 release Les Mots.
Poussée par le vent, je brûle et je m'enrhume
Entre mes dunes reposent mes infortunes
C'est nue, que j'apprends la vertu
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tienne la main
Fendre la lune, baisers d'épine et de plume
Bercée par un petit vent, je déambule
La vie est triste comme un verre de grenadine
Aimer c'est pleurer quand on s'incline
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tienne la main
Quand sur mon corps, tu t'endors, je m'évapore
Bébé tu dors et moi j'attends l'aurore
Quand de mes lèvres tu t'enlèves, un goût amer
Me rappelle que je suis au ciel
Cendre de lune, petite bulle d'écume
Perdue dans le vent, je brûle et je m'enrhume
Mon corps à peur, la peau mouillée, j'ai plus d'âme
Papa, ils ont violé mon cœur
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tiens la main
Moon ash, little foam bubble
Pushed by the wind, I burn and catch a cold
Between my dunes lie my misfortunes
It's naked that I learn about virtue
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
Slitting the moon, kisses of thorn and feather
Lulled by a little wind, I stroll about
Life is sad like a glass of grenadine
Loving is crying when bowing down
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
When on my body you fall asleep, I evaporate
Baby you're sleeping and I'm waiting for daybreak
When you come off my lips, a bitter taste
Reminds me I am in heaven
Moon ash, little foam bubble
Pushed by the wind, I burn and catch a cold
My body's scared, my skin is wet, I've lost my soul
Daddy, they have raped my heart
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
Mylène Farmer - Libertine - 1986
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Mylène Farmer is a Canadian-born French pop superstar who rose to fame in the 1980s and topped the charts time and time again for decades thereafter. Known for giving precious few interviews and doing little to no promotion, she is a deeply mysterious figure with a cult following of fans around the world. Videos and concerts are an integral part of her musical act and its inclination toward taboo subject matters such as sex and death.
Born Mylène Jeanne Gautier on September 12, 1961, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she moved to France at age eight and attended the Parisian drama school Cours Florent as a teenager. While studying to become an actress, she adopted the name Mylène Farmer in tribute to Frances Farmer, an iconic Hollywood actress from the 1930s. Upon meeting fellow Cours Florent student Laurent Boutonnat, Farmer made her recording debut as a pop singer with "Maman a Tort" in 1984. "Maman a Tort" was the first of many Farmer songs composed by Boutonnat, who also directed a risqué video starring Farmer as a Lolita figure in a revealing nightgown. More singles followed, and Farmer eventually scored her first Top Ten hit with "Libertine" in 1986. Her full-length album debut, Cendres de Lune (1986), was released around this same time.
Her second album, Ainsi Soit Je... (1988), spawned her first chart-topping single, "Pourvu Qu'elles Soient Douces," another provocative song with an epic video that ran for nearly 20 minutes and coupled French history with sex and death. As with subsequent albums, all the lyrics of Ainsi Soit Je... were written by Farmer while Boutonnat composed the music and directed the videos. In addition to her recording output, Farmer established herself right away as a dramatic concert performer, releasing the first of many live albums with En Concert in 1989.
Following third album L'Autre... (1991), subsequent studio albums were long awaited, released every half-decade or so. In the meantime, Farmer mounted sold-out concert tours, released an array of live and remix albums, and spent a lot of time out of the public eye. Despite the long absences, her popularity never waned; for instance, her seventh album, Point de Suture (2008), spawned five straight number one hit singles.
Farmer returned in the latter half of 2010 and appeared on celebrated French songstress Line Renaud's record Rue Wahington, where she performed a duet and wrote “C’est Pas l’Heure”. The same year she also released her well-received eighth album, Bleu Noir, which topped the French charts for three consecutive weeks. Farmer enlisted Lady Gaga producer RedOne to handle the production and write music for the record, which marked the first material without long-time collaborator Boutonnat. In 2011 a second installment of greatest hits 2001.2011 was released and contains all of her hit singles since 2001 release Les Mots.
Cendre de lune, petite bulle d'écume
Poussée par le vent, je brûle et je m'enrhume
Entre mes dunes reposent mes infortunes
C'est nue, que j'apprends la vertu
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tienne la main
Fendre la lune, baisers d'épine et de plume
Bercée par un petit vent, je déambule
La vie est triste comme un verre de grenadine
Aimer c'est pleurer quand on s'incline
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tienne la main
Quand sur mon corps, tu t'endors, je m'évapore
Bébé tu dors et moi j'attends l'aurore
Quand de mes lèvres tu t'enlèves, un goût amer
Me rappelle que je suis au ciel
Cendre de lune, petite bulle d'écume
Perdue dans le vent, je brûle et je m'enrhume
Mon corps à peur, la peau mouillée, j'ai plus d'âme
Papa, ils ont violé mon cœur
Je, je suis libertine, je suis une catin
Je, je suis si fragile qu'on me tiens la main
Moon ash, little foam bubble
Pushed by the wind, I burn and catch a cold
Between my dunes lie my misfortunes
It's naked that I learn about virtue
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
Slitting the moon, kisses of thorn and feather
Lulled by a little wind, I stroll about
Life is sad like a glass of grenadine
Loving is crying when bowing down
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
When on my body you fall asleep, I evaporate
Baby you're sleeping and I'm waiting for daybreak
When you come off my lips, a bitter taste
Reminds me I am in heaven
Moon ash, little foam bubble
Pushed by the wind, I burn and catch a cold
My body's scared, my skin is wet, I've lost my soul
Daddy, they have raped my heart
I, I am a libertine, I am a hooker
I, I am so fragile I need someone to hold my hand
Re: France - One song per day.
M - Qui de nous deux ? - 2003
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (AllMusic)
-M- was the alias of French pop enigma Mathieu Chédid, an uncommonly idiosyncratic and far-ranging talent best known on North American shores for his contributions to the animated cult favorite Les Triplettes de Belleville. Born December 21, 1971, in Boulogne-Billancourt, Chédid was the son of French pop icon Louis Chédid (on whose 1978 hit "T'a Beau Pas Être Beau" the six-year-old made his recorded debut) and the grandson of renowned poet and novelist Andrée Chédid. As a teen Chédid collaborated with fellow pop scions Pierre Souchon and Julien Voulzy (children of the legendary songwriting duo Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy) in a series of short-lived groups like Les Bébés Fous and Les Poissons Rouges. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, he also emerged as an in-demand session player, contributing to recordings headlined by Philippe Chatel, NTM, and Billy Ze Kick. Upon completing his debut solo LP, 1997's Le Baptême, Chédid adopted the alias "-M-," abbreviating his first name while also playing on the pronunciation of "aime," the French word for "love." Developing a vividly theatrical stage show complementing his playful melodies and operatic vocals, -M- completed his transformation with both a guitar and a coiffure in the shape of his one-letter persona (to picture the latter, imagine a younger, space-age Grandpa Munster). After winning the prestigious Prix Félix Leclerc for his songwriting prowess, -M- began work on his 1999 follow-up, Je Dis Aime. Another commercial and critical success, it set the stage for a sold-out tour and Victoires de la Musique awards in the categories of Best Male Singer and Best Concert. While taking an extended break from recording to raise his first child, -M- in 2001 issued a live LP, Le Tour de -M-. Its 2003 follow-up, Labo -M-, was little more than a hodgepodge of instrumentals, demos, and outtakes, although his imaginative title theme for Sylvain Chaumet's acclaimed feature Les Triplettes des Belleville was itself highly regarded as well. Finally, at year's end -M- resurfaced with a new studio effort, Qui de Nous Deux?, a record that eschewed the flamboyance of his previous music in favor of a more personal and mature sensibility. The subsequent world tour yielded the double live release En Tête à Tête, issued in late 2005. He released his fifth studio album Mister Mystere in 2009 after a six-year hiatus. Another live album En Tete A Tete followed in 2010. He began preparations for his fifth studio album, Îl in 2012.
Des clefs aux doigts
Des cordes pour tendons
Agite-nous
Agite-moi
Fais l'arpège
Sature le son
Qui de nous deux
Inspire l'autre
Oui je joue
D'un sixième membre
À la forme
De tes hanches
Ventre à ventre
Élégante compagne
Refrain:
Qui de nous deux
Inspire l'autre
Qui de nous deux
Speed l'autre
Speed l'autre
Caisse parfois
Pleine de doutes
Je te griffe
Te lacère
Des emplis chavirent
Souvent j'ai voulu
Te prendre à tes cordes
T'oublier
Aux objets trouvés
(Refrain)
Je t'appréhende
Je te garde
Je te pose
À mon cou
Issue à ma voix Inspire moi
Enveloppe-nous
Enlace-moi
(Refrain)
Stridence magnifique
Aux instants oniriques
Membre fictif
Acoustique
Féline éléctrique amie
Oh oui
(Refrain)
Wooden arms
Keys for fingers
Ropes for tendons
Agitate us
Agitate me
Play the arpeggio
Saturate the sound
Which of us two
Inspires the other?
Yes, I play
Of a sixth limb
In the form
Of your hips
Belly to belly
Elegant companion
Refrain:
Which of us two
Inspires the other?
Which of us two
Upsets the other?
Upsets the other?
Broken* sometimes
Full of doubts
I claw at you
Lacerate you
Full things capsize
Often, I've wanted
To cut your corners
To forget you
As a found object
(Refrain)
I apprehend you
I guard you
I pose you
At my neck
Following after my voice
Inspire me
Envelop us
Embrace me
(Refrain)
Magnificent shrillness
Dreamlike at times
Fictional limb
Acoustic
Electric feline friend
Oh, yes
Thanks to mayasurya on LyricsTranslate
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (AllMusic)
-M- was the alias of French pop enigma Mathieu Chédid, an uncommonly idiosyncratic and far-ranging talent best known on North American shores for his contributions to the animated cult favorite Les Triplettes de Belleville. Born December 21, 1971, in Boulogne-Billancourt, Chédid was the son of French pop icon Louis Chédid (on whose 1978 hit "T'a Beau Pas Être Beau" the six-year-old made his recorded debut) and the grandson of renowned poet and novelist Andrée Chédid. As a teen Chédid collaborated with fellow pop scions Pierre Souchon and Julien Voulzy (children of the legendary songwriting duo Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy) in a series of short-lived groups like Les Bébés Fous and Les Poissons Rouges. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, he also emerged as an in-demand session player, contributing to recordings headlined by Philippe Chatel, NTM, and Billy Ze Kick. Upon completing his debut solo LP, 1997's Le Baptême, Chédid adopted the alias "-M-," abbreviating his first name while also playing on the pronunciation of "aime," the French word for "love." Developing a vividly theatrical stage show complementing his playful melodies and operatic vocals, -M- completed his transformation with both a guitar and a coiffure in the shape of his one-letter persona (to picture the latter, imagine a younger, space-age Grandpa Munster). After winning the prestigious Prix Félix Leclerc for his songwriting prowess, -M- began work on his 1999 follow-up, Je Dis Aime. Another commercial and critical success, it set the stage for a sold-out tour and Victoires de la Musique awards in the categories of Best Male Singer and Best Concert. While taking an extended break from recording to raise his first child, -M- in 2001 issued a live LP, Le Tour de -M-. Its 2003 follow-up, Labo -M-, was little more than a hodgepodge of instrumentals, demos, and outtakes, although his imaginative title theme for Sylvain Chaumet's acclaimed feature Les Triplettes des Belleville was itself highly regarded as well. Finally, at year's end -M- resurfaced with a new studio effort, Qui de Nous Deux?, a record that eschewed the flamboyance of his previous music in favor of a more personal and mature sensibility. The subsequent world tour yielded the double live release En Tête à Tête, issued in late 2005. He released his fifth studio album Mister Mystere in 2009 after a six-year hiatus. Another live album En Tete A Tete followed in 2010. He began preparations for his fifth studio album, Îl in 2012.
Bras de bois
Des clefs aux doigts
Des cordes pour tendons
Agite-nous
Agite-moi
Fais l'arpège
Sature le son
Qui de nous deux
Inspire l'autre
Oui je joue
D'un sixième membre
À la forme
De tes hanches
Ventre à ventre
Élégante compagne
Refrain:
Qui de nous deux
Inspire l'autre
Qui de nous deux
Speed l'autre
Speed l'autre
Caisse parfois
Pleine de doutes
Je te griffe
Te lacère
Des emplis chavirent
Souvent j'ai voulu
Te prendre à tes cordes
T'oublier
Aux objets trouvés
(Refrain)
Je t'appréhende
Je te garde
Je te pose
À mon cou
Issue à ma voix Inspire moi
Enveloppe-nous
Enlace-moi
(Refrain)
Stridence magnifique
Aux instants oniriques
Membre fictif
Acoustique
Féline éléctrique amie
Oh oui
(Refrain)
Wooden arms
Keys for fingers
Ropes for tendons
Agitate us
Agitate me
Play the arpeggio
Saturate the sound
Which of us two
Inspires the other?
Yes, I play
Of a sixth limb
In the form
Of your hips
Belly to belly
Elegant companion
Refrain:
Which of us two
Inspires the other?
Which of us two
Upsets the other?
Upsets the other?
Broken* sometimes
Full of doubts
I claw at you
Lacerate you
Full things capsize
Often, I've wanted
To cut your corners
To forget you
As a found object
(Refrain)
I apprehend you
I guard you
I pose you
At my neck
Following after my voice
Inspire me
Envelop us
Embrace me
(Refrain)
Magnificent shrillness
Dreamlike at times
Fictional limb
Acoustic
Electric feline friend
Oh, yes
Thanks to mayasurya on LyricsTranslate
Last edited by Romain on Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Magali Noël - Fais-moi mal, Johnny - 1956
Wikipédia :
Magali Noël (born Magali Noëlle Guiffray; 27 June 1932) is a French actress and singer. Born in Izmir to French parents in the diplomatic service, she left Turkey for France in 1951, and her acting career began soon thereafter. She acted in multilingual cinema chiefly from 1951 to 1980, doing several films in Italian with renowned director Federico Fellini, for whom she was a favourite subject. She also acted in films directed by such well-known names as Costa Gavras, Jean Renoir, and Jules Dassin. Her career extended to television movies from roughly 1980 to 2002.
Her recording career began in France in 1956, and her most famous song was "Fais-moi mal, Johnny" ("Hurt me Johnny"), written by Boris Vian. This song was one of the first rock 'n' roll songs with French lyrics. It was forbidden on the radio for a long time due to its risqué lyrics describing – with a great sense of humour and derision – a sadomasochistic episode.
Debout il était plus petit
Je me suis dit c’est dans la poche
Ce mignon là c’est pour mon lit
Il m’arrivait jusqu’à l’épaule
Mais il était râblé comme tout
Il m’a suivi jusqu’à ma piaule
Et j’ai crié :vas y mon loup ! !
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Envoie moi au ciel ,Zoum
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Y vas lui faire mal (X4)
Il n’avait plus que ses chaussettes
Des belles jaunes avec des raies bleues
Il m’a regardé d’un œil bête
Il comprenait rien l’malheureux
Puis il m’a dit l’air désolé
Je ne f’rais pas d’mal à une mouche
Il m’énervait je l’ai giflé
Et j’ai grincé d’un air farouche
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Je suis pas une mouche ,Bzzzzz
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Vas y fait lui mal (X4)
Voyant qu’il ne s’excitait guerre
Je l’ai insulté sauvagement
J’lui ai donné tout les noms d’la terre
Et encore d’autres bien moins courants
Ça l’a réveillé aussi sec
Et il m’a dit "Arrête ton char,
Tu m’prend vraiment pour un pauv’mec
J’vais t’en r’filer d’la série noire !!"
Tu m’fait mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Pas avec les pieds,SI
Tu m’fait mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
J’aime pas l’amour qui fait :Bing
Il lui a fait mal (X4)
Il a remis sa p’tite chemise
Son p’tit complet ses p’tits souliers
Il a descendu l’escalier
En m’laissant une épaule démise
Pour des voyous de cette espèce
C’est bien la peine de faire des frais
Maintenant j’ai des bleus plein les fesses
Et plus jamais je ne dirais
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Envoie moi au ciel ,Zoum
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Oh Johnny !
Oh la vache !
He stood up when i came up to him
Once on his feet, was much shorter
I was thinking, "it's in the bag!"
This cutie here is for my bed
His height stood up at my shoulder
But he was built like a truck
Followed me to my shack
And I shouted, go on Wolfy
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
Fly me to the heavens, zoom!
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
I want some loving that goes "boom"!
He'd taken off all but his socks
Nice blue-striped yellow ones
He looked at me, bewildered
He wasn't getting it, poor sod
So he told me, looking sorrowful
I wouldn't even hurt a fly
He got me mad!, so i slapped him
And I squealed, savagely
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
I'm no fly, zoom!
I want some loving that goes "boom"!
Since he wasn't getting excited
I insulted him wildly
I called him all the names in the world
And some uncommon ones as well
That woke him up alright
He told me "come off it!"
You really think I'm a dead loss?
I'll show you some hardboiled Noir alright
You're hurting me, Johnny
I beg you, not with your feet.. zing!
You're hurting me, Johnny
I can't have loving that goes "bing"!
His little shirt back on
His li'l suit, his li'l shoes
Went down the stairs
Leaving me with a dislocated shoulder.
For thugs this type,
it ain't worth the expense
Now my bums are all bruised
Never again shall i request
Hurt me hurt me Johnny.
Wikipédia :
Magali Noël (born Magali Noëlle Guiffray; 27 June 1932) is a French actress and singer. Born in Izmir to French parents in the diplomatic service, she left Turkey for France in 1951, and her acting career began soon thereafter. She acted in multilingual cinema chiefly from 1951 to 1980, doing several films in Italian with renowned director Federico Fellini, for whom she was a favourite subject. She also acted in films directed by such well-known names as Costa Gavras, Jean Renoir, and Jules Dassin. Her career extended to television movies from roughly 1980 to 2002.
Her recording career began in France in 1956, and her most famous song was "Fais-moi mal, Johnny" ("Hurt me Johnny"), written by Boris Vian. This song was one of the first rock 'n' roll songs with French lyrics. It was forbidden on the radio for a long time due to its risqué lyrics describing – with a great sense of humour and derision – a sadomasochistic episode.
Il s’est levé à mon approche
Debout il était plus petit
Je me suis dit c’est dans la poche
Ce mignon là c’est pour mon lit
Il m’arrivait jusqu’à l’épaule
Mais il était râblé comme tout
Il m’a suivi jusqu’à ma piaule
Et j’ai crié :vas y mon loup ! !
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Envoie moi au ciel ,Zoum
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Y vas lui faire mal (X4)
Il n’avait plus que ses chaussettes
Des belles jaunes avec des raies bleues
Il m’a regardé d’un œil bête
Il comprenait rien l’malheureux
Puis il m’a dit l’air désolé
Je ne f’rais pas d’mal à une mouche
Il m’énervait je l’ai giflé
Et j’ai grincé d’un air farouche
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Je suis pas une mouche ,Bzzzzz
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Vas y fait lui mal (X4)
Voyant qu’il ne s’excitait guerre
Je l’ai insulté sauvagement
J’lui ai donné tout les noms d’la terre
Et encore d’autres bien moins courants
Ça l’a réveillé aussi sec
Et il m’a dit "Arrête ton char,
Tu m’prend vraiment pour un pauv’mec
J’vais t’en r’filer d’la série noire !!"
Tu m’fait mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Pas avec les pieds,SI
Tu m’fait mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
J’aime pas l’amour qui fait :Bing
Il lui a fait mal (X4)
Il a remis sa p’tite chemise
Son p’tit complet ses p’tits souliers
Il a descendu l’escalier
En m’laissant une épaule démise
Pour des voyous de cette espèce
C’est bien la peine de faire des frais
Maintenant j’ai des bleus plein les fesses
Et plus jamais je ne dirais
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Envoie moi au ciel ,Zoum
Fait moi mal Johnny, Johnny ,Johnny
Moi j’aime l’amour qui fait :boum
Oh Johnny !
Oh la vache !
He stood up when i came up to him
Once on his feet, was much shorter
I was thinking, "it's in the bag!"
This cutie here is for my bed
His height stood up at my shoulder
But he was built like a truck
Followed me to my shack
And I shouted, go on Wolfy
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
Fly me to the heavens, zoom!
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
I want some loving that goes "boom"!
He'd taken off all but his socks
Nice blue-striped yellow ones
He looked at me, bewildered
He wasn't getting it, poor sod
So he told me, looking sorrowful
I wouldn't even hurt a fly
He got me mad!, so i slapped him
And I squealed, savagely
Hurt me hurt me Johnny
I'm no fly, zoom!
I want some loving that goes "boom"!
Since he wasn't getting excited
I insulted him wildly
I called him all the names in the world
And some uncommon ones as well
That woke him up alright
He told me "come off it!"
You really think I'm a dead loss?
I'll show you some hardboiled Noir alright
You're hurting me, Johnny
I beg you, not with your feet.. zing!
You're hurting me, Johnny
I can't have loving that goes "bing"!
His little shirt back on
His li'l suit, his li'l shoes
Went down the stairs
Leaving me with a dislocated shoulder.
For thugs this type,
it ain't worth the expense
Now my bums are all bruised
Never again shall i request
Hurt me hurt me Johnny.
Last edited by Romain on Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Gilbert Bécaud - Nathalie - 1964
Artist Biography by Steve Huey
Known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his dynamic stage presence, Gilbert Bécaud was one of France's most popular singers during the 1950s and '60s, and enjoyed a career of more than four decades in show business. Bécaud is best known for his 1961 smash "Et Maintenant," which became a pop standard in the English-speaking world after it was translated as "What Now My Love." He was also an occasional film actor, a highly successful songwriter with over 150 credits, and an ambitious composer who completed a Christmas cantata, an opera, and a Broadway stage musical. But his primary impact came as a singer. In an era when cabaret vocalists remained largely stationary on-stage, Bécaud's energetic showmanship drove his audiences into a frenzy, as they strove to match his boundless enthusiasm. He became a regular presence at Paris' legendary Olympia concert theater, where he performed over 30 times -- more than any other artist. A notoriously heavy smoker, Bécaud succumbed to lung cancer in 2001, but kept performing almost right up to the end.
Bécaud was born François Gilbert Léopold Silly on October 24, 1927, in the Mediterranean port city of Toulon, France. He developed quickly as a pianist, and by age nine, he was already studying at the Conservatoire de Nice. His education was interrupted by World War II, and he left school in 1942 to join his family in Albertville and work for the French Resistance movement. After the war, the family settled in Paris, and the 20-year-old François began playing piano in cabarets and nightclubs. Around the same time, he also started composing music for films under the name François Bécaud, and also met songwriter Maurice Vidalin, who sparked his interest in writing pop songs in the traditional chanson style. In 1948, Bécaud started penning material for singer Marie Bizet; through her, he met songwriter Pierre Delanoé, who would join Bécaud and Vidalin to forge a highly successful creative partnership.
In 1950, Bécaud took a job as touring pianist for singer Jacques Pills, another connection made through Bizet. While on tour in America, the two met legendary singer Edith Piaf, and wrote her a hit song, "Je T'Ai Dans la Peau." Pills and Piaf married, and Bécaud served as Piaf's accompanist and manager for a short time. In 1952, he changed his stage name to Gilbert Bécaud, made his performing debut as a singer, got married, and made important songwriting connections with Louis Amade and the young Charles Aznavour. Thanks in part to Piaf's advocacy, Bécaud got the chance to record as a singer, and cut his first two singles -- "Mes Mains" and "Les Croix" -- in 1953; the songs were written by Delanoé and Amade, respectively, and helped establish Bécaud as an up-and-coming talent. In early 1954, Bécaud made his first appearance at the Olympia concert hall, serving as a supporting act on the night of its reopening. He returned as a headliner in February 1955 and delivered an exciting, star-making performance at which the teenage crowd went wild and started ripping the seats out of the theater. The stir captured the imagination of the French press, who nicknamed Bécaud "Monsieur 100,000 Volts"; all the publicity effectively catapulted him into the front rank of French singers.
Bécaud scored numerous hits over the remainder of the '50s, including "La Corrida" (1956), "Les Marchés de Provence" (1957), "Le Jour où la Pluie Viendra" (1957; written with Delanoé), and "C'est Merveilleux l'Amour" (1958), among others. Additionally, "Le Jour où la Pluie Viendra" was adapted into "The Day the Rains Came," and recorded for a chart-topping U.K. hit by Jane Morgan in 1958. It was the first of several Bécaud numbers that would find wider success via English translations, and he consolidated his growing reputation with extensive international touring. Bécaud also dabbled in film acting during this period, making his first appearance in 1956's Le Pays d'où Je Viens and continuing in 1957's Casino de Paris and 1959's Croquemitoufle. In 1960, Bécaud won the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque award, and composed an extended holiday work, a cantata titled "L'enfant à l'Étoile," which was broadcast on live television from a Paris church on Christmas Eve. He also scored another huge hit with "Je T'Appartiens," which became a U.S. Top Ten hit for the Everly Brothers as "Let It Be Me"; the song was later recorded by soul singers James Brown and Jerry Butler, country star Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, and many more.
Bécaud scored the biggest hit of his career in 1961 with "Et Maintenant," a song he co-wrote with Pierre Delanoé that wound up ranking among French pop's all-time classics. Translated into English as "What Now My Love," it became a standard in America and Britain as well, recorded by Shirley Bassey, Sonny & Cher (a U.S. Top 20 hit in 1966), Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, and countless others. In 1962, Bécaud completed work on a full-fledged opera, L'Opéra d'Aran, which premiered in Paris that October with Georges Prêtre conducting; he spent a good part of 1964 touring Europe with it. Meanwhile, the pop hits kept coming: "Un Dimanche à Orly" (1963), the enormous hit "Nathalie" (1964; probably his second best-known song), "Quand Il Est Mort le Poète" (1965), the controversial pro-de Gaulle anthem "Tu le Regretteras" (1965), and "L'Important C'est le Rose" (1967). Also, "Seul Sur Son Étoile" was adapted into the English-language hit "It Must Be Him," which Vikki Carr took into the U.S. Top Five in 1967. Bécaud continued his extensive international touring, and appeared frequently on French television during the late '60s.
Bécaud focused far more on touring than recording during the '70s, but continued to hit the charts periodically, and maintained a healthy share of his popularity despite changing musical tastes in France. He had another major hit with 1970's "La Solitude, Ça N'Existe Pas," and briefly returned to acting over 1972-1973, with appearances in Roberto Muller's Un Homme Libre and Claude Lelouch's Toute Une Vie. He was forced to take some time off in late 1973 due to exhaustion, and by this point in his career, his chronic smoking was beginning to exact a toll on his voice. Nonetheless, he managed to keep up a hectic touring schedule, and returned to action in early 1974 to be named Chevalier in the Legion d'Honneur; the honor was presented by his old songwriting partner Louis Amade, who was also a prominent civil servant. In 1975, Bécaud scored his only U.K. hit with the Top Ten "A Little Love and Understanding," the English-language version of "Un Peu d'Amour et d'Amitie." He began writing with Pierre Grosz in 1976, including the hit "Mais où Sont-Ils les Jours Heureux?," and had another success with 1977's "L'Indifférence," written with longtime collaborator Maurice Vidalin.
After a break in the late '70s, Bécaud co-wrote Neil Diamond's adult contemporary smashes "September Morn" (1980) and "Love on the Rocks" (1981), and revitalized his own recording career with the 1982 hit "Desirée." In 1986, his stage musical Madame Roza -- written with lyricist/librettist Julian More -- opened in America to much greater success than it had enjoyed in France, and moved on to Broadway the following year. Bécaud switched from EMI to BMG in 1988, and issued his first album for the label, Fais-Moi Signe, later that year. Following his mother's death in 1991, he embarked on a whirlwind tour of the world, after which he contemplated retirement. First, though, he released the autobiographical album Un Vie Comme un Roman (A Life Like a Novel) in early 1993. He spent the next few years relaxing and nursing his health at his various homes, including a houseboat he kept on the Seine River in Paris. He continued to write, however, and returned in late 1996 with the album Ensemble. The following year, he celebrated his 70th birthday with yet another series of concerts at the Olympia, and in 1999 released the low-key acoustic album Faut Faire Avec.... By the end of that year, Bécaud knew he was suffering from lung cancer, and put on another series of shows at the Olympia that proved to be his farewell to the venue. He gave his final live performance in Switzerland in July 2000, and subsequently entered the studio to record his final album, Le Cap. He passed away in his Seine River houseboat on December 18, 2001.
Devant moi marchait Nathalie
Il avait un joli nom, mon guide
Nathalie
La place Rouge était blanche
La neige faisait un tapis
Et je suivais par ce froid dimanche
Nathalie
Elle parlait en phrases sobres
De la révolution d'octobre
Je pensais déjà
Qu'après le tombeau de Lénine
On irait au cafe Pouchkine
Boire un chocolat
La place Rouge était vide
J'ai pris son bras, elle a souri
Il avait des cheveux blonds, mon guide
Nathalie, Nathalie...
Dans sa chambre à l'université
Une bande d'étudiants
L'attendait impatiemment
On a ri, on à beaucoup parlé
Ils voulaient tout savoir
Nathalie traduisait
Moscou, les plaines d'Ukraine
Et les Champs-Élysées
On à tout melangé
Et l'on à chanté
Et puis ils ont débouché
En riant à l'avance
Du champagne de France
Et l'on à dansé
Et quand la chambre fut vide
Tous les amis etaient partis
Je suis resté seul avec mon guide
Nathalie
Plus question de phrases sobres
Ni de révolution d'octobre
On n'en était plus là
Fini le tombeau de Lenine
Le chocolat de chez Pouchkine
C'est, c'était loin déjà
Que ma vie me semble vide
Mais je sais qu'un jour à Paris
C'est moi qui lui servirai de guide
Nathalie, Nathalie
the Red Square was hollow (empty)
in front of me was Nathalie walking
she has a beautiful name, my guide
nathalie
the red square was white
snow mades a carpet
and i continued in this cold sunday
nathalie
she spoke with modests senteces
about october's revolution
i alreday thought
that after Lenin fall
we would go to Pouchkine caffee
to drink a chocolate
the red square was empty
i have taken her arm, she has smiled to me
my guide had blonde hair
nathalie, nathalie
at the university room
a group of students
was waiting for her impatiently
we have laughted, we have talked a lot
thay wanted to know everything
nathalie translated
moscow, thw fields of ukraine
and the champs elisees
we haev mixed everything
and we have singed
and after they have unkorked ( a bottle i suppose)
we have laughed first
about french champagne (not sure about this)
and we have danced
and when the room was empty
all the freinds were gone
i have stayed alone with my guide
nathalie
no more modest sentences
no more october's revolution
we werent there anymore
finished lenin's grave
the chocolate at Pouchkine
that, that was far away now
my life seems empty to me
but i know that someday at paris
i will be her guide
nathalie nathalie
Artist Biography by Steve Huey
Known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his dynamic stage presence, Gilbert Bécaud was one of France's most popular singers during the 1950s and '60s, and enjoyed a career of more than four decades in show business. Bécaud is best known for his 1961 smash "Et Maintenant," which became a pop standard in the English-speaking world after it was translated as "What Now My Love." He was also an occasional film actor, a highly successful songwriter with over 150 credits, and an ambitious composer who completed a Christmas cantata, an opera, and a Broadway stage musical. But his primary impact came as a singer. In an era when cabaret vocalists remained largely stationary on-stage, Bécaud's energetic showmanship drove his audiences into a frenzy, as they strove to match his boundless enthusiasm. He became a regular presence at Paris' legendary Olympia concert theater, where he performed over 30 times -- more than any other artist. A notoriously heavy smoker, Bécaud succumbed to lung cancer in 2001, but kept performing almost right up to the end.
Bécaud was born François Gilbert Léopold Silly on October 24, 1927, in the Mediterranean port city of Toulon, France. He developed quickly as a pianist, and by age nine, he was already studying at the Conservatoire de Nice. His education was interrupted by World War II, and he left school in 1942 to join his family in Albertville and work for the French Resistance movement. After the war, the family settled in Paris, and the 20-year-old François began playing piano in cabarets and nightclubs. Around the same time, he also started composing music for films under the name François Bécaud, and also met songwriter Maurice Vidalin, who sparked his interest in writing pop songs in the traditional chanson style. In 1948, Bécaud started penning material for singer Marie Bizet; through her, he met songwriter Pierre Delanoé, who would join Bécaud and Vidalin to forge a highly successful creative partnership.
In 1950, Bécaud took a job as touring pianist for singer Jacques Pills, another connection made through Bizet. While on tour in America, the two met legendary singer Edith Piaf, and wrote her a hit song, "Je T'Ai Dans la Peau." Pills and Piaf married, and Bécaud served as Piaf's accompanist and manager for a short time. In 1952, he changed his stage name to Gilbert Bécaud, made his performing debut as a singer, got married, and made important songwriting connections with Louis Amade and the young Charles Aznavour. Thanks in part to Piaf's advocacy, Bécaud got the chance to record as a singer, and cut his first two singles -- "Mes Mains" and "Les Croix" -- in 1953; the songs were written by Delanoé and Amade, respectively, and helped establish Bécaud as an up-and-coming talent. In early 1954, Bécaud made his first appearance at the Olympia concert hall, serving as a supporting act on the night of its reopening. He returned as a headliner in February 1955 and delivered an exciting, star-making performance at which the teenage crowd went wild and started ripping the seats out of the theater. The stir captured the imagination of the French press, who nicknamed Bécaud "Monsieur 100,000 Volts"; all the publicity effectively catapulted him into the front rank of French singers.
Bécaud scored numerous hits over the remainder of the '50s, including "La Corrida" (1956), "Les Marchés de Provence" (1957), "Le Jour où la Pluie Viendra" (1957; written with Delanoé), and "C'est Merveilleux l'Amour" (1958), among others. Additionally, "Le Jour où la Pluie Viendra" was adapted into "The Day the Rains Came," and recorded for a chart-topping U.K. hit by Jane Morgan in 1958. It was the first of several Bécaud numbers that would find wider success via English translations, and he consolidated his growing reputation with extensive international touring. Bécaud also dabbled in film acting during this period, making his first appearance in 1956's Le Pays d'où Je Viens and continuing in 1957's Casino de Paris and 1959's Croquemitoufle. In 1960, Bécaud won the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque award, and composed an extended holiday work, a cantata titled "L'enfant à l'Étoile," which was broadcast on live television from a Paris church on Christmas Eve. He also scored another huge hit with "Je T'Appartiens," which became a U.S. Top Ten hit for the Everly Brothers as "Let It Be Me"; the song was later recorded by soul singers James Brown and Jerry Butler, country star Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, and many more.
Bécaud scored the biggest hit of his career in 1961 with "Et Maintenant," a song he co-wrote with Pierre Delanoé that wound up ranking among French pop's all-time classics. Translated into English as "What Now My Love," it became a standard in America and Britain as well, recorded by Shirley Bassey, Sonny & Cher (a U.S. Top 20 hit in 1966), Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, and countless others. In 1962, Bécaud completed work on a full-fledged opera, L'Opéra d'Aran, which premiered in Paris that October with Georges Prêtre conducting; he spent a good part of 1964 touring Europe with it. Meanwhile, the pop hits kept coming: "Un Dimanche à Orly" (1963), the enormous hit "Nathalie" (1964; probably his second best-known song), "Quand Il Est Mort le Poète" (1965), the controversial pro-de Gaulle anthem "Tu le Regretteras" (1965), and "L'Important C'est le Rose" (1967). Also, "Seul Sur Son Étoile" was adapted into the English-language hit "It Must Be Him," which Vikki Carr took into the U.S. Top Five in 1967. Bécaud continued his extensive international touring, and appeared frequently on French television during the late '60s.
Bécaud focused far more on touring than recording during the '70s, but continued to hit the charts periodically, and maintained a healthy share of his popularity despite changing musical tastes in France. He had another major hit with 1970's "La Solitude, Ça N'Existe Pas," and briefly returned to acting over 1972-1973, with appearances in Roberto Muller's Un Homme Libre and Claude Lelouch's Toute Une Vie. He was forced to take some time off in late 1973 due to exhaustion, and by this point in his career, his chronic smoking was beginning to exact a toll on his voice. Nonetheless, he managed to keep up a hectic touring schedule, and returned to action in early 1974 to be named Chevalier in the Legion d'Honneur; the honor was presented by his old songwriting partner Louis Amade, who was also a prominent civil servant. In 1975, Bécaud scored his only U.K. hit with the Top Ten "A Little Love and Understanding," the English-language version of "Un Peu d'Amour et d'Amitie." He began writing with Pierre Grosz in 1976, including the hit "Mais où Sont-Ils les Jours Heureux?," and had another success with 1977's "L'Indifférence," written with longtime collaborator Maurice Vidalin.
After a break in the late '70s, Bécaud co-wrote Neil Diamond's adult contemporary smashes "September Morn" (1980) and "Love on the Rocks" (1981), and revitalized his own recording career with the 1982 hit "Desirée." In 1986, his stage musical Madame Roza -- written with lyricist/librettist Julian More -- opened in America to much greater success than it had enjoyed in France, and moved on to Broadway the following year. Bécaud switched from EMI to BMG in 1988, and issued his first album for the label, Fais-Moi Signe, later that year. Following his mother's death in 1991, he embarked on a whirlwind tour of the world, after which he contemplated retirement. First, though, he released the autobiographical album Un Vie Comme un Roman (A Life Like a Novel) in early 1993. He spent the next few years relaxing and nursing his health at his various homes, including a houseboat he kept on the Seine River in Paris. He continued to write, however, and returned in late 1996 with the album Ensemble. The following year, he celebrated his 70th birthday with yet another series of concerts at the Olympia, and in 1999 released the low-key acoustic album Faut Faire Avec.... By the end of that year, Bécaud knew he was suffering from lung cancer, and put on another series of shows at the Olympia that proved to be his farewell to the venue. He gave his final live performance in Switzerland in July 2000, and subsequently entered the studio to record his final album, Le Cap. He passed away in his Seine River houseboat on December 18, 2001.
La place Rouge était vide
Devant moi marchait Nathalie
Il avait un joli nom, mon guide
Nathalie
La place Rouge était blanche
La neige faisait un tapis
Et je suivais par ce froid dimanche
Nathalie
Elle parlait en phrases sobres
De la révolution d'octobre
Je pensais déjà
Qu'après le tombeau de Lénine
On irait au cafe Pouchkine
Boire un chocolat
La place Rouge était vide
J'ai pris son bras, elle a souri
Il avait des cheveux blonds, mon guide
Nathalie, Nathalie...
Dans sa chambre à l'université
Une bande d'étudiants
L'attendait impatiemment
On a ri, on à beaucoup parlé
Ils voulaient tout savoir
Nathalie traduisait
Moscou, les plaines d'Ukraine
Et les Champs-Élysées
On à tout melangé
Et l'on à chanté
Et puis ils ont débouché
En riant à l'avance
Du champagne de France
Et l'on à dansé
Et quand la chambre fut vide
Tous les amis etaient partis
Je suis resté seul avec mon guide
Nathalie
Plus question de phrases sobres
Ni de révolution d'octobre
On n'en était plus là
Fini le tombeau de Lenine
Le chocolat de chez Pouchkine
C'est, c'était loin déjà
Que ma vie me semble vide
Mais je sais qu'un jour à Paris
C'est moi qui lui servirai de guide
Nathalie, Nathalie
the Red Square was hollow (empty)
in front of me was Nathalie walking
she has a beautiful name, my guide
nathalie
the red square was white
snow mades a carpet
and i continued in this cold sunday
nathalie
she spoke with modests senteces
about october's revolution
i alreday thought
that after Lenin fall
we would go to Pouchkine caffee
to drink a chocolate
the red square was empty
i have taken her arm, she has smiled to me
my guide had blonde hair
nathalie, nathalie
at the university room
a group of students
was waiting for her impatiently
we have laughted, we have talked a lot
thay wanted to know everything
nathalie translated
moscow, thw fields of ukraine
and the champs elisees
we haev mixed everything
and we have singed
and after they have unkorked ( a bottle i suppose)
we have laughed first
about french champagne (not sure about this)
and we have danced
and when the room was empty
all the freinds were gone
i have stayed alone with my guide
nathalie
no more modest sentences
no more october's revolution
we werent there anymore
finished lenin's grave
the chocolate at Pouchkine
that, that was far away now
my life seems empty to me
but i know that someday at paris
i will be her guide
nathalie nathalie
Re: France - One song per day.
Another beautiful country-specific thread. Thanks Romain! Some of my favourite French songs are posted here but there are many I'd never heard before and now love, like the songs by Bourvil, Pierre Perret and Brassens & Patachou.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
...will keep us together.
Re: France - One song per day.
Thanks a lot Dan. It's really the purpose of this thread. I want to put songs I think not well known outside France (and inside sometimes).Dan wrote:Another beautiful country-specific thread. Thanks Romain! Some of my favourite French songs are posted here but there are many I'd never heard before and now love, like the songs by Bourvil, Pierre Perret and Brassens & Patachou.
Thanks again.
For what I see, you like nostalgia. The three songs you talk are all in this same mood.
And for a very good writer like you, I'm so sorry to be a s*** in your langage and don't be able to well communicate. I feel I write like a 6 year old boy.
Re: France - One song per day.
Charles Trénet - Que Reste-t'il de nos amour ? - 1942
Artist Biography by Bruce Eder (All Music)
Charles Trenet was among the last of his kind of singer, a holdover from the era of pre-World War II France and the prime of Maurice Chevalier, as well as singer/composers such as Georges Brassens and Léo Ferré. Originally an art student, Trenet turned to singing in his early twenties, initially in partnership with pianist Johnny Hess in a duo billed as "Charles and Johnny." In his earliest stage persona, Trenet was also known as a musical impressionist, with a special penchant for doing exaggerated impersonations of Chevalier. Ironically, amid the manic antics of the act, he actually suffered from deep stage fright, which he never fully overcame, but later learned to mask. After a year working with Hess, he ended up drafted -- into the French Air Force, no less -- during which time he shaved his head and sported a monocle, two attributes that gave him a bizarre appearance and got him the nickname, for a time, of "The Singing Madman." He resumed his career and civilian status in 1936, amid that brief mid-'30s period of social and economic reform, culminating with the election of the Popular Front government under Leon Blum. By that time, Trenet had outgrown the Chevalier impressions and came to be known for his smooth, light baritone which, coupled with his seemingly relaxed persona, won over audiences in music hall performances. At one of his most famous engagements, in 1938, he was scheduled to sing three songs in what was the opening set of the evening and was called back by the audience and performed a total of 12 songs that night, and the featured performer never went on.
Trenet composed as well as sang and enjoyed his first big hit in 1939 with "Boum" an infectiously bubbly tune that captured the French listening public's attention. After World War II, Trenet's career moved into international circles as his songs started getting picked up in translation, usually with lyrics by Lee Wilson -- his biggest success was "La Mer," a piece that Bobby Darin turned into an English language hit (as "Beyond the Sea"). His other hits included such songs as "Le Soleil a Des Rayons de Pluie," "Il Y Avait Des Abres," "Printemps a Rio," "Bonsoir Jolie Madame," and "Que Reste-Il De Nos Amours" (better known in English as "I Wish You Love").
Trenet's longevity was something of a surprise even to him -- the singer had intended to retire in the 1970s, and had made a farewell tour of France; then he agreed to a request for a farewell concert in Canada and found the reception there so encouraging, that he chose to keep performing and was still working in the 1990s, a period in which at least four CDs of his work were released, including a best-of collection produced by British reissue expert Tony Watts. Over the course of his 60-year career, Trenet published some 850 songs as well as books of poetry and a handful of novels, although he tended to dismiss the significance of his productivity with a certain detached amusement. Into his 80s, he still presented an ebullient visage, a broad grin topped by thinning red hair that made him look exactly like the aging music hall entertainer that he was. Trenet was still writing songs very prolifically in the late '90s, often inspired by thoughts that occurred to him as he worked on his fiction, which was one reason he had so much trouble completing the latter.
"Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" (What Remains of Our Love?) is a French popular song, with music by Léo Chauliac & Charles Trenet and lyrics by Charles Trenet.
The song was first recorded by Charles Trenet in 1942. It was used extensively in the François Truffaut film Stolen Kisses (1968), its French title, Baisers volés, having been taken from the song's lyrics. The song was also used in the films "Iris" (2001), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003) and "Ces amours-là" (2010).
The song is best known to English-speaking audiences as "I Wish You Love", with new lyrics by Albert A. Beach: introduced in 1957 by Keely Smith as the title cut of her solo debut album, "I Wish You Love" would become one of Smith's signature songs. Smith's debut album otherwise consisted of standards: she would recall: "[when] we sat down to select the songs [record producer] Voyle Gilmore...played a bunch of standards [then] said: 'I want to play you a really pretty French song...it won't mean nothing and you won't do it in the album but I just thought I'd play it for you' and he played 'I Wish You Love'. So, at the end of him playing all these songs...I said: 'Babe, I'll sing any 11 songs y'all want me to but I want to sing 'I Wish You Love'."
It has since become a standard, with many other recordings. Gloria Lynne's 1963 recording for the Everest label reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, also top #10 on the Easy Listening chart (edited from the Hot 100), and #3 on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart (Billboard did not publish standard R&B listings during 1964).
Other versions of the song were recorded by Dalida in 1972 and by Rony Verbiest in 2001. An Italian version entitled "Che cosa resta" was recorded by Franco Battiato in 1999.
Ce soir le vent qui frappe à ma porte
Me parle des amours mortes
Devant le feu qui s' éteint
Ce soir c'est une chanson d' automne
Dans la maison qui frissonne
Et je pense aux jours lointains
{Refrain:}
Que reste-t-il de nos amours
Que reste-t-il de ces beaux jours
Une photo, vieille photo
De ma jeunesse
Que reste-t-il des billets doux
Des mois d' avril, des rendez-vous
Un souvenir qui me poursuit
Sans cesse
Bonheur fané, cheveux au vent
Baisers volés, rêves mouvants
Que reste-t-il de tout cela
Dites-le-moi
Un petit village, un vieux clocher
Un paysage si bien caché
Et dans un nuage le cher visage
De mon passé
Les mots les mots tendres qu'on murmure
Les caresses les plus pures
Les serments au fond des bois
Les fleurs qu'on retrouve dans un livre
Dont le parfum vous enivre
Se sont envolés pourquoi?
Tonight the wind that slaps at my door
Speaks to me of past love affairs
Before the fire that wanes
Tonight it's a song of autumn
In the house that shivers
And I think of days long ago
{Refrain: }
What remains of our love?
What remains of these beautiful days?
A photo, an old photo
Of my youth
What remains of the love letters
Of months in April, of rendez-vous
A memory that follows me
Incessantly
Withered good times, wind in hair
Stolen kisses, moving dreams
What remains of all that?
Tell me
A village, an old hometown (<literally steeple)
A countryside so well hidden
And in a cloud the dear face
Of my past
The words the tender words that one murmurs
The caresses most pure
The vows deep in the woods
The flowers one finds again in a book
The perfume of which inebriates you
That disappeared why?
{Refrain}
Artist Biography by Bruce Eder (All Music)
Charles Trenet was among the last of his kind of singer, a holdover from the era of pre-World War II France and the prime of Maurice Chevalier, as well as singer/composers such as Georges Brassens and Léo Ferré. Originally an art student, Trenet turned to singing in his early twenties, initially in partnership with pianist Johnny Hess in a duo billed as "Charles and Johnny." In his earliest stage persona, Trenet was also known as a musical impressionist, with a special penchant for doing exaggerated impersonations of Chevalier. Ironically, amid the manic antics of the act, he actually suffered from deep stage fright, which he never fully overcame, but later learned to mask. After a year working with Hess, he ended up drafted -- into the French Air Force, no less -- during which time he shaved his head and sported a monocle, two attributes that gave him a bizarre appearance and got him the nickname, for a time, of "The Singing Madman." He resumed his career and civilian status in 1936, amid that brief mid-'30s period of social and economic reform, culminating with the election of the Popular Front government under Leon Blum. By that time, Trenet had outgrown the Chevalier impressions and came to be known for his smooth, light baritone which, coupled with his seemingly relaxed persona, won over audiences in music hall performances. At one of his most famous engagements, in 1938, he was scheduled to sing three songs in what was the opening set of the evening and was called back by the audience and performed a total of 12 songs that night, and the featured performer never went on.
Trenet composed as well as sang and enjoyed his first big hit in 1939 with "Boum" an infectiously bubbly tune that captured the French listening public's attention. After World War II, Trenet's career moved into international circles as his songs started getting picked up in translation, usually with lyrics by Lee Wilson -- his biggest success was "La Mer," a piece that Bobby Darin turned into an English language hit (as "Beyond the Sea"). His other hits included such songs as "Le Soleil a Des Rayons de Pluie," "Il Y Avait Des Abres," "Printemps a Rio," "Bonsoir Jolie Madame," and "Que Reste-Il De Nos Amours" (better known in English as "I Wish You Love").
Trenet's longevity was something of a surprise even to him -- the singer had intended to retire in the 1970s, and had made a farewell tour of France; then he agreed to a request for a farewell concert in Canada and found the reception there so encouraging, that he chose to keep performing and was still working in the 1990s, a period in which at least four CDs of his work were released, including a best-of collection produced by British reissue expert Tony Watts. Over the course of his 60-year career, Trenet published some 850 songs as well as books of poetry and a handful of novels, although he tended to dismiss the significance of his productivity with a certain detached amusement. Into his 80s, he still presented an ebullient visage, a broad grin topped by thinning red hair that made him look exactly like the aging music hall entertainer that he was. Trenet was still writing songs very prolifically in the late '90s, often inspired by thoughts that occurred to him as he worked on his fiction, which was one reason he had so much trouble completing the latter.
Wikipédia :
"Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" (What Remains of Our Love?) is a French popular song, with music by Léo Chauliac & Charles Trenet and lyrics by Charles Trenet.
The song was first recorded by Charles Trenet in 1942. It was used extensively in the François Truffaut film Stolen Kisses (1968), its French title, Baisers volés, having been taken from the song's lyrics. The song was also used in the films "Iris" (2001), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003) and "Ces amours-là" (2010).
The song is best known to English-speaking audiences as "I Wish You Love", with new lyrics by Albert A. Beach: introduced in 1957 by Keely Smith as the title cut of her solo debut album, "I Wish You Love" would become one of Smith's signature songs. Smith's debut album otherwise consisted of standards: she would recall: "[when] we sat down to select the songs [record producer] Voyle Gilmore...played a bunch of standards [then] said: 'I want to play you a really pretty French song...it won't mean nothing and you won't do it in the album but I just thought I'd play it for you' and he played 'I Wish You Love'. So, at the end of him playing all these songs...I said: 'Babe, I'll sing any 11 songs y'all want me to but I want to sing 'I Wish You Love'."
It has since become a standard, with many other recordings. Gloria Lynne's 1963 recording for the Everest label reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, also top #10 on the Easy Listening chart (edited from the Hot 100), and #3 on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart (Billboard did not publish standard R&B listings during 1964).
Other versions of the song were recorded by Dalida in 1972 and by Rony Verbiest in 2001. An Italian version entitled "Che cosa resta" was recorded by Franco Battiato in 1999.
Que reste-t-il de nos amours
Ce soir le vent qui frappe à ma porte
Me parle des amours mortes
Devant le feu qui s' éteint
Ce soir c'est une chanson d' automne
Dans la maison qui frissonne
Et je pense aux jours lointains
{Refrain:}
Que reste-t-il de nos amours
Que reste-t-il de ces beaux jours
Une photo, vieille photo
De ma jeunesse
Que reste-t-il des billets doux
Des mois d' avril, des rendez-vous
Un souvenir qui me poursuit
Sans cesse
Bonheur fané, cheveux au vent
Baisers volés, rêves mouvants
Que reste-t-il de tout cela
Dites-le-moi
Un petit village, un vieux clocher
Un paysage si bien caché
Et dans un nuage le cher visage
De mon passé
Les mots les mots tendres qu'on murmure
Les caresses les plus pures
Les serments au fond des bois
Les fleurs qu'on retrouve dans un livre
Dont le parfum vous enivre
Se sont envolés pourquoi?
Tonight the wind that slaps at my door
Speaks to me of past love affairs
Before the fire that wanes
Tonight it's a song of autumn
In the house that shivers
And I think of days long ago
{Refrain: }
What remains of our love?
What remains of these beautiful days?
A photo, an old photo
Of my youth
What remains of the love letters
Of months in April, of rendez-vous
A memory that follows me
Incessantly
Withered good times, wind in hair
Stolen kisses, moving dreams
What remains of all that?
Tell me
A village, an old hometown (<literally steeple)
A countryside so well hidden
And in a cloud the dear face
Of my past
The words the tender words that one murmurs
The caresses most pure
The vows deep in the woods
The flowers one finds again in a book
The perfume of which inebriates you
That disappeared why?
{Refrain}
Re: France - One song per day.
Romain wrote: For what I see, you like nostalgia.
You’re quite right. “Older” nostalgic chanson is definitely my favourite kind of French music. The Trenet song you posted today is another good discovery for me. I only knew Trenet’s “La Mer”, which is one of my all-time favourite songs. It looks like I need to delve deeper into his music. Thanks for also posting the artist biographies – they often contain good advice about other songs or albums to listen to.
As that clichéd saying goes: music is a universal language. Your choice of songs (here and in the forum polls) speaks for itself. And I think many people here would agree that one of the best things about this forum is the international aspect of it. Personally, I hope there will never be a shortage of non-anglophones who want to share the music of their country with others. And I’m sorry that I can’t communicate with you in French.Romain wrote: I'm so sorry to be a s*** in your langage and don't be able to well communicate.
...will keep us together.
Re: France - One song per day.
Trenet have a ton of good songs. I will put in this thread over time.Dan wrote: You’re quite right. “Older” nostalgic chanson is definitely my favourite kind of French music. The Trenet song you posted today is another good discovery for me. I only knew Trenet’s “La Mer”, which is one of my all-time favourite songs. It looks like I need to delve deeper into his music. Thanks for also posting the artist biographies – they often contain good advice about other songs or albums to listen to.
And I agree with you wth the cordial and international audience of this website, it's a real "plus".
Re: France - One song per day.
A little bit of classical music? Yes of course. Can we begin with one of the most wellknown piece of music?
Maurice Ravel - Boléro - 1928 - Classical Music
A beauty for the ears but also a beauty for the eyes. This hyptonic rythm, these waves of instruments, this perfection in the orchestration, this incredible force, this power increasingly huge while the rythm dont move should take you to a state of trance.
Wikipédia
Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music has entered the standard concert repertoire.
Ravel's piano compositions, such as Jeux d'eau, Miroirs, Le tombeau de Couperin and Gaspard de la nuit, demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, and his orchestral music, including Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, use a variety of sound and instrumentation. Ravel is perhaps known best for his orchestral work Boléro (1928), which he considered trivial and once described as "a piece for orchestra without music".[1]
According to SACEM, Ravel's estate had earned more royalties than that of any other French composer.
Two "rock" version :
Jeff Beck
Maurice Ravel - Boléro - 1928 - Classical Music
A beauty for the ears but also a beauty for the eyes. This hyptonic rythm, these waves of instruments, this perfection in the orchestration, this incredible force, this power increasingly huge while the rythm dont move should take you to a state of trance.
Wikipédia
Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music has entered the standard concert repertoire.
Ravel's piano compositions, such as Jeux d'eau, Miroirs, Le tombeau de Couperin and Gaspard de la nuit, demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, and his orchestral music, including Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, use a variety of sound and instrumentation. Ravel is perhaps known best for his orchestral work Boléro (1928), which he considered trivial and once described as "a piece for orchestra without music".[1]
According to SACEM, Ravel's estate had earned more royalties than that of any other French composer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bol%C3%A9ro
Two "rock" version :
Jeff Beck
Franck Zappa :
Last edited by Romain on Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Alain Souchon - Foule Sentimentale - 1993
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (All Music)
Widely considered the godfather of contemporary French pop, singer/songwriter Alain Souchon captured the precarious masculinity of postmodern man with uncommon tenderness and whimsy. Often working in partnership with composer Laurent Voulzy, his music explored themes both personal and political with poetic grace, firmly establishing its creator as the spiritual heir to the traditions of Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens. Born Alain Kienast on May 27, 1944, in Casablanca, Morocco, he was raised in Paris from the age of six months onward. A shy, deeply introspective child, he retreated further into his shell in 1959, when the family suffered an automobile accident that left his father dead. While their mother published pulp romance novels to keep the family afloat, Alain and his siblings moved in with their grandmother, whose habitual radio listening introduced him to the great artists of France's chanson past. In 1961, he was sent to London to study at the Lycée Français but fared poorly, writing poetry and prose while ignoring his academic workload. Souchon nevertheless remained in London, working as a bartender before returning to Paris, where he began learning guitar and writing songs influenced by Britain's new generation of rock & roll bands. After years playing small clubs on Paris' Left Bank, Souchon finally landed a record deal in 1971, issuing his debut single, "Je Suis un Voyageur," on the Pathé Marconi label. Two additional releases followed, both of them meeting the same grim commercial fate that befell their predecessor, and the contract was swiftly terminated.
Souchon's songs nevertheless captured the attention of RCA A&R director Bob Socquet, who in 1973 encouraged him to submit "L'Amour 1830," a song he'd written for Italian singer Frédéric François, to Antibes' annual Rose d'Or competition. Souchon performed the composition himself and won the critic's prize and a special press prize. Even more significantly, by year's end he began working with composer Laurent Voulzy, like Souchon a frustrated singer/songwriter whose gifts as a composer perfectly complemented his new partner's skills as a lyricist. In 1974 Souchon and Voulzy issued their debut LP, J'ai 10 Ans, scoring their breakthrough hit with the title cut. A year later, Bidon cemented their new star status, earning widespread critical acclaim as well. While 1977's Jamais Content launched Souchon's signature song, "Allô Maman Bobo," the duo also scored with the Voulzy solo single "Rockcollection," and in the years to follow their solo careers both flourished, each collaborator balancing the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Souchon's 1978 effort Toto 30 Ans proved his darkest, most disillusioned collection to date, but the singles "Le Bagad de Lann Bihoue" and "Papa Mambo" were nevertheless massive chart hits. The album also contained "L'Amour en Fuite," commissioned by filmmaker François Truffaut as the title theme for his feature of the same name. Following 1980's Rame, Souchon made his debut in front of the camera, co-starring in the Claude Berri film Je Vous Aime and playing the same kind of fragile, haunted character he first introduced with his music.
Souchon continued his infatuation with cinema throughout the early '80s, co-starring opposite Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve in the 1981 Jean-Paul Rappeneau hit Tout Feu Tout Flame and earning critical raves for his work alongside Isabelle Adjani in 1983's L'Eté Meurtrier. Only in the autumn of 1983 did Souchon release a new LP, On Avance, an album with but one collaboration with Voulzy, "Saute en l'Air." They nevertheless resumed their collaboration in full soon after, retreating to Brittany and Saint-Tropez to co-write Souchon's 1985 follow-up, C'est Comme Vous Voulez, which scored the hit "La Ballade de Jim." After a double-bill tour with Véronique Sanson, he returned to film with 1987's Jacques Doillon-directed Comédie, co-starring Jane Birkin. In the summer of 1989, Souchon headlined a month-long stint at Paris' prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in support of his newest LP, Ultra Moderne Solitude. "Quand Je Serraise KO," written in tandem with Voulzy, later earned Victoires de la Musique honors as song of the year. Souchon next resurfaced in 1993 with the critical and commercial smash C'est Déjà Ça, an album highlighted by its lead single, "Foule Sentimentale," which quickly emerged as something of a contemporary French standard. The following February, he earned Victoires de la Musique awards in the categories of Best Song of the Year and Best Male Artist, and that fall headlined three sold-out performances at the Zenith, the subject of the live release Défoule Sentimentale.
Souchon and Voulzy next teamed with their respective sons Pierre and Julien (who previously collaborated in the pop group Les Cherche Midi) to contribute material to a 1994 benefit album assembled for the children's AIDS charity Solidarité Enfants Sida. Souchon also toured in honor of the charity, additionally performing at two benefit gigs for the organization Restaurants de Coeur. His next official album, Aux Ras des Pâquerettes, appeared in 1999, and a year later he launched a 140-date tour that extended into 2001, quickly followed by a brief acoustic trek. Souchon turned 60 in 2004, and his pace seemed to slow in the months and years to follow. In February 2005, upon the 20th anniversary of the Victoires de la Musique awards, he received a special Victoire honor celebrating the continued popularity and influence of "Foule Sentimentale," and that autumn released La Vie Theodore, a concept album inspired in part by French geographer Théodore Monod.
Souchon's next album Ecoutez d’où Ma Peine Vient, released in 2008, was notable not only for the relative swiftness with which it arrived, but also for the near-total absence of Laurent Voulzy, who was busy working on his own 30th anniversary celebrations. Souchon ended up writing most of the music on the record by himself, aided on a couple of songs by his son Pierre. After a large-scale tour which was recorded for the live album Alain Souchon Est Chanteur, he went back into the studio -- once again without Voulzy, who was making a solo album -- to record an album of cover versions from his youth, A Cause d'Elles, which was released in 2011.
Le rose qu'on nous propose
D'avoir les quantités d'choses
Qui donnent envie d'autre chose
Aïe, on nous fait croire
Que le bonheur c'est d'avoir
De l'avoir plein nos armoires
Dérisions de nous dérisoires car
Foule sentimentale
On a soif d'idéal
Attirée par les étoiles, les voiles
Que des choses pas commerciales
Foule sentimentale
Il faut voir comme on nous parle
Comme on nous parle
Il se dégage
De ces cartons d'emballage
Des gens lavés, hors d'usage
Et tristes et sans aucun avantage
On nous inflige
Des désirs qui nous affligent
On nous prend, faut pas déconner, dès qu'on est né
Pour des cons alors qu'on est des...
Foules sentimentales
Avec soif d'idéal
Que des choses pas commerciales
Il faut voir comme on nous parle
On nous Claudia Schieffer
On nous Paul-Loup Sulitzer
Oh le mal qu'on peut nous faire
Et qui ravagea la moukère
Du ciel dévale
Un désir qui nous emballe
Pour demain nos enfants pâles
Un mieux, un rêve, un cheval
Foule sentimentale
Attirée par les étoiles, les voiles
Foule sentimentale
Comme on nous parle
Oh dear! Life through rose-coloured glasses
The shade of pink we are offered
To have loads of things
That make us want for more
Ouch! We are made to believe
That happiness is to have
Our wardrobes full of assets
In scorn of us, [it's] pathetic because
Sentimental crowd that we are
We are pining for ideals
Attracted to the stars, to sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd that we are
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
There emerge
From those cardboard boxes
Washed-up people, obsolete
And sad and without any pluses
Desires that distress us
Are imposed on us
From the moment we are born they take us, come off it
For bloody idiots, whereas we are
Sentimental crowds
Pining for ideals
Attracted to stars, sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd that we are
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
We are Claudia Schieffer’d
We are Paul-Loup Sulitzer’d
Oh! The harm we’re made to suffer
That once ravaged the mujer*
A desire that thrills us
Hurtling down from the sky
For tomorrow our pale children
An improvement, a dream, a horse
Sentimental crowd [that we are]
We’re pining for ideals
Attracted to stars, sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd [that we are]
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (All Music)
Widely considered the godfather of contemporary French pop, singer/songwriter Alain Souchon captured the precarious masculinity of postmodern man with uncommon tenderness and whimsy. Often working in partnership with composer Laurent Voulzy, his music explored themes both personal and political with poetic grace, firmly establishing its creator as the spiritual heir to the traditions of Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens. Born Alain Kienast on May 27, 1944, in Casablanca, Morocco, he was raised in Paris from the age of six months onward. A shy, deeply introspective child, he retreated further into his shell in 1959, when the family suffered an automobile accident that left his father dead. While their mother published pulp romance novels to keep the family afloat, Alain and his siblings moved in with their grandmother, whose habitual radio listening introduced him to the great artists of France's chanson past. In 1961, he was sent to London to study at the Lycée Français but fared poorly, writing poetry and prose while ignoring his academic workload. Souchon nevertheless remained in London, working as a bartender before returning to Paris, where he began learning guitar and writing songs influenced by Britain's new generation of rock & roll bands. After years playing small clubs on Paris' Left Bank, Souchon finally landed a record deal in 1971, issuing his debut single, "Je Suis un Voyageur," on the Pathé Marconi label. Two additional releases followed, both of them meeting the same grim commercial fate that befell their predecessor, and the contract was swiftly terminated.
Souchon's songs nevertheless captured the attention of RCA A&R director Bob Socquet, who in 1973 encouraged him to submit "L'Amour 1830," a song he'd written for Italian singer Frédéric François, to Antibes' annual Rose d'Or competition. Souchon performed the composition himself and won the critic's prize and a special press prize. Even more significantly, by year's end he began working with composer Laurent Voulzy, like Souchon a frustrated singer/songwriter whose gifts as a composer perfectly complemented his new partner's skills as a lyricist. In 1974 Souchon and Voulzy issued their debut LP, J'ai 10 Ans, scoring their breakthrough hit with the title cut. A year later, Bidon cemented their new star status, earning widespread critical acclaim as well. While 1977's Jamais Content launched Souchon's signature song, "Allô Maman Bobo," the duo also scored with the Voulzy solo single "Rockcollection," and in the years to follow their solo careers both flourished, each collaborator balancing the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Souchon's 1978 effort Toto 30 Ans proved his darkest, most disillusioned collection to date, but the singles "Le Bagad de Lann Bihoue" and "Papa Mambo" were nevertheless massive chart hits. The album also contained "L'Amour en Fuite," commissioned by filmmaker François Truffaut as the title theme for his feature of the same name. Following 1980's Rame, Souchon made his debut in front of the camera, co-starring in the Claude Berri film Je Vous Aime and playing the same kind of fragile, haunted character he first introduced with his music.
Souchon continued his infatuation with cinema throughout the early '80s, co-starring opposite Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve in the 1981 Jean-Paul Rappeneau hit Tout Feu Tout Flame and earning critical raves for his work alongside Isabelle Adjani in 1983's L'Eté Meurtrier. Only in the autumn of 1983 did Souchon release a new LP, On Avance, an album with but one collaboration with Voulzy, "Saute en l'Air." They nevertheless resumed their collaboration in full soon after, retreating to Brittany and Saint-Tropez to co-write Souchon's 1985 follow-up, C'est Comme Vous Voulez, which scored the hit "La Ballade de Jim." After a double-bill tour with Véronique Sanson, he returned to film with 1987's Jacques Doillon-directed Comédie, co-starring Jane Birkin. In the summer of 1989, Souchon headlined a month-long stint at Paris' prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in support of his newest LP, Ultra Moderne Solitude. "Quand Je Serraise KO," written in tandem with Voulzy, later earned Victoires de la Musique honors as song of the year. Souchon next resurfaced in 1993 with the critical and commercial smash C'est Déjà Ça, an album highlighted by its lead single, "Foule Sentimentale," which quickly emerged as something of a contemporary French standard. The following February, he earned Victoires de la Musique awards in the categories of Best Song of the Year and Best Male Artist, and that fall headlined three sold-out performances at the Zenith, the subject of the live release Défoule Sentimentale.
Souchon and Voulzy next teamed with their respective sons Pierre and Julien (who previously collaborated in the pop group Les Cherche Midi) to contribute material to a 1994 benefit album assembled for the children's AIDS charity Solidarité Enfants Sida. Souchon also toured in honor of the charity, additionally performing at two benefit gigs for the organization Restaurants de Coeur. His next official album, Aux Ras des Pâquerettes, appeared in 1999, and a year later he launched a 140-date tour that extended into 2001, quickly followed by a brief acoustic trek. Souchon turned 60 in 2004, and his pace seemed to slow in the months and years to follow. In February 2005, upon the 20th anniversary of the Victoires de la Musique awards, he received a special Victoire honor celebrating the continued popularity and influence of "Foule Sentimentale," and that autumn released La Vie Theodore, a concept album inspired in part by French geographer Théodore Monod.
Souchon's next album Ecoutez d’où Ma Peine Vient, released in 2008, was notable not only for the relative swiftness with which it arrived, but also for the near-total absence of Laurent Voulzy, who was busy working on his own 30th anniversary celebrations. Souchon ended up writing most of the music on the record by himself, aided on a couple of songs by his son Pierre. After a large-scale tour which was recorded for the live album Alain Souchon Est Chanteur, he went back into the studio -- once again without Voulzy, who was making a solo album -- to record an album of cover versions from his youth, A Cause d'Elles, which was released in 2011.
Oh la la la vie en rose
Le rose qu'on nous propose
D'avoir les quantités d'choses
Qui donnent envie d'autre chose
Aïe, on nous fait croire
Que le bonheur c'est d'avoir
De l'avoir plein nos armoires
Dérisions de nous dérisoires car
Foule sentimentale
On a soif d'idéal
Attirée par les étoiles, les voiles
Que des choses pas commerciales
Foule sentimentale
Il faut voir comme on nous parle
Comme on nous parle
Il se dégage
De ces cartons d'emballage
Des gens lavés, hors d'usage
Et tristes et sans aucun avantage
On nous inflige
Des désirs qui nous affligent
On nous prend, faut pas déconner, dès qu'on est né
Pour des cons alors qu'on est des...
Foules sentimentales
Avec soif d'idéal
Que des choses pas commerciales
Il faut voir comme on nous parle
On nous Claudia Schieffer
On nous Paul-Loup Sulitzer
Oh le mal qu'on peut nous faire
Et qui ravagea la moukère
Du ciel dévale
Un désir qui nous emballe
Pour demain nos enfants pâles
Un mieux, un rêve, un cheval
Foule sentimentale
Attirée par les étoiles, les voiles
Foule sentimentale
Comme on nous parle
Oh dear! Life through rose-coloured glasses
The shade of pink we are offered
To have loads of things
That make us want for more
Ouch! We are made to believe
That happiness is to have
Our wardrobes full of assets
In scorn of us, [it's] pathetic because
Sentimental crowd that we are
We are pining for ideals
Attracted to the stars, to sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd that we are
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
There emerge
From those cardboard boxes
Washed-up people, obsolete
And sad and without any pluses
Desires that distress us
Are imposed on us
From the moment we are born they take us, come off it
For bloody idiots, whereas we are
Sentimental crowds
Pining for ideals
Attracted to stars, sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd that we are
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
We are Claudia Schieffer’d
We are Paul-Loup Sulitzer’d
Oh! The harm we’re made to suffer
That once ravaged the mujer*
A desire that thrills us
Hurtling down from the sky
For tomorrow our pale children
An improvement, a dream, a horse
Sentimental crowd [that we are]
We’re pining for ideals
Attracted to stars, sails
[To] only non-commercial things
Sentimental crowd [that we are]
You should see the way they talk to us
The way they talk to us
Re: France - One song per day.
Christophe - Les Mots Bleus - 1974
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Best known for his 1965 hit single "Aline," Christophe is a French singer/songwriter whose recording career spans several decades. His career underwent ups and downs over the years, and his style changed from decade to decade. After falling out of favor in the late '60s once the success of "Aline" had receded, Christophe made a comeback in the 1970s on the label Motors. Then after falling out of favor once again in the '80s, he made another comeback the following decade with Bevilacqua (1996), and his recording career carried on well into the next century.
Born Daniel Bevilacqua on October 13, 1945, in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a suburb of Paris, he was interested in music at a young age. His influences include chanson (Edith Piaf, Gilbert Bécaud), blues (Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker), and rock & roll (Little Richard, Elvis Presley). In 1963, before billing himself as Christophe, he made his recording debut as Daniel Bevilacqua with the four-track EP Reviens Sophie on the label Golf Drouot. After nothing came of that release, the young singer changed his billing to simply Christophe and scored the career-defining hit single "Aline" in 1965. The anthem of the summer, "Aline" was succeeded by a series of follow-up singles, including "Les Marionnettes" (1965), "J'ai Entendu la Mer" (1966) and "Excusez-Moi Monsieur le Professeur" (1966). By the end of the 1960s, however, Christophe had more or less disappeared from the French hit parade. In 1973 he mounted a comeback, changing his style and releasing Les Paradis Perdus, his first of several albums for Motors over the next ten years. Subsequent albums on Motors include Les Mots Bleus (1974), Live à l'Olympia (1975), Samouraï (1976), La Dolce Vita (1977), Le Beau Bizarre (1978), Pas Vu, Pas Pris (1980), and Clichés d'Amour (1983). In addition, "Aline" was revived as a hit single in 1979 after a reissue on Motors.
By the end of the '80s, however, Christophe had once again disappeared from the French hit parade. For roughly ten years he released no music at all. Yet in 1996 he mounted another comeback, changing his style once again and releasing Bevilacqua (1996), an experimental, electronic-tinged album on which he wrote all of the songs himself, many of them personal. Subsequent albums include Comm' Si la Terre Penchait (2001), Olympia 2002 (2002), and Aimer Ce Que Nous Sommes (2008). Produced by Christophe Van Huffel from the group Tanger, Aimer Ce Que Nous Sommes was a Top Five hit on the French albums chart.
Dans le square les fleurs poétisent
Une fille va sortir de la mairie
Comme chaque soir je l'attends, elle me sourit
Il faudrait que je lui parle à tout prix
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Parler me semble ridicule
Je m'élance et puis je recule
Devant une phrase inutile
Qui briserait l'instant fragile
D'une rencontre
D'une rencontre
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Je l'appellerai sans la nommer
Je suis peut-être démodé
Le vent d'hiver souffle en avril
J'aime le silence immobile
D'une rencontre
D'une rencontre
Il n'y a plus d'horloge, plus de clocher
Dans le square les arbres sont couchés
Je reviens par le train de nuit
Sur le quai je la vois qui me sourit
Il faudra bien qu'elle comprenne à tout prix
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Toutes les excuses que l'on donne
Sont comme les baisers que l'on vole
Il reste une rancœur subtile
Qui gâcherait l'instant fragile
De nos retrouvailles
De nos retrouvailles
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Une histoire d'amour sans paroles
N'a plus besoin du protocole
Et tous les longs discours futiles
Terniraient quelque peu le style
De nos retrouvailles
De nos retrouvailles
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Je lui dirai tous les mots bleus
Tous ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Tous les mots bleus
Tous les mots bleus
It's six o' clock in the church bell tower
In the square the flowers compose poetry
A girl is going to go out to from the town hall
As every evening I wait for her, she smiles at me
I have to talk to her at all costs
I will tell her blue words
The words that we say with our eyes
Talking seems ridiculous to me
I jump forward and then step back
In front of a useless sentence
Which would break the fragile moment
Of an encounter
Of an encounter
I will tell her blue words
The ones that make people happy
I will call her without naming her
Maybe I'm outdated
The winter wind blows in April
I like the immobile silence
Of an encounter
Of an encounter
There's no longer a clock, no longer a bell tower
In the square the trees are asleep
I return by train at night
On the platform I see her smile at me
She will have to understand at all costs
I will tell her blue words
The words that we say with our eyes
All the excuses that we give
Are like stolen kisses
A subtle bitterness remains
That would spoil the fragile moment
Of our reunions
Of our reunions
I will tell her blue words
The ones that make people happy
A love story without words
No longer needs the protocol
And all the pointless speeches
Would somewhat tarnish the design
Of our reunions
Of our reunions
I will tell her blue words
The words we say with our eyes
I will tell her all the blue words
All those that make people happy
All the blue words
All the blue words
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Best known for his 1965 hit single "Aline," Christophe is a French singer/songwriter whose recording career spans several decades. His career underwent ups and downs over the years, and his style changed from decade to decade. After falling out of favor in the late '60s once the success of "Aline" had receded, Christophe made a comeback in the 1970s on the label Motors. Then after falling out of favor once again in the '80s, he made another comeback the following decade with Bevilacqua (1996), and his recording career carried on well into the next century.
Born Daniel Bevilacqua on October 13, 1945, in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a suburb of Paris, he was interested in music at a young age. His influences include chanson (Edith Piaf, Gilbert Bécaud), blues (Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker), and rock & roll (Little Richard, Elvis Presley). In 1963, before billing himself as Christophe, he made his recording debut as Daniel Bevilacqua with the four-track EP Reviens Sophie on the label Golf Drouot. After nothing came of that release, the young singer changed his billing to simply Christophe and scored the career-defining hit single "Aline" in 1965. The anthem of the summer, "Aline" was succeeded by a series of follow-up singles, including "Les Marionnettes" (1965), "J'ai Entendu la Mer" (1966) and "Excusez-Moi Monsieur le Professeur" (1966). By the end of the 1960s, however, Christophe had more or less disappeared from the French hit parade. In 1973 he mounted a comeback, changing his style and releasing Les Paradis Perdus, his first of several albums for Motors over the next ten years. Subsequent albums on Motors include Les Mots Bleus (1974), Live à l'Olympia (1975), Samouraï (1976), La Dolce Vita (1977), Le Beau Bizarre (1978), Pas Vu, Pas Pris (1980), and Clichés d'Amour (1983). In addition, "Aline" was revived as a hit single in 1979 after a reissue on Motors.
By the end of the '80s, however, Christophe had once again disappeared from the French hit parade. For roughly ten years he released no music at all. Yet in 1996 he mounted another comeback, changing his style once again and releasing Bevilacqua (1996), an experimental, electronic-tinged album on which he wrote all of the songs himself, many of them personal. Subsequent albums include Comm' Si la Terre Penchait (2001), Olympia 2002 (2002), and Aimer Ce Que Nous Sommes (2008). Produced by Christophe Van Huffel from the group Tanger, Aimer Ce Que Nous Sommes was a Top Five hit on the French albums chart.
Il est six heures au clocher de l'église
Dans le square les fleurs poétisent
Une fille va sortir de la mairie
Comme chaque soir je l'attends, elle me sourit
Il faudrait que je lui parle à tout prix
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Parler me semble ridicule
Je m'élance et puis je recule
Devant une phrase inutile
Qui briserait l'instant fragile
D'une rencontre
D'une rencontre
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Je l'appellerai sans la nommer
Je suis peut-être démodé
Le vent d'hiver souffle en avril
J'aime le silence immobile
D'une rencontre
D'une rencontre
Il n'y a plus d'horloge, plus de clocher
Dans le square les arbres sont couchés
Je reviens par le train de nuit
Sur le quai je la vois qui me sourit
Il faudra bien qu'elle comprenne à tout prix
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Toutes les excuses que l'on donne
Sont comme les baisers que l'on vole
Il reste une rancœur subtile
Qui gâcherait l'instant fragile
De nos retrouvailles
De nos retrouvailles
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Une histoire d'amour sans paroles
N'a plus besoin du protocole
Et tous les longs discours futiles
Terniraient quelque peu le style
De nos retrouvailles
De nos retrouvailles
Je lui dirai les mots bleus
Les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux
Je lui dirai tous les mots bleus
Tous ceux qui rendent les gens heureux
Tous les mots bleus
Tous les mots bleus
It's six o' clock in the church bell tower
In the square the flowers compose poetry
A girl is going to go out to from the town hall
As every evening I wait for her, she smiles at me
I have to talk to her at all costs
I will tell her blue words
The words that we say with our eyes
Talking seems ridiculous to me
I jump forward and then step back
In front of a useless sentence
Which would break the fragile moment
Of an encounter
Of an encounter
I will tell her blue words
The ones that make people happy
I will call her without naming her
Maybe I'm outdated
The winter wind blows in April
I like the immobile silence
Of an encounter
Of an encounter
There's no longer a clock, no longer a bell tower
In the square the trees are asleep
I return by train at night
On the platform I see her smile at me
She will have to understand at all costs
I will tell her blue words
The words that we say with our eyes
All the excuses that we give
Are like stolen kisses
A subtle bitterness remains
That would spoil the fragile moment
Of our reunions
Of our reunions
I will tell her blue words
The ones that make people happy
A love story without words
No longer needs the protocol
And all the pointless speeches
Would somewhat tarnish the design
Of our reunions
Of our reunions
I will tell her blue words
The words we say with our eyes
I will tell her all the blue words
All those that make people happy
All the blue words
All the blue words
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Barbara - Du bout des lèvres - 1968
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
Although Barbara certainly didn't like the thought of it, she actually was part of the legendary club formed by her friend Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Léo Ferré, and Edith Piaf. A truly generous and humble woman, Barbara insisted on living up to her audience's expectations and was constantly questioning her success. As an artist, she achieved one of the most incredible communions with several generations of listeners. As a woman, Barbara contributed to major evolutions in mentalities in a mainly masculine music business. For that matter, having gained Georges Brassens' respect stands as a major feminist breakthrough in its own right. If "L'Aigle Noir" was to become the most vibrant echo to her memory, it would also sadly tend to crystallize common believes and clichés about her dark dresses and moods. When she passed away in 1997, France lost its last cabaret legend, thereby closing this illustrious chapter of its musical history. Her songbook includes many classics like "Göttingen," "Nantes," "Quand Ceux Qui Vont," "A Mourir Pour Mourir," "L'Aigle Noir," "Dis Quand Reviendras-Tu?," or "Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour."
Barbara was born Monique Andrée Serf in Paris on June 9, 1930. She lived a difficult childhood, living a complex relationship with her father and constantly moving from place to place, scars that would greatly influence her work and personality. She moved to Bruxelles as soon as possible to live and work in a cabaret under the name of Barbara Brody, after having seriously and successfully learned piano in France. Those were rough times for Barbara, who worked day and night, but eventually succeeded in her second audition at the famous Paris cabaret L'Ecluse in 1953. Settling in Paris, she kept working at L'Ecluse until she became the cabaret's main attraction in 1958, year she released her first French single, "La Chanteuse de Minuit." In 1959, she was ready to record her first LP, Barbara Chante Brassens. Brassens (not famous for his respect to womankind) didn't care too much for that newcomer but the two artists ended up getting along with time and conversation. The record was warmly received and rewarded by the Grand Prix du Disque, and in 1961 she released a second LP, Barbara Chante Jacques Brel. Brel, as it turned out, was to become a dear friend of hers. 1961 was also the year she learned about her father's death. He had gone missing for years and those were emotionally difficult times for Barbara, as told in her touching song "Nantes."
By 1963, she was multiplying performances, slowly drifting away from L'Ecluse to Bobino over the years, and had divorced her first husband, Claude Suys. 1964 was a major step in Barbara's career. She performed for the last time at L'Ecluse in February, released her first set of original material, Barbara Chante Barbara, and opened for Brassens at Bobino at the end of the year. In 1965, Barbara Chante Barbara was rewarded by the Académie Charles Cros Award, and she began touring alongside Serge Gainsbourg. In 1967, the year her mother passed away, she released a new LP, Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour (an homage to her beloved faithful audience), and all along the end of the '60s, she would go on increasingly large tours (expanding to Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Romania, U.S.S.R., Israel, Canada, and Japan -- in the '70s) and become a major name in the French music business.
She settled down in Percy-sur-Marne in 1973 and kept releasing records for the rest of her career, never quite settling down artistically or relying on success, touring larger and larger through the years (her discography is full of live albums), multiplying collaborations (William Sheller, Maurice Béjart, among many) and appearing in movies (like the Jacques Brel-directed Franz), stage plays, and television (Maritie et Gilbert Carpentier, Le Grand Echiquier). In the '80s, she became a strong backup to François Mitterand (the song "Regarde" was written to celebrate his 1981 election), who would decorate her with the Légion d'Honneur after he was re-elected in 1988. In 1997, Barbara was writing her biography when she was struck by a sudden pulmonary infection. On November 24, she passed away at the American Hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine and was laid to rest in the Jewish part of Bagneux's cemetery on the 27th. One can barely keep count of how many live shows she performed, songs she sung, rewards she received, people she met, or how much love she gave her audience. Barbara left an everlasting imprint on French popular music, forever joining the legendary songwriters club alongside Piaf, Brel, Ferré, and Brassens.
Dites-le-moi du bout des lèvres.
Moi, je l´entends du bout du cœur.
Moins fort, calmez donc cette fièvre.
Oui, j´écoute.
Oh, dites-le-moi doucement.
Murmurez-le-moi simplement.
Je vous écouterais bien mieux
Sans doute
Si vous parlez du bout des lèvres.
J´entends très bien du bout du cœur
Et je peux continuer mon rêve,
Mon rêve.
Que l´amour soit à mon oreille,
Doux comme le chant des abeilles,
En été, un jour, au soleil,
Au soleil.
Regarde, dans le soir qui se penche
Là-bas, le voilier qui balance.
Qu´elle est jolie, sa voile blanche
Qui danse.
Je vous le dis du bout des lèvres :
Vous m´agacez du bout du cœur.
Vos cris me dérangent, je rêve,
Je rêve.
Venez donc me parler d´amour
A voix basse, dans ce contre-jour
Et faites-moi, je vous en prie,
Silence.
Prenons plutôt le soir qui penche,
Là-bas, ce voilier qui balance.
Qu´elle est jolie, sa voile blanche
Qui danse.
Je vous dirai du bout des lèvres :
"Je vous aime du bout du cœur."
Et nous pourrons vivre mon rêve
Mon rêve...
Say it to me, kind of
I can hear it from kind of my heart
Easy, easy, calm down this feaver
Yes, I'm listening
Oh, say it to me slowly
Just whisper
I would listen to you better
Certainly
If you kind of speak
I can "kind of" hear you with my heart
And I can go on with my dream
My dream
May love sound to my ear
Sweet as the bee's singing
In summer, one day, in the sun
In the sun
Look, in the falling down
There, the balancing boat
Its white veal, it is so beautiful,
It dances.
I "kind of" say it to you;
You bother me, kind of
Your shouts bother me, as I dream,
I dream
Come along speak to me of love
Lower voice, in this contre-jour light
And bring for me, please
Silence
Let's take the falling evening
There, the boat is balancing
Its white veal it is so beautiful
It dances.
I'll tell you (kind of)
"I (kind of) love you"
And we'll than live my dream
My dream...
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
Although Barbara certainly didn't like the thought of it, she actually was part of the legendary club formed by her friend Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Léo Ferré, and Edith Piaf. A truly generous and humble woman, Barbara insisted on living up to her audience's expectations and was constantly questioning her success. As an artist, she achieved one of the most incredible communions with several generations of listeners. As a woman, Barbara contributed to major evolutions in mentalities in a mainly masculine music business. For that matter, having gained Georges Brassens' respect stands as a major feminist breakthrough in its own right. If "L'Aigle Noir" was to become the most vibrant echo to her memory, it would also sadly tend to crystallize common believes and clichés about her dark dresses and moods. When she passed away in 1997, France lost its last cabaret legend, thereby closing this illustrious chapter of its musical history. Her songbook includes many classics like "Göttingen," "Nantes," "Quand Ceux Qui Vont," "A Mourir Pour Mourir," "L'Aigle Noir," "Dis Quand Reviendras-Tu?," or "Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour."
Barbara was born Monique Andrée Serf in Paris on June 9, 1930. She lived a difficult childhood, living a complex relationship with her father and constantly moving from place to place, scars that would greatly influence her work and personality. She moved to Bruxelles as soon as possible to live and work in a cabaret under the name of Barbara Brody, after having seriously and successfully learned piano in France. Those were rough times for Barbara, who worked day and night, but eventually succeeded in her second audition at the famous Paris cabaret L'Ecluse in 1953. Settling in Paris, she kept working at L'Ecluse until she became the cabaret's main attraction in 1958, year she released her first French single, "La Chanteuse de Minuit." In 1959, she was ready to record her first LP, Barbara Chante Brassens. Brassens (not famous for his respect to womankind) didn't care too much for that newcomer but the two artists ended up getting along with time and conversation. The record was warmly received and rewarded by the Grand Prix du Disque, and in 1961 she released a second LP, Barbara Chante Jacques Brel. Brel, as it turned out, was to become a dear friend of hers. 1961 was also the year she learned about her father's death. He had gone missing for years and those were emotionally difficult times for Barbara, as told in her touching song "Nantes."
By 1963, she was multiplying performances, slowly drifting away from L'Ecluse to Bobino over the years, and had divorced her first husband, Claude Suys. 1964 was a major step in Barbara's career. She performed for the last time at L'Ecluse in February, released her first set of original material, Barbara Chante Barbara, and opened for Brassens at Bobino at the end of the year. In 1965, Barbara Chante Barbara was rewarded by the Académie Charles Cros Award, and she began touring alongside Serge Gainsbourg. In 1967, the year her mother passed away, she released a new LP, Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour (an homage to her beloved faithful audience), and all along the end of the '60s, she would go on increasingly large tours (expanding to Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Romania, U.S.S.R., Israel, Canada, and Japan -- in the '70s) and become a major name in the French music business.
She settled down in Percy-sur-Marne in 1973 and kept releasing records for the rest of her career, never quite settling down artistically or relying on success, touring larger and larger through the years (her discography is full of live albums), multiplying collaborations (William Sheller, Maurice Béjart, among many) and appearing in movies (like the Jacques Brel-directed Franz), stage plays, and television (Maritie et Gilbert Carpentier, Le Grand Echiquier). In the '80s, she became a strong backup to François Mitterand (the song "Regarde" was written to celebrate his 1981 election), who would decorate her with the Légion d'Honneur after he was re-elected in 1988. In 1997, Barbara was writing her biography when she was struck by a sudden pulmonary infection. On November 24, she passed away at the American Hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine and was laid to rest in the Jewish part of Bagneux's cemetery on the 27th. One can barely keep count of how many live shows she performed, songs she sung, rewards she received, people she met, or how much love she gave her audience. Barbara left an everlasting imprint on French popular music, forever joining the legendary songwriters club alongside Piaf, Brel, Ferré, and Brassens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnj61M7OzPE Better sound but no images.
Dites-le-moi du bout des lèvres.
Moi, je l´entends du bout du cœur.
Moins fort, calmez donc cette fièvre.
Oui, j´écoute.
Oh, dites-le-moi doucement.
Murmurez-le-moi simplement.
Je vous écouterais bien mieux
Sans doute
Si vous parlez du bout des lèvres.
J´entends très bien du bout du cœur
Et je peux continuer mon rêve,
Mon rêve.
Que l´amour soit à mon oreille,
Doux comme le chant des abeilles,
En été, un jour, au soleil,
Au soleil.
Regarde, dans le soir qui se penche
Là-bas, le voilier qui balance.
Qu´elle est jolie, sa voile blanche
Qui danse.
Je vous le dis du bout des lèvres :
Vous m´agacez du bout du cœur.
Vos cris me dérangent, je rêve,
Je rêve.
Venez donc me parler d´amour
A voix basse, dans ce contre-jour
Et faites-moi, je vous en prie,
Silence.
Prenons plutôt le soir qui penche,
Là-bas, ce voilier qui balance.
Qu´elle est jolie, sa voile blanche
Qui danse.
Je vous dirai du bout des lèvres :
"Je vous aime du bout du cœur."
Et nous pourrons vivre mon rêve
Mon rêve...
Say it to me, kind of
I can hear it from kind of my heart
Easy, easy, calm down this feaver
Yes, I'm listening
Oh, say it to me slowly
Just whisper
I would listen to you better
Certainly
If you kind of speak
I can "kind of" hear you with my heart
And I can go on with my dream
My dream
May love sound to my ear
Sweet as the bee's singing
In summer, one day, in the sun
In the sun
Look, in the falling down
There, the balancing boat
Its white veal, it is so beautiful,
It dances.
I "kind of" say it to you;
You bother me, kind of
Your shouts bother me, as I dream,
I dream
Come along speak to me of love
Lower voice, in this contre-jour light
And bring for me, please
Silence
Let's take the falling evening
There, the boat is balancing
Its white veal it is so beautiful
It dances.
I'll tell you (kind of)
"I (kind of) love you"
And we'll than live my dream
My dream...
Re: France - One song per day.
Charlélie Couture - Comme un avion sans aile - 1981
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
CharlElie Couture, defining himself as a polymorphic artist, is one it wouldn't be fair to reduce to his sole recordings since he also was a writer, a painter, a drawer, and a photographer. Yet, since he was spotted by Chris Blackwell in 1980, Couture has released a large number of records, showcasing a personal kind of pop/rock, with a touch of synth pop at times, and displaying a wide array of atmospheres, crafted lyrics, and a quite singular voice. Considering records, as an object, as a complete work of art, he was found at each and every stage of their making, using his versatile skills from production to sleeve design. Open-minded, Couture has traveled a lot and settled down in New York City in 2004 after some '90s Australian and Chicagoan experiences.
Born Charles-Élie Couture in Nancy on February 26, 1956, he graduated from Nancy's Art School, already capable of handling various artistic activities, including writing, painting, photography, and composition. He had got some of his works exposed at the early age of 15, and by the time he had finished his formation, he had created an artists-trust called "Local à Louer" and written an essay on classical and pop culture crossovers. As a musician, he started recording and releasing self-produced material in 1978, with 12 Chansons Dans la Sciure. He got help for his next record, 1979's Le Pêcheur, but it wasn't until 1980 that he found a recording contract, being spotted by no less than Island Records' Chris Blackwell himself, seduced by CharlElie's uncommon vocal texture and intriguing accent, and making Couture the first-ever French artist to sign to his legendary label. The first born of that newfound collaboration was 1981's classic Poêmes Rock, encountering critical praise and a warm public welcome, thanks, among other qualities, to the hit single "Comme un Avion Sans Ailes." All along the '80s, he went on recording studio and live works at an impressive pace, including the soundtracks to Tchao Pantin (featuring his good friend Coluche) and La Salle de Bain (featuring his brother Tom Novembre). In 1990 and 1991, he alternatively recorded two LPs in Australia (Melbourne Aussie and Victoria Spirit), before returning home with new influences, particularly in the painting field, and, focusing on multiple activities, released a bunch of less successful recordings. In 1997, he got to Chicago to record an heavily blues-influenced LP, Casque Nu, and decided to settle down in New York City in 2004, from where he released two records: 2004's Double Vue and 2006's New Yor-Coeur).
j´ai chanté toute la nuit,
j´ai chanté pour celle,
qui m´a pas cru toute la nuit
Même si j´peux pas m´envoler,
j´irai jusqu´au bout,
oh oui, je veux jouer
même sans les atouts.
Tu fais semblant de regarder ailleurs,
tu dis même que j´te fais peur,
pourtant tu sais j´tiens plus d´bout,
aussi crevé qu´un danseur.
Oh, il fait lourd, grande, grande nuit blanche
grande grande nuit d´orage,
le tonnerre gronde
mais y a pas d´éclair
Ecoute la voix du vent
qui glisse, glisse sous la porte,
écoute on va changer de lit, changer d´amour
changer de vie, changer de jour
Et même, même si tu fais plus rien,
tu vois moi j´aboierai encore...
mais tu t´endors sous mon piano,
quand je joue faux
Oh libellule,
toi, t´as les ailes fragiles,
moi, moi j´ai les ailes fragiles,
moi, moi j´ai la carlingue froissée
mais j´ai chanté toute la nuit.
Like a plane without wings,
I sang all night,
I sang for her who
Did not believe me through the night.
Even though I can't fly away,
I'll stick it out till the end,
Oh yes, I want to play
Even without the means.
You pretend to look away,
You even say I scare you,
Yet you know I can't keep my feet,
so exhausted, like a dancer, like a dancer.
Oh, the weather is lousy, a long, long sleepless night,
Long, long stormy night,
Thunder is rumbling
But there's no lightning.
Listen to the voice of the wind
that slides, sneaks under the door,
Listen, we can change beds, change loves,
Change life, change days.
And even, even if you do nothing any more,
You'll see me still barking...
But you fall asleep under my piano,
When I play off key.
Oh dragonfly,
You, you have fragile wings,
Me, me I have fragile wings,
Me, me my passenger cabin is crumpled
But I sang all night.
Lyrics Translate
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (AllMusic)
CharlElie Couture, defining himself as a polymorphic artist, is one it wouldn't be fair to reduce to his sole recordings since he also was a writer, a painter, a drawer, and a photographer. Yet, since he was spotted by Chris Blackwell in 1980, Couture has released a large number of records, showcasing a personal kind of pop/rock, with a touch of synth pop at times, and displaying a wide array of atmospheres, crafted lyrics, and a quite singular voice. Considering records, as an object, as a complete work of art, he was found at each and every stage of their making, using his versatile skills from production to sleeve design. Open-minded, Couture has traveled a lot and settled down in New York City in 2004 after some '90s Australian and Chicagoan experiences.
Born Charles-Élie Couture in Nancy on February 26, 1956, he graduated from Nancy's Art School, already capable of handling various artistic activities, including writing, painting, photography, and composition. He had got some of his works exposed at the early age of 15, and by the time he had finished his formation, he had created an artists-trust called "Local à Louer" and written an essay on classical and pop culture crossovers. As a musician, he started recording and releasing self-produced material in 1978, with 12 Chansons Dans la Sciure. He got help for his next record, 1979's Le Pêcheur, but it wasn't until 1980 that he found a recording contract, being spotted by no less than Island Records' Chris Blackwell himself, seduced by CharlElie's uncommon vocal texture and intriguing accent, and making Couture the first-ever French artist to sign to his legendary label. The first born of that newfound collaboration was 1981's classic Poêmes Rock, encountering critical praise and a warm public welcome, thanks, among other qualities, to the hit single "Comme un Avion Sans Ailes." All along the '80s, he went on recording studio and live works at an impressive pace, including the soundtracks to Tchao Pantin (featuring his good friend Coluche) and La Salle de Bain (featuring his brother Tom Novembre). In 1990 and 1991, he alternatively recorded two LPs in Australia (Melbourne Aussie and Victoria Spirit), before returning home with new influences, particularly in the painting field, and, focusing on multiple activities, released a bunch of less successful recordings. In 1997, he got to Chicago to record an heavily blues-influenced LP, Casque Nu, and decided to settle down in New York City in 2004, from where he released two records: 2004's Double Vue and 2006's New Yor-Coeur).
Comme un avion sans aile,
j´ai chanté toute la nuit,
j´ai chanté pour celle,
qui m´a pas cru toute la nuit
Même si j´peux pas m´envoler,
j´irai jusqu´au bout,
oh oui, je veux jouer
même sans les atouts.
Tu fais semblant de regarder ailleurs,
tu dis même que j´te fais peur,
pourtant tu sais j´tiens plus d´bout,
aussi crevé qu´un danseur.
Oh, il fait lourd, grande, grande nuit blanche
grande grande nuit d´orage,
le tonnerre gronde
mais y a pas d´éclair
Ecoute la voix du vent
qui glisse, glisse sous la porte,
écoute on va changer de lit, changer d´amour
changer de vie, changer de jour
Et même, même si tu fais plus rien,
tu vois moi j´aboierai encore...
mais tu t´endors sous mon piano,
quand je joue faux
Oh libellule,
toi, t´as les ailes fragiles,
moi, moi j´ai les ailes fragiles,
moi, moi j´ai la carlingue froissée
mais j´ai chanté toute la nuit.
Like a plane without wings,
I sang all night,
I sang for her who
Did not believe me through the night.
Even though I can't fly away,
I'll stick it out till the end,
Oh yes, I want to play
Even without the means.
You pretend to look away,
You even say I scare you,
Yet you know I can't keep my feet,
so exhausted, like a dancer, like a dancer.
Oh, the weather is lousy, a long, long sleepless night,
Long, long stormy night,
Thunder is rumbling
But there's no lightning.
Listen to the voice of the wind
that slides, sneaks under the door,
Listen, we can change beds, change loves,
Change life, change days.
And even, even if you do nothing any more,
You'll see me still barking...
But you fall asleep under my piano,
When I play off key.
Oh dragonfly,
You, you have fragile wings,
Me, me I have fragile wings,
Me, me my passenger cabin is crumpled
But I sang all night.
Lyrics Translate
Last edited by Romain on Thu Jul 24, 2014 11:22 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Niagara - J'ai Vu - 1990
Artist Biography by Chris True (AllMusic)
While many French acts have little effect on the other side of the Pacific, eighties synth-pop duo Niagara had some minor success before calling it a day in 1992. Made up of Muriel Laporte on vocals and Daniel Chenevez on synths and keyboards, Niagara drew many comparisons -- both musically and in membership format -- to the Eurythmics. They came together in 1984 in Rennes, and by 1986 had scored two hit singles (1985's "Tchiki Boum" and 1986's "L'amour à la Plage.") and released their first album, 1986's Encore Un Dernier Baiser. 1989 saw them gain a following in Canada, but they weren't to remain in the business for too much longer, they released two more albums, Religion in 1990 and La Vérité in 1992, and Muriel and Daniel went their separate ways shortly thereafter. In 2002, the legacy that the group had left behind was re-examined with the compilation release, Flammes.
Wikipédia :
They became famous in France when they issued in 1985 their first single, "Tchiki boum", which was followed in the summer 1986 by their second single, "L'amour à la plage". 200,000 copies of each single were sold in France, becoming both silver disc. Driven by exotic-looking Laporte's charisma and singing ability, the duo released their first album in 1986, Encore un dernier baiser which included their first two hits and a new single, "Je dois m'en aller". Their second and most popular release was the album Quel enfer in 1989 ; the video for the lightweight "Soleil d'hiver" received frequent airplay in Canada, leading to the group forming a following in North America. Also in 1989, their singles "J'ai vu" and "Pendant que les champs brûlent" became minor hits in central Europe.
Niagara released two more albums: Religion in 1990 (which introduced a harder-edged sound to their music) and La Vérité in 1992 before the band (and the real-life couple of Laporte/Moreno-Chenevez) separated. Both musicians went on to solo careers. In 2002, a compilation entitled Flammes was released (also released as double CD and DVD), containing all the band's hits. It hit No. 1 for three weeks on the French Compilations Chart.
J´ai vu Berlin, Bucarest et Pékin comme si j´y étais.
Matin et soir le nez dans la télé, c´est encore plus vrai.
J´étais de tous les combats, collée devant l´écran.
A la fois à Soweto, en Chine et au Liban.
Lancer des pierres au bord de Gaza, je ne regrette pas.
Des religieux, au nom de leur foi, m´ont lance une fatwa.
{Refrain:}
J´ai vu la guerre, la victoire était au bout de leur fusils.
J´ai vu le sang sur ma peau, j´ai vu la fureur et les cris
Et j´ai prié, j´ai prié tous ceux qui se sont sacrifiés.
J´ai vu la mort se marrer et ramasser ceux qui restaient...
Et j´ai vu...
Que cent mille fleurs s´ouvrent a jamais, et j´ai deja donné.
Les drapeaux rouges ont cessé de flotter, je les ai brûlés.
Un homme ce matin s´est jeté sous un train.
Abandonné comme un chien, la misère et la faim.
La pire est à craindre pour demain :
Ça ne me fait rien
Accrochée à ma fenêtre bleutée,
J´ai cherché la vérité.
{Refrain}
I've seen Berlin, Bucharest and Beijing as if I was there.
Morning and night, the nose on the tv, it's even more real.
I was of all the combats, glued to the screen.
Simultaneously in Soweto, in China, and in Lebanon.
Throwing rocks on the borders of Gaza, I do not regret.
Some religious men in the name of their faith threw me a fatwa.
I have seen war, victory hanged at the tip of their guns.
I've seen the blood on my skin, I saw the furor and the cries
And I have prayed, I have prayed for all those who have sacrificed (themselves)
I have seen death have a laugh, and pick up those that still remained
And I saw...
May a hundred thousand flowers open for eternity, I've already given
The red flags have ceased to hover, I have burned them
A man this morning threw himself under a train
Abandoned like a dog, misery and hunger
The worst is to fear for tomorrow
I am not affected
Hooked up to my bluish window
I've searched for truth
(chorus)
Artist Biography by Chris True (AllMusic)
While many French acts have little effect on the other side of the Pacific, eighties synth-pop duo Niagara had some minor success before calling it a day in 1992. Made up of Muriel Laporte on vocals and Daniel Chenevez on synths and keyboards, Niagara drew many comparisons -- both musically and in membership format -- to the Eurythmics. They came together in 1984 in Rennes, and by 1986 had scored two hit singles (1985's "Tchiki Boum" and 1986's "L'amour à la Plage.") and released their first album, 1986's Encore Un Dernier Baiser. 1989 saw them gain a following in Canada, but they weren't to remain in the business for too much longer, they released two more albums, Religion in 1990 and La Vérité in 1992, and Muriel and Daniel went their separate ways shortly thereafter. In 2002, the legacy that the group had left behind was re-examined with the compilation release, Flammes.
Wikipédia :
They became famous in France when they issued in 1985 their first single, "Tchiki boum", which was followed in the summer 1986 by their second single, "L'amour à la plage". 200,000 copies of each single were sold in France, becoming both silver disc. Driven by exotic-looking Laporte's charisma and singing ability, the duo released their first album in 1986, Encore un dernier baiser which included their first two hits and a new single, "Je dois m'en aller". Their second and most popular release was the album Quel enfer in 1989 ; the video for the lightweight "Soleil d'hiver" received frequent airplay in Canada, leading to the group forming a following in North America. Also in 1989, their singles "J'ai vu" and "Pendant que les champs brûlent" became minor hits in central Europe.
Niagara released two more albums: Religion in 1990 (which introduced a harder-edged sound to their music) and La Vérité in 1992 before the band (and the real-life couple of Laporte/Moreno-Chenevez) separated. Both musicians went on to solo careers. In 2002, a compilation entitled Flammes was released (also released as double CD and DVD), containing all the band's hits. It hit No. 1 for three weeks on the French Compilations Chart.
J´ai vu Berlin, Bucarest et Pékin comme si j´y étais.
Matin et soir le nez dans la télé, c´est encore plus vrai.
J´étais de tous les combats, collée devant l´écran.
A la fois à Soweto, en Chine et au Liban.
Lancer des pierres au bord de Gaza, je ne regrette pas.
Des religieux, au nom de leur foi, m´ont lance une fatwa.
{Refrain:}
J´ai vu la guerre, la victoire était au bout de leur fusils.
J´ai vu le sang sur ma peau, j´ai vu la fureur et les cris
Et j´ai prié, j´ai prié tous ceux qui se sont sacrifiés.
J´ai vu la mort se marrer et ramasser ceux qui restaient...
Et j´ai vu...
Que cent mille fleurs s´ouvrent a jamais, et j´ai deja donné.
Les drapeaux rouges ont cessé de flotter, je les ai brûlés.
Un homme ce matin s´est jeté sous un train.
Abandonné comme un chien, la misère et la faim.
La pire est à craindre pour demain :
Ça ne me fait rien
Accrochée à ma fenêtre bleutée,
J´ai cherché la vérité.
{Refrain}
I've seen Berlin, Bucharest and Beijing as if I was there.
Morning and night, the nose on the tv, it's even more real.
I was of all the combats, glued to the screen.
Simultaneously in Soweto, in China, and in Lebanon.
Throwing rocks on the borders of Gaza, I do not regret.
Some religious men in the name of their faith threw me a fatwa.
I have seen war, victory hanged at the tip of their guns.
I've seen the blood on my skin, I saw the furor and the cries
And I have prayed, I have prayed for all those who have sacrificed (themselves)
I have seen death have a laugh, and pick up those that still remained
And I saw...
May a hundred thousand flowers open for eternity, I've already given
The red flags have ceased to hover, I have burned them
A man this morning threw himself under a train
Abandoned like a dog, misery and hunger
The worst is to fear for tomorrow
I am not affected
Hooked up to my bluish window
I've searched for truth
(chorus)
Re: France - One song per day.
Etienne Daho et Dani - Comme un Boomerang - 2001
Artist Biography by Craig Harris (Allmusic)
Combining West Coast-style surf pop, Velvet Underground-like urban rock, and the romanticism of French singer Françoise Hardy, Algerian-born singer/songwriter Etienne Daho has taken the European rock scene by storm. His albums have consistently qualified for gold or platinum status and his songs have been recorded by such artists as Mercedes Audras and Arnold Turboust. His résumé includes duets with Sarah Cracknell, Elli Medeiros, Lyn Byrd, Astrud Gilberto, and Chris Isaak. In 1989, he participated in an Arthur Baker-produced recording with Al Green and Jimmy Somerville.
The son of a French soldier father and a chemist mother, Daho was raised by grandparents who operated a semi-bar/semi-grocery during the War of Algeria. Recordings of Sylvie Vartan and Françoise Hardy, on a jukebox, inspired Daho to dream of becoming a singer. Settling with his family in Rennes, France, in 1965, Daho continued to broaden his musical scope to include the British rock of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the art rock of David Bowie, Roxy Music, and the Velvet Underground. Visiting London for the first time in 1966, he became enamored of the British city's flourishing music scene.
Returning to Rennes, Daho worked as a dormitory monitor at the city's university. When he organized a concert at the school, featuring rock bands Stinky Toys and Marquis de Sade on December 20, 1978, Daho unknowingly took the first steps leading to his career in music. The Stinky Toys' Elli Medeiros and Jacno encouraged him to continue writing and singing, while Marquis de Sade lead guitarist Frank Darcel took him under his wing, helping him to learn the intricacies of musical professionalism. When Daho made his stage debut at the rock festival Transmusicales in June 1979, Darcel and other members of Marquis de Sade accompanied him. After releasing an independent single, "Cowboy," Daho signed with Virgin France. His 1980 debut album, Mythomane, produced by Jacno and featuring Marquis de Sade musicians, was certified gold a decade after its release.
Performing in Rennes clubs with French singer Arnold Turboust, Daho began to attract attention. Receiving some radio airplay with his singles "The Big Sleep" and "To Leave This Evening," he released his second album, La Notte la Notte, featuring the hit single "Weekend in Rome." Although it showed hints of a promising future, its sales paled next to those of Daho's next release, Pour Nos Vies Martiennes, which was certified gold (with sales of more than 100,000 copies) on the day it was released in June 1988. The success continued with 1989's Live ED, which sold more than 250,000 copies.
In 1991 he recorded his fifth album, Paris Ailleurs, a tribute to the Motown and Stax labels. Pre-release orders of the album were so strong that the album was certified gold before it was released and attained platinum status with sales of more than 500,000 copies. Four years later he was on the charts with a cover of Edith Piaf's "Mon Manège a Moi," while the U.K. pop group Saint Etienne were topping the British charts with "He's on the Phone," an English-language cover of "Weekend in Rome." While his 1994 release, Daholympia, sold half as many copies as Paris Ailleurs, Daho regained the momentum of his earlier albums with the release of Eden in 1996. Corps et Armes appeared in 2000 and was followed three years later by Reevolution.
Daho has always sought new avenues for his creativity. He appeared in Olivier Assayas' movie Dirorder, and received a European video award for his 1987 video "Tattoo Shoulder." In addition to writing songs for other artists, Daho has produced recordings for Les Valentins and Sylvie Vartan. He performed in a stage production of Jean Genet's Condemned to Death at the Moliere Theater in Paris. The soundtrack of the production was released in England as The New World. Françoise Hardy has remained a major influence on Daho's music. In 1986, Daho joined with Jerome Soligny to write a biography of the French singer, Superstar and Hermit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCfcpSZ89Kg
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A pleurer les larmes dingues
D'un corps que je t'avais donné
J'ai sur le bout de la langue
Ton prénom presque effacé
Tordu comme un boomerang
Mon esprit l'a rejeté
De ma mémoire, car la bringue
Et ton amour m'ont épuisé
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A s'aimer comme des dingues
Comme deux fous à lier.
Sache que ce cœur exsangue
Pourrait un jour s'arrêter
Si, comme un boomerang
Tu ne reviens pas me chercher
Peu à peu je me déglingue
Victime de ta cruauté
Je sens des boums et des bang
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A t'aimer comme une dingue
Prête pour toi à me damner
Toi qui fait partie du gang
De mes séducteurs passés
Prends garde à ce boomerang
Il pourrait te faire payer
Toutes ces tortures de cinglés
Que tu m'as fait endurer.
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
C'est une histoire de dingue
Une histoire bête à pleurer
Ma raison vacille et tangue
Elle est prête à chavirer
Sous les coups de boomerangs
De flash-back enchaînés
Et si un jour je me flingue
C'est à toi que je le devrais
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A pleurer les larmes dingues
D'un corps que je t'avais donné
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
into the cry of madness
in a body I have given you
I have on the tip of my tongue
your name, almost erased,
twisted like a boomerang
My mind rejected it
from my memory, as the drinking
and your love have exhausted me
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
in which we loved like crazy
as two raving mad
Remember that a bloodless heart
might stop one day
If like a boomerang
you won‘t come searching for me
little by little I will fall to the pieces
Victim of your cruelty
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
when I loved you like a fool
ready to die for you
You, part of a gang
of my past lovers
beware that a boomerang
It could make you pay for
all the loony torments
you made me suffer
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
This is a crazy history
A story not worth of the tears
My reason sways and staggers
it is ready to be overturned
Under the blows of a boomerang
flashback ties me down
And if one day I would shoot myself
It is you, why I should
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
into the cry of madness
in a body I have given you
Artist Biography by Craig Harris (Allmusic)
Combining West Coast-style surf pop, Velvet Underground-like urban rock, and the romanticism of French singer Françoise Hardy, Algerian-born singer/songwriter Etienne Daho has taken the European rock scene by storm. His albums have consistently qualified for gold or platinum status and his songs have been recorded by such artists as Mercedes Audras and Arnold Turboust. His résumé includes duets with Sarah Cracknell, Elli Medeiros, Lyn Byrd, Astrud Gilberto, and Chris Isaak. In 1989, he participated in an Arthur Baker-produced recording with Al Green and Jimmy Somerville.
The son of a French soldier father and a chemist mother, Daho was raised by grandparents who operated a semi-bar/semi-grocery during the War of Algeria. Recordings of Sylvie Vartan and Françoise Hardy, on a jukebox, inspired Daho to dream of becoming a singer. Settling with his family in Rennes, France, in 1965, Daho continued to broaden his musical scope to include the British rock of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the art rock of David Bowie, Roxy Music, and the Velvet Underground. Visiting London for the first time in 1966, he became enamored of the British city's flourishing music scene.
Returning to Rennes, Daho worked as a dormitory monitor at the city's university. When he organized a concert at the school, featuring rock bands Stinky Toys and Marquis de Sade on December 20, 1978, Daho unknowingly took the first steps leading to his career in music. The Stinky Toys' Elli Medeiros and Jacno encouraged him to continue writing and singing, while Marquis de Sade lead guitarist Frank Darcel took him under his wing, helping him to learn the intricacies of musical professionalism. When Daho made his stage debut at the rock festival Transmusicales in June 1979, Darcel and other members of Marquis de Sade accompanied him. After releasing an independent single, "Cowboy," Daho signed with Virgin France. His 1980 debut album, Mythomane, produced by Jacno and featuring Marquis de Sade musicians, was certified gold a decade after its release.
Performing in Rennes clubs with French singer Arnold Turboust, Daho began to attract attention. Receiving some radio airplay with his singles "The Big Sleep" and "To Leave This Evening," he released his second album, La Notte la Notte, featuring the hit single "Weekend in Rome." Although it showed hints of a promising future, its sales paled next to those of Daho's next release, Pour Nos Vies Martiennes, which was certified gold (with sales of more than 100,000 copies) on the day it was released in June 1988. The success continued with 1989's Live ED, which sold more than 250,000 copies.
In 1991 he recorded his fifth album, Paris Ailleurs, a tribute to the Motown and Stax labels. Pre-release orders of the album were so strong that the album was certified gold before it was released and attained platinum status with sales of more than 500,000 copies. Four years later he was on the charts with a cover of Edith Piaf's "Mon Manège a Moi," while the U.K. pop group Saint Etienne were topping the British charts with "He's on the Phone," an English-language cover of "Weekend in Rome." While his 1994 release, Daholympia, sold half as many copies as Paris Ailleurs, Daho regained the momentum of his earlier albums with the release of Eden in 1996. Corps et Armes appeared in 2000 and was followed three years later by Reevolution.
Daho has always sought new avenues for his creativity. He appeared in Olivier Assayas' movie Dirorder, and received a European video award for his 1987 video "Tattoo Shoulder." In addition to writing songs for other artists, Daho has produced recordings for Les Valentins and Sylvie Vartan. He performed in a stage production of Jean Genet's Condemned to Death at the Moliere Theater in Paris. The soundtrack of the production was released in England as The New World. Françoise Hardy has remained a major influence on Daho's music. In 1986, Daho joined with Jerome Soligny to write a biography of the French singer, Superstar and Hermit.
Live :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCfcpSZ89Kg
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A pleurer les larmes dingues
D'un corps que je t'avais donné
J'ai sur le bout de la langue
Ton prénom presque effacé
Tordu comme un boomerang
Mon esprit l'a rejeté
De ma mémoire, car la bringue
Et ton amour m'ont épuisé
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A s'aimer comme des dingues
Comme deux fous à lier.
Sache que ce cœur exsangue
Pourrait un jour s'arrêter
Si, comme un boomerang
Tu ne reviens pas me chercher
Peu à peu je me déglingue
Victime de ta cruauté
Je sens des boums et des bang
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A t'aimer comme une dingue
Prête pour toi à me damner
Toi qui fait partie du gang
De mes séducteurs passés
Prends garde à ce boomerang
Il pourrait te faire payer
Toutes ces tortures de cinglés
Que tu m'as fait endurer.
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
C'est une histoire de dingue
Une histoire bête à pleurer
Ma raison vacille et tangue
Elle est prête à chavirer
Sous les coups de boomerangs
De flash-back enchaînés
Et si un jour je me flingue
C'est à toi que je le devrais
Je sens des boums et des bangs
Agiter mon cœur blessé
L'amour comme un boomerang
Me revient des jours passés
A pleurer les larmes dingues
D'un corps que je t'avais donné
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
into the cry of madness
in a body I have given you
I have on the tip of my tongue
your name, almost erased,
twisted like a boomerang
My mind rejected it
from my memory, as the drinking
and your love have exhausted me
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
in which we loved like crazy
as two raving mad
Remember that a bloodless heart
might stop one day
If like a boomerang
you won‘t come searching for me
little by little I will fall to the pieces
Victim of your cruelty
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
when I loved you like a fool
ready to die for you
You, part of a gang
of my past lovers
beware that a boomerang
It could make you pay for
all the loony torments
you made me suffer
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
This is a crazy history
A story not worth of the tears
My reason sways and staggers
it is ready to be overturned
Under the blows of a boomerang
flashback ties me down
And if one day I would shoot myself
It is you, why I should
I feel the booms and the bangs
beating in my wounded heart
Love like a boomerang
returns me to the days of the past
into the cry of madness
in a body I have given you
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:41 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Alain Goraguer - La Planète Sauvage - 1973 - OST
Wikipédia
Alain Goraguer (born 20 August 1931 in Rosny-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis) is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s. He also recorded and composed the soundtrack to the film Fantastic Planet.
He soon went to Paris where he indulged his passion for jazz. At Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where he accompanied singer Simone Alma, he met Boris Vian. Together, they wrote Je Bois, La Java des bombes atomiques, Fais-moi mal Johnny et Ne vous mariez pas les filles. Alain then scored the music for the film J'irai cracher sur vos tombres (1959). He wrote the orchestration for young Serge Gainsbourg, indeed he arranged all of his albums up until Gainsbourg percussions (1964). With Gainsbourg, Goraguer scored more film music, such as that for L'Eau à la bouche (1960).
In the 1960s and '70s, he did the orchestration for Poupée de cire, poupée de son,performed by the teen singer France Gall, winning the grand prize for The Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. He wrote numerous arrangements for Jean Ferrat, France Gall, Juliette Gréco, Nana Mouskouri, Adamo and many others. Alain Goraguer then opened the door for a renewal in popularity of orchestral compositions. He also composed the title theme La Vache enragée (1965), sung by Brigitte Fontaine.
He also wrote a number of easy listening albums under the name Laura Fontaine.
Album Review by François Couture
In 2000, the European label DC Recordings reissued on CD the soundtrack from the cult sci-fi animated film La Planète Sauvage (released in English as The Fantastic Planet). The René Laloux film, which won a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973, was supported by a soundtrack by Alain Goraguer, mostly known for his work as Serge Gainsbourg's arranger. Goraguer's music consists of 25 short vignettes. Each is a contextualized adaptation of one of three main musical themes. The main theme is very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother Suite" (same half-time tempo, mellotron, harpsichord, and wah-wah guitar), and the other two are a ballad and a circus-like waltz. The music is very '70s-clichéd and will appeal to fans of French and Italian '70s soundtrack stylings. Although repetitive, the album itself creates an interesting marijuana-induced sci-fi floating mood, blending psychedelia, jazz, and funk (the album has been sampled by a few hip-hop artists). The 16-page booklet includes stills from the film, a description of the plot, and biographical notes on the composer, the director, and the illustrator, all in English -- but, alas, no musicians' credits. DC Recordings reissued the album on both CD and LP, the latter version also including a poster.
The film was an international production between France and Czechoslovakia and was distributed in the United States by Roger Corman. It won the special jury prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. The story is based on the novel Oms en série, by the French writer Stefan Wul. A working title for the film while it was in development was Sur la planète Ygam (On the Planet Ygam). The film had a total of 809,945 admissions in France.
Wikipédia
Alain Goraguer (born 20 August 1931 in Rosny-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis) is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s. He also recorded and composed the soundtrack to the film Fantastic Planet.
He soon went to Paris where he indulged his passion for jazz. At Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where he accompanied singer Simone Alma, he met Boris Vian. Together, they wrote Je Bois, La Java des bombes atomiques, Fais-moi mal Johnny et Ne vous mariez pas les filles. Alain then scored the music for the film J'irai cracher sur vos tombres (1959). He wrote the orchestration for young Serge Gainsbourg, indeed he arranged all of his albums up until Gainsbourg percussions (1964). With Gainsbourg, Goraguer scored more film music, such as that for L'Eau à la bouche (1960).
In the 1960s and '70s, he did the orchestration for Poupée de cire, poupée de son,performed by the teen singer France Gall, winning the grand prize for The Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. He wrote numerous arrangements for Jean Ferrat, France Gall, Juliette Gréco, Nana Mouskouri, Adamo and many others. Alain Goraguer then opened the door for a renewal in popularity of orchestral compositions. He also composed the title theme La Vache enragée (1965), sung by Brigitte Fontaine.
He also wrote a number of easy listening albums under the name Laura Fontaine.
Album Review by François Couture
In 2000, the European label DC Recordings reissued on CD the soundtrack from the cult sci-fi animated film La Planète Sauvage (released in English as The Fantastic Planet). The René Laloux film, which won a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973, was supported by a soundtrack by Alain Goraguer, mostly known for his work as Serge Gainsbourg's arranger. Goraguer's music consists of 25 short vignettes. Each is a contextualized adaptation of one of three main musical themes. The main theme is very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother Suite" (same half-time tempo, mellotron, harpsichord, and wah-wah guitar), and the other two are a ballad and a circus-like waltz. The music is very '70s-clichéd and will appeal to fans of French and Italian '70s soundtrack stylings. Although repetitive, the album itself creates an interesting marijuana-induced sci-fi floating mood, blending psychedelia, jazz, and funk (the album has been sampled by a few hip-hop artists). The 16-page booklet includes stills from the film, a description of the plot, and biographical notes on the composer, the director, and the illustrator, all in English -- but, alas, no musicians' credits. DC Recordings reissued the album on both CD and LP, the latter version also including a poster.
Fantastic Planet (French: La Planète sauvage, lit. The Wild Planet) is a 1973 cutout stop motion science fiction allegorical film directed by René Laloux, production designed by Roland Topor, written by both of them and animated at Jiří Trnka Studio.
The film was an international production between France and Czechoslovakia and was distributed in the United States by Roger Corman. It won the special jury prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. The story is based on the novel Oms en série, by the French writer Stefan Wul. A working title for the film while it was in development was Sur la planète Ygam (On the Planet Ygam). The film had a total of 809,945 admissions in France.
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:44 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Renaud - Manu - 1981
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
French folk-rock icon Renaud was the poet laureate of the urban Paris experience, illuminating the dark underbelly of the City of Light via the street-smart, politically charged slang later embraced by the hip-hop generation. Despite his subject matter, Renaud Séchan was himself the product of a middle-class background. Born in Paris' 14th arrondissement on May 11, 1952, he was one of six children born to a teacher who moonlighted writing detective thrillers. A poor student with a decided anti-authority streak, Renaud was passionate about politics from an early age, and was an active participant in the landmark student revolts of May 1968. During a month-long student sit-in at Sorbonne University, he began writing his first original songs, and after quitting school worked a series of blue-collar jobs while pursuing a career as an actor. After a stint with a theatrical troupe including future stars Coluche and Miou Miou, Renaud worked in a Paris bookstore, on occasion busking for spare change from passers-by. One day producer Paul Lederman caught him and an accordionist friend playing on a Paris street corner and invited them to perform at the CafConc, a new café and theater he was opening on the Champs Elysées. When the friend was called to serve in the military, Renaud took the stage as a solo act, performing his now-extensive repertoire of original political anthems including "Hexagone" and "Camarade Bourgeois." The CafConc made him something of a cause célèbre in Paris leftist circles, and in 1975 he issued his debut LP, Amoureux de Paname, a record steeped in the disillusionment and angst of the twentysomething generation.
Songs like "Société Tu M'auras Pas" enshrined Renaud as the voice of Paname (Parisian argot for the city's suburbs), but despite his initial flush of success he still dreamed of pursuing a career in drama, spending virtually all of 1977 co-starring in Martin Lamotte's play Le Secret de Zonga. His sophomore LP, Laisse Béton, finally hit retail in 1978, and its title cut topped the French pop charts, vaulting Renaud to national stardom and popularizing "Verlan," the coded French slang sourced for its lyrics. For the 1979 follow-up, Ma Gonzesse, Renaud explored more personal and intimate themes than on previous efforts. The record proved another massive success, culminating in a sold-out, weeklong live stint at Paris' famed Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Ville. Buoyed by the hits "Dans Mon HLM" and "Les Aventures de Gérard Lambert," 1980's Marche à l'Ombre was another blockbuster, and Renaud spent the entire month of March headlining Paris' Bobino Theatre, a residency that yielded two separate concert LPs, Live à Bobino and Le P'tit Bal du Samedi Soir. Despite his popularity, the singer was not without his critics, who questioned what right a multi-millionaire superstar on the cusp of age 30 had writing and singing songs articulating themes of urban despair, youthful rebellion, and socioeconomic struggle. Renaud responded by turning inward, populating 1981's Le Retour de Gérard Lambert with sharply evoked narratives spanning the spectrum of human behavior and emotion. The album also included a much-acclaimed anti-drug anthem, "La Blanche."
Renaud continued his maturation with 1983's Dès Que le Vent Soufflera. His most tender, introspective record to date, its sound largely abandoned his signature folk-rock approach for a sound inspired by mainstream French pop, a formula that generated his best-selling album to date. In 1985 Renaud founded the Ethiopian famine charity organization Chanteurs Pour l'Ethiopie, and with friend Franck Langolff composed the all-star benefit single of the same name, selling more than a million records. That same year he issued the solo LP Mistral Gagnant, recorded in the U.S. with producer Jean-Philippe Goude. The June 1986 motorcycle accident that claimed the life of his longtime friend, the celebrated anti-establishment comedian Coluche, was the inspiration behind the 1988 album Putain de Camion. While a commercial letdown, the record was nevertheless widely acclaimed by the press and earned Renaud the Ville de Paris prize, the Ministère de la Culture Prize, and the SACEM Award. Politics returned to the forefront for 1991's Marchand de Cailloux, an album inspired by the Gulf War and the ongoing strife in Northern Ireland. That same year, Renaud co-starred in filmmaker Claude Berri's epic adaptation of the Emile Zola novel Germinal, and while filming in northern France he began work on Cante el'Nord, a 1993 album spotlighting the traditional music of the region. By contrast, Marseille was the inspiration behind 1995's A la Bell de Mai, a collection of original songs that also paid tribute to enduring rebel icons including Che Guevara, Emiliano Zapata, and Pancho Villa.
With 1996's Renaud Chante Brassens, Renaud paid tribute to his spiritual antecedent George Brassens, covering 23 of the late French icon's songs and dubbing Brassens "a poet-rebel against all institutions." Although the record was warmly received, Renaud's life soon went into free fall. He separated from his wife of close to two decades and suffered a nervous breakdown, at the same time battling alcohol abuse. He toured Germany and Ireland in 1997, but otherwise disappeared from the live circuit until late 1999, touring small concert venues throughout France in the company of pianist Alain Lantry and guitarist Jean-Pierre Buccolo. Originally scheduled to span three months, the tour instead extended into the following summer, followed in early 2001 by a two-week trek through Quebec. That same year Renaud earned a lifetime achievement honor at the Victoires de la Musique awards. No less significantly, he was the subject of Hexagone 2001, a collection of remixes masterminded by contemporary hip-hop artists. Finally, in mid-2002 Renaud returned with Boucan d'Enfer, his first new material in seven years. An unflinchingly honest song cycle detailing his struggles with depression and drink, the album sold close to 500,000 copies in its first week of release. A sold-out 170-date tour followed, with an April 2003 date at the Lille Zenith documented via the live disc Tournée d'Enfer. In early 2005 Renaud produced the eponymous debut LP by singer Romane Serda, who became his wife that August. At year's end, he also published a children's book, Le Petit Oiseau Qui Chantait Faux. With 2006's Rouge Sang, Renaud returned to the protest spirit of his classic work, decrying the rise of right-wing extremists and bourgeois bohemians alike. Three years later he released Molly Malone: Balade Irlandaise, a project that he had envisaged almost two decades earlier. The record collected Renaud’s favourite, traditional Irish songs, which he translated into French and recorded in the Irish capital, Dublin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdNOimoBUbY
Eh Manu rentre chez toi
Y'a des larmes plein ta bière
Le bistrot va fermer
Pi tu gonfles la taulière
J'croyais qu'un mec en cuir
Ca pouvait pas chialer
J'pensais même que souffrir
Ca pouvais pas t'arriver
J'oubliais qu'tes tatouages
Et ta lame de couteau
C'est surtout un blindage
Pour ton coeur d'artichaut
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
On était tous maqués
Quand toi t'étais tous seul
Tu disais j'me fais chier
Et j'voudrais sauver ma gueule
T'as croisé cette nana
Qu'était faite pour personne
T'as dit elle pour moi
Ou alors y'a maldonne
T'as été un peu vite
Pour t'tatouer son prénom
A l'endroit où palpite
Ton grand coeur de grand con
Eh déconne pas Manu
C't'à moi qu'tu fais d'la peine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
J'vais dire on est des loups
On est fait pour vivre en bande
Mais surtout pas en couple
Ou alors pas longtemps
Nous autres ça fait un bail
Qu'on a largué nos p'tites
Toi t'es toujours en rade
Avec la tienne et tu flippes
Eh Manu vivre libre
C'est souvent vivre seul
Ca fait p't'être mal au bide
Mais c'est bon pour la gueule
Eh déconne pas Manu
Ca sert à rien la haine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Elle est plus amoureuse
Manu faut qu'tu t'arraches
Elle peut pas être heureuse
Dans les bras d'un apache
Quand tu lui dis je t'aime
Si elle te d'mande du feu
Si elle a la migraine
Dès qu'elle est dans ton pieu
Dis lui qu't'es désolé
Qu't'as dû t'gourrer d'histoire
Quand tu l'as rencontrée
T'as dû t'tromper d'histoire
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Eh déconne pas Manu
C't'à moi qu'tu fais d'la peine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Hey Manu go back home,
Your beer is full of tears,
The pub is gonna close,
Plus, you bore the owner,
I thought a man in leather,
That could never weep,
I even thought suffering,
Would never affect you,
I forgot your tattoos,
As well as your shank,
Is before all an armor,
For your artichoke heart. (soft-hearted)
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
Don’t go slitting your wrists,
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
We all had somebody
When you were all alone
You were saying: “I’m bored,
I’d like to save my mug”.
You bumped into this bird,
Who was made for no one,
You said: “She is for me
Or there is misdeal”.
You went a little fast,
To tattoo her first name,
At the place where beats,
Your big moron’s big heart.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
It’s my feelings you’re hurtin’
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
I’ll say we are like wolves,
We’re born to live in packs,
But especially not in couples,
Or at least not for very long,
For us lot it’s been time,
Since we left out little ones,
You, you’re still on the blink,
With yours and freaking out,
Eh Manu, to live free,
Often means to live alone,
It may hurt your guts,
But it’s good for your mug.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
There is no point in hatred.
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
She’s not in love no more,
Manu you got to let it go,
She cannot be happy,
In a ruffian’s arms,
When you say “I love you”,
If she asks for a light,
If she’s got a headache,
When she is in your sheets,
Tell her that you’re sorry,
You must’ve chosen the wrong path,
The time you met her,
You must have been in the wrong tale.
Eh don’t fuck about Manu,
Don’t go slitting your wrists,
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
It’s my feelings you’re hurtin’
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
There is no point in hatred.
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
French folk-rock icon Renaud was the poet laureate of the urban Paris experience, illuminating the dark underbelly of the City of Light via the street-smart, politically charged slang later embraced by the hip-hop generation. Despite his subject matter, Renaud Séchan was himself the product of a middle-class background. Born in Paris' 14th arrondissement on May 11, 1952, he was one of six children born to a teacher who moonlighted writing detective thrillers. A poor student with a decided anti-authority streak, Renaud was passionate about politics from an early age, and was an active participant in the landmark student revolts of May 1968. During a month-long student sit-in at Sorbonne University, he began writing his first original songs, and after quitting school worked a series of blue-collar jobs while pursuing a career as an actor. After a stint with a theatrical troupe including future stars Coluche and Miou Miou, Renaud worked in a Paris bookstore, on occasion busking for spare change from passers-by. One day producer Paul Lederman caught him and an accordionist friend playing on a Paris street corner and invited them to perform at the CafConc, a new café and theater he was opening on the Champs Elysées. When the friend was called to serve in the military, Renaud took the stage as a solo act, performing his now-extensive repertoire of original political anthems including "Hexagone" and "Camarade Bourgeois." The CafConc made him something of a cause célèbre in Paris leftist circles, and in 1975 he issued his debut LP, Amoureux de Paname, a record steeped in the disillusionment and angst of the twentysomething generation.
Songs like "Société Tu M'auras Pas" enshrined Renaud as the voice of Paname (Parisian argot for the city's suburbs), but despite his initial flush of success he still dreamed of pursuing a career in drama, spending virtually all of 1977 co-starring in Martin Lamotte's play Le Secret de Zonga. His sophomore LP, Laisse Béton, finally hit retail in 1978, and its title cut topped the French pop charts, vaulting Renaud to national stardom and popularizing "Verlan," the coded French slang sourced for its lyrics. For the 1979 follow-up, Ma Gonzesse, Renaud explored more personal and intimate themes than on previous efforts. The record proved another massive success, culminating in a sold-out, weeklong live stint at Paris' famed Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Ville. Buoyed by the hits "Dans Mon HLM" and "Les Aventures de Gérard Lambert," 1980's Marche à l'Ombre was another blockbuster, and Renaud spent the entire month of March headlining Paris' Bobino Theatre, a residency that yielded two separate concert LPs, Live à Bobino and Le P'tit Bal du Samedi Soir. Despite his popularity, the singer was not without his critics, who questioned what right a multi-millionaire superstar on the cusp of age 30 had writing and singing songs articulating themes of urban despair, youthful rebellion, and socioeconomic struggle. Renaud responded by turning inward, populating 1981's Le Retour de Gérard Lambert with sharply evoked narratives spanning the spectrum of human behavior and emotion. The album also included a much-acclaimed anti-drug anthem, "La Blanche."
Renaud continued his maturation with 1983's Dès Que le Vent Soufflera. His most tender, introspective record to date, its sound largely abandoned his signature folk-rock approach for a sound inspired by mainstream French pop, a formula that generated his best-selling album to date. In 1985 Renaud founded the Ethiopian famine charity organization Chanteurs Pour l'Ethiopie, and with friend Franck Langolff composed the all-star benefit single of the same name, selling more than a million records. That same year he issued the solo LP Mistral Gagnant, recorded in the U.S. with producer Jean-Philippe Goude. The June 1986 motorcycle accident that claimed the life of his longtime friend, the celebrated anti-establishment comedian Coluche, was the inspiration behind the 1988 album Putain de Camion. While a commercial letdown, the record was nevertheless widely acclaimed by the press and earned Renaud the Ville de Paris prize, the Ministère de la Culture Prize, and the SACEM Award. Politics returned to the forefront for 1991's Marchand de Cailloux, an album inspired by the Gulf War and the ongoing strife in Northern Ireland. That same year, Renaud co-starred in filmmaker Claude Berri's epic adaptation of the Emile Zola novel Germinal, and while filming in northern France he began work on Cante el'Nord, a 1993 album spotlighting the traditional music of the region. By contrast, Marseille was the inspiration behind 1995's A la Bell de Mai, a collection of original songs that also paid tribute to enduring rebel icons including Che Guevara, Emiliano Zapata, and Pancho Villa.
With 1996's Renaud Chante Brassens, Renaud paid tribute to his spiritual antecedent George Brassens, covering 23 of the late French icon's songs and dubbing Brassens "a poet-rebel against all institutions." Although the record was warmly received, Renaud's life soon went into free fall. He separated from his wife of close to two decades and suffered a nervous breakdown, at the same time battling alcohol abuse. He toured Germany and Ireland in 1997, but otherwise disappeared from the live circuit until late 1999, touring small concert venues throughout France in the company of pianist Alain Lantry and guitarist Jean-Pierre Buccolo. Originally scheduled to span three months, the tour instead extended into the following summer, followed in early 2001 by a two-week trek through Quebec. That same year Renaud earned a lifetime achievement honor at the Victoires de la Musique awards. No less significantly, he was the subject of Hexagone 2001, a collection of remixes masterminded by contemporary hip-hop artists. Finally, in mid-2002 Renaud returned with Boucan d'Enfer, his first new material in seven years. An unflinchingly honest song cycle detailing his struggles with depression and drink, the album sold close to 500,000 copies in its first week of release. A sold-out 170-date tour followed, with an April 2003 date at the Lille Zenith documented via the live disc Tournée d'Enfer. In early 2005 Renaud produced the eponymous debut LP by singer Romane Serda, who became his wife that August. At year's end, he also published a children's book, Le Petit Oiseau Qui Chantait Faux. With 2006's Rouge Sang, Renaud returned to the protest spirit of his classic work, decrying the rise of right-wing extremists and bourgeois bohemians alike. Three years later he released Molly Malone: Balade Irlandaise, a project that he had envisaged almost two decades earlier. The record collected Renaud’s favourite, traditional Irish songs, which he translated into French and recorded in the Irish capital, Dublin.
Live :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdNOimoBUbY
Eh Manu rentre chez toi
Y'a des larmes plein ta bière
Le bistrot va fermer
Pi tu gonfles la taulière
J'croyais qu'un mec en cuir
Ca pouvait pas chialer
J'pensais même que souffrir
Ca pouvais pas t'arriver
J'oubliais qu'tes tatouages
Et ta lame de couteau
C'est surtout un blindage
Pour ton coeur d'artichaut
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
On était tous maqués
Quand toi t'étais tous seul
Tu disais j'me fais chier
Et j'voudrais sauver ma gueule
T'as croisé cette nana
Qu'était faite pour personne
T'as dit elle pour moi
Ou alors y'a maldonne
T'as été un peu vite
Pour t'tatouer son prénom
A l'endroit où palpite
Ton grand coeur de grand con
Eh déconne pas Manu
C't'à moi qu'tu fais d'la peine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
J'vais dire on est des loups
On est fait pour vivre en bande
Mais surtout pas en couple
Ou alors pas longtemps
Nous autres ça fait un bail
Qu'on a largué nos p'tites
Toi t'es toujours en rade
Avec la tienne et tu flippes
Eh Manu vivre libre
C'est souvent vivre seul
Ca fait p't'être mal au bide
Mais c'est bon pour la gueule
Eh déconne pas Manu
Ca sert à rien la haine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Elle est plus amoureuse
Manu faut qu'tu t'arraches
Elle peut pas être heureuse
Dans les bras d'un apache
Quand tu lui dis je t'aime
Si elle te d'mande du feu
Si elle a la migraine
Dès qu'elle est dans ton pieu
Dis lui qu't'es désolé
Qu't'as dû t'gourrer d'histoire
Quand tu l'as rencontrée
T'as dû t'tromper d'histoire
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Eh déconne pas Manu
Va pas t'tailler les veines
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Eh déconne pas Manu
C't'à moi qu'tu fais d'la peine
Une gonzesse de perdue
C'est dix copains qui r'viennent
Hey Manu go back home,
Your beer is full of tears,
The pub is gonna close,
Plus, you bore the owner,
I thought a man in leather,
That could never weep,
I even thought suffering,
Would never affect you,
I forgot your tattoos,
As well as your shank,
Is before all an armor,
For your artichoke heart. (soft-hearted)
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
Don’t go slitting your wrists,
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
We all had somebody
When you were all alone
You were saying: “I’m bored,
I’d like to save my mug”.
You bumped into this bird,
Who was made for no one,
You said: “She is for me
Or there is misdeal”.
You went a little fast,
To tattoo her first name,
At the place where beats,
Your big moron’s big heart.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
It’s my feelings you’re hurtin’
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
I’ll say we are like wolves,
We’re born to live in packs,
But especially not in couples,
Or at least not for very long,
For us lot it’s been time,
Since we left out little ones,
You, you’re still on the blink,
With yours and freaking out,
Eh Manu, to live free,
Often means to live alone,
It may hurt your guts,
But it’s good for your mug.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
There is no point in hatred.
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
She’s not in love no more,
Manu you got to let it go,
She cannot be happy,
In a ruffian’s arms,
When you say “I love you”,
If she asks for a light,
If she’s got a headache,
When she is in your sheets,
Tell her that you’re sorry,
You must’ve chosen the wrong path,
The time you met her,
You must have been in the wrong tale.
Eh don’t fuck about Manu,
Don’t go slitting your wrists,
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
It’s my feelings you’re hurtin’
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Eh, don’t fuck about Manu,
There is no point in hatred.
One woman lost,
It’s ten pals that come back.
Last edited by Romain on Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:15 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
L'affaire Louis Trio - Mobilis In Mobile - 1993
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic)
L'Affaire Louis' Trio are a French art pop band that emerged to much acclaim in 1987 and were active for another ten years. Upon breaking up in 1997 after six album releases, singer/songwriter Hubert Mounier embarked on a successful solo career. Comprised of Mounier (vocals, guitar; aka Cleet Boris), his brother Vincent Mounier (guitar, bass; aka Karl Niagara), and François Lebleu (keyboard, drums; aka Bronco Junior), the band was founded in 1982 in Lyon, France, and made its full-length album debut in 1987 with Chic Planète on Barclay Records. Recorded in collaboration with a long list of studio musicians, Chic Planète spawned a couple Top 30 hit singles ("Tout Mais Pas Ça," "Chic Planète") and earned the band a Victoires de la Musique award for Révélation Variétés Masculine de l'Année (i.e., Best New Male Artist of the Year). Subsequent albums include Le Retour de l'Âge d'Or (1988), Sans Légende (1990), Mobilis in Mobile (1993), L'Homme aux Milles Vies (1995), and L'Affaire Louis' Trio (1997). Among the band's biggest hits was "Mobilis in Mobile," which reached the Top 20 of the French singles chart in 1993. After a decade of success, L'Affaire Louis' Trio broke up in 1997 and the best-of collection Le Meilleur de l'Affaire was in turn compiled for release in 1998. In the wake of the band's breakup, Mounier embarked on a solo career, releasing the albums Le Grand Huit (2001), Voyager Léger (2005), and Affaire Classée (2008).
Pour douter du temps qui passe
D'autres ont déjà pris leur place
Alors elles s'effacent
Quand les vérités sont banales
Elles s'étalent dans le journal
Il vaut mieux tourner la page
Partir en voyage
J'irai voir tôt ou tard
Si les sirènes existent
Sur le dos des baleines
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
J'irai voir tôt au tard
Si les sirènes insistent
Sous les flots qui m'entraînent
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
Mobilis in mobile
Mobilis in mobile
J'irai de l'avant
Contre le vent
Quand les vérités sont fatales
Qu'elles n'ont plus de bonne étoile
On les voit lever le voile
Tout leur est égal
Quand les vérités aux mains sales
Se construisent des cathédrales
Il vaut mieux fuir à la nage
Partir en voyage
J'irai voir tôt ou tard
Si les sirènes existent
Sur le dos des baleines
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De ce dernier rendez-vous
J'irai voir tôt au tard
Si les sirènes insistent
Sous les flots qui m'entraînent
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
Mobilis in mobile
Mobilis in mobile
J'irai de l'avant
Contre le vent
Même si les sirènes n'existent pas...
When truths are too tired
To doubt the passing of time
Others have already taken their place
Then they disappear
When truths are trivial
They spread in the newspaper
It is better to turn the page
Going on a trip
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens are
On the backs of whales
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens insist
Beneath the waves that carry me
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
Mobilis in Mobile
Mobilis in Mobile
I'll go ahead
Against the wind
When truths are fatal
They have more good luck
We see them lift the veil
All their equals
When truths with dirty hands
To build Cathedrals
It is better to swim away
Going on a trip
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens are
On the backs of whales
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
This last appointment
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens insist
Beneath the waves that carry me
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
Mobilis in Mobile
Mobilis in Mobile
I'll go ahead
Against the wind
While the sirens do not exist
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic)
L'Affaire Louis' Trio are a French art pop band that emerged to much acclaim in 1987 and were active for another ten years. Upon breaking up in 1997 after six album releases, singer/songwriter Hubert Mounier embarked on a successful solo career. Comprised of Mounier (vocals, guitar; aka Cleet Boris), his brother Vincent Mounier (guitar, bass; aka Karl Niagara), and François Lebleu (keyboard, drums; aka Bronco Junior), the band was founded in 1982 in Lyon, France, and made its full-length album debut in 1987 with Chic Planète on Barclay Records. Recorded in collaboration with a long list of studio musicians, Chic Planète spawned a couple Top 30 hit singles ("Tout Mais Pas Ça," "Chic Planète") and earned the band a Victoires de la Musique award for Révélation Variétés Masculine de l'Année (i.e., Best New Male Artist of the Year). Subsequent albums include Le Retour de l'Âge d'Or (1988), Sans Légende (1990), Mobilis in Mobile (1993), L'Homme aux Milles Vies (1995), and L'Affaire Louis' Trio (1997). Among the band's biggest hits was "Mobilis in Mobile," which reached the Top 20 of the French singles chart in 1993. After a decade of success, L'Affaire Louis' Trio broke up in 1997 and the best-of collection Le Meilleur de l'Affaire was in turn compiled for release in 1998. In the wake of the band's breakup, Mounier embarked on a solo career, releasing the albums Le Grand Huit (2001), Voyager Léger (2005), and Affaire Classée (2008).
Quand les vérités sont trop lasses
Pour douter du temps qui passe
D'autres ont déjà pris leur place
Alors elles s'effacent
Quand les vérités sont banales
Elles s'étalent dans le journal
Il vaut mieux tourner la page
Partir en voyage
J'irai voir tôt ou tard
Si les sirènes existent
Sur le dos des baleines
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
J'irai voir tôt au tard
Si les sirènes insistent
Sous les flots qui m'entraînent
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
Mobilis in mobile
Mobilis in mobile
J'irai de l'avant
Contre le vent
Quand les vérités sont fatales
Qu'elles n'ont plus de bonne étoile
On les voit lever le voile
Tout leur est égal
Quand les vérités aux mains sales
Se construisent des cathédrales
Il vaut mieux fuir à la nage
Partir en voyage
J'irai voir tôt ou tard
Si les sirènes existent
Sur le dos des baleines
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De ce dernier rendez-vous
J'irai voir tôt au tard
Si les sirènes insistent
Sous les flots qui m'entraînent
Je suivrai leur piste
Car nul ne résiste
Au charme doux
De leur chant d'amour
Mobilis in mobile
Mobilis in mobile
J'irai de l'avant
Contre le vent
Même si les sirènes n'existent pas...
When truths are too tired
To doubt the passing of time
Others have already taken their place
Then they disappear
When truths are trivial
They spread in the newspaper
It is better to turn the page
Going on a trip
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens are
On the backs of whales
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens insist
Beneath the waves that carry me
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
Mobilis in Mobile
Mobilis in Mobile
I'll go ahead
Against the wind
When truths are fatal
They have more good luck
We see them lift the veil
All their equals
When truths with dirty hands
To build Cathedrals
It is better to swim away
Going on a trip
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens are
On the backs of whales
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
This last appointment
I'll see sooner or later
If sirens insist
Beneath the waves that carry me
I follow their trail
Because no one resists
Sweet charm
Their love song
Mobilis in Mobile
Mobilis in Mobile
I'll go ahead
Against the wind
While the sirens do not exist
Last edited by Romain on Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Trust - Antisocial - 1980
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (Allmusic)
Not only was Trust one of the few French bands able to cross their country's frontiers, but they also made it without having to drop their native language or their half-punk, half-heavy metal ethics along the way. And that's saying something. Formed in 1977 around Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin (vocals), Nobert "Nono" Krief (guitars), Yves "Vivi" Brusco (bass), and an ever-changing set of drummers (including Iron Maiden's Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain), the band came up up a mix of influences, the most obvious of which might be AC/DC (with whom they toured a bit) and early Iron Maiden. But if Trust was musically a shiny killing machine (thanks, mainly, to Nono's guitar playing abilities and firepower), a large part of their appeal came from Bernie's energy and socially concerned lyrics, which earned them occasional censorship. If their most famous hit remains "Antisocial" (covered in 1988 by New York thrashers Anthrax on their State of Euphoria LP), the early days Trust actually came up with a whole bunch of molotov cocktails. It was all about fingerpointing the greedy boss, the abusive policeman, the broadcasted lesson-giver, the hypocrisy-driven religious man, and singing for the weak, the poor, the abused. That may have been the key to their success, but it was sincere. The '80s quickly saw their popularity drop after the heights of 1979's eponymous album, 1980's Repression, and 1981's Marche ou Crève. Nono went on to became Johnny Hallyday's stage guitarist, and Bernie became a comedian and director (1997's Les Démons de Jésus being his most striking, cruelly funny effort). The band re-formed from time to time, to tour a little, release new tracks, and/or live albums. (Note: some of their LPs are available with English-sung lyrics, including 1980's classic Repression).
Tu masques ton visage en lisant ton journal,
Tu marches tel un robot dans les couloirs du metro,
Les gens ne te touchent pas, il faut faire le premier pas,
Tu voudrais dialoguer sans renvoyer la balle,
Impossible d'avancer sans ton gilet pare-balle.
Tu voudrais donner des yeux a la justice
Imposssible de violer cette femme pleine de vices.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Ecraser les gens est devenu ton passe-temps.
En les eclaboussant, tu deviens genant.
Dans ton desespoir, il reste un peu d'espoir
Celui de voir les gens sans fard et moins batards.
Mais cesse de faire le point, serre plutot les poings,
Bouge de ta retraite, ta conduite est trop parfaite
Releve la gueule, je suis la, t'es pas seul
Ceux qui t'enviaient, aujourd'hui te jugeraient.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Tu bosses toute ta vie pour payer ta pierre tombale,
Tu masques ton visage en lisant ton journal,
Tu marches tel un robot dans les couloirs du metro,
Les gens ne te touchent pas, il faut faire le premier pas,
Tu voudrais dialoguer sans renvoyer la balle,
Impossible d'avancer sans ton gilet pare-balle.
Tu voudrais donner des yeux a la justice
Imposssible de violer cette femme pleine de vices.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Antisocial (12x)
You work a lifetime to pay your own tomb stone,
you hide your face behind the paper,
You walk like a robot in the subway corridors,
nobody cares about your presence, it’s up to you to make the first step,
You'd like to talk without putting the blame on others
Impossible to move on without your body armouryou
You'd like to give your eyes to justice as she is said to be blind
Impossible to rape this woman full of vices
Antisocial you lose your cold blood
Rethink of all these years of service
Antisocial coming soon the years of services as to speak the years of nursing homes or else
Finally the lost time that you can never catch up with
To trample on people has become your hobby
While muddying them you get embarassed
In your desperation there's still a little hope
Of seeing people without make-up and less fake
But stop explaining, rather make a fist
Move away from your retirement, you're way is too perfect
Relift the puss, I'm there, you're not alone
Those who envied you will judge you today
Artist Biography by Olivier Duboc (Allmusic)
Not only was Trust one of the few French bands able to cross their country's frontiers, but they also made it without having to drop their native language or their half-punk, half-heavy metal ethics along the way. And that's saying something. Formed in 1977 around Bernard "Bernie" Bonvoisin (vocals), Nobert "Nono" Krief (guitars), Yves "Vivi" Brusco (bass), and an ever-changing set of drummers (including Iron Maiden's Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain), the band came up up a mix of influences, the most obvious of which might be AC/DC (with whom they toured a bit) and early Iron Maiden. But if Trust was musically a shiny killing machine (thanks, mainly, to Nono's guitar playing abilities and firepower), a large part of their appeal came from Bernie's energy and socially concerned lyrics, which earned them occasional censorship. If their most famous hit remains "Antisocial" (covered in 1988 by New York thrashers Anthrax on their State of Euphoria LP), the early days Trust actually came up with a whole bunch of molotov cocktails. It was all about fingerpointing the greedy boss, the abusive policeman, the broadcasted lesson-giver, the hypocrisy-driven religious man, and singing for the weak, the poor, the abused. That may have been the key to their success, but it was sincere. The '80s quickly saw their popularity drop after the heights of 1979's eponymous album, 1980's Repression, and 1981's Marche ou Crève. Nono went on to became Johnny Hallyday's stage guitarist, and Bernie became a comedian and director (1997's Les Démons de Jésus being his most striking, cruelly funny effort). The band re-formed from time to time, to tour a little, release new tracks, and/or live albums. (Note: some of their LPs are available with English-sung lyrics, including 1980's classic Repression).
American thrash metal band Anthrax covered the song, using the alternate English lyrics, on their 1988 album State of Euphoria.
Tu bosses toute ta vie pour payer ta pierre tombale,
Tu masques ton visage en lisant ton journal,
Tu marches tel un robot dans les couloirs du metro,
Les gens ne te touchent pas, il faut faire le premier pas,
Tu voudrais dialoguer sans renvoyer la balle,
Impossible d'avancer sans ton gilet pare-balle.
Tu voudrais donner des yeux a la justice
Imposssible de violer cette femme pleine de vices.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Ecraser les gens est devenu ton passe-temps.
En les eclaboussant, tu deviens genant.
Dans ton desespoir, il reste un peu d'espoir
Celui de voir les gens sans fard et moins batards.
Mais cesse de faire le point, serre plutot les poings,
Bouge de ta retraite, ta conduite est trop parfaite
Releve la gueule, je suis la, t'es pas seul
Ceux qui t'enviaient, aujourd'hui te jugeraient.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Tu bosses toute ta vie pour payer ta pierre tombale,
Tu masques ton visage en lisant ton journal,
Tu marches tel un robot dans les couloirs du metro,
Les gens ne te touchent pas, il faut faire le premier pas,
Tu voudrais dialoguer sans renvoyer la balle,
Impossible d'avancer sans ton gilet pare-balle.
Tu voudrais donner des yeux a la justice
Imposssible de violer cette femme pleine de vices.
Antisocial, tu pers ton sang froid.
Repense a toutes ces annees de service.
Antisocial, bientot les annees de sevices,
Enfin le temps perdu qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus, qu'on ne rattrape plus.
Antisocial (12x)
You work a lifetime to pay your own tomb stone,
you hide your face behind the paper,
You walk like a robot in the subway corridors,
nobody cares about your presence, it’s up to you to make the first step,
You'd like to talk without putting the blame on others
Impossible to move on without your body armouryou
You'd like to give your eyes to justice as she is said to be blind
Impossible to rape this woman full of vices
Antisocial you lose your cold blood
Rethink of all these years of service
Antisocial coming soon the years of services as to speak the years of nursing homes or else
Finally the lost time that you can never catch up with
To trample on people has become your hobby
While muddying them you get embarassed
In your desperation there's still a little hope
Of seeing people without make-up and less fake
But stop explaining, rather make a fist
Move away from your retirement, you're way is too perfect
Relift the puss, I'm there, you're not alone
Those who envied you will judge you today
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Suprême NTM - Paris sous les bombes - 1995
Artist Biography by Vincent Latz (Allmusic)
The embodiment of hardcore hip-hop in France for over a decade, NTM (aka Suprême NTM) were comprised of Didier Morville (aka Joey Starr) and Bruno Lopes (aka Kool Shen). Both born in 1968, they grew up in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, where they went to school together, but had no special connection until 1983 when they both attended a dance show in the Trocadero (including American dancers showing their ability to breakdance and smurf). They were together from then on, and trained themselves in these dances with the Actuel Force group. The TV show H.I.P H.O.P., which aired in 1984, just strengthened their resolve, which really took root in the suburbs, where nothing else was designed to keep the kids busy.
Graffiti was the next form of expression they tried, using trains and stations on the line 13 (which went from their town to Paris) as their canvases. They integrated the NTM posse, formed by the DRC (Da Red Chiffons) and the TCG (the Crime Gang). Later, the posse grew larger upon joining with the 93 MC, and the crew became 93 NTM. So, at first, NTM were mainly a group of writers, not predestined to be MCs. It was only their acquaintance with the Assassin posse that got them into music. Their first step into radio was through Radio Nova, on the Deenastyle show hosted by Deenasty and animated by Lionel D. They grew rapidly in technique, as their rage was already there but needed better forms. A few months later, they opened a Souris Déglinguée concert at the Olympia. In 1990, they dropped "Je Rappe" on the Rapatitude compilation, which gave them their first massive exposure to the new generation of musicians on the French rap scene. And while on tour with other artists featured on the compilation, they signed with Epic, a Sony subsidiary.
Their first maxi was called Le Monde de Demain (The World of Tomorrow), and was released that same year. The lyrics prefigured the events that would take place a few months later in France, including anger in the suburbs and student demonstrations ("So now go see in the suburbs, you who command in the higher sphere/Don't take this like a game, my call is serious/Because the youth changes, this is what disturbs you"). The record sold more than 50,000 copies. In 1991, they began their first tour, Authentik, which would become the name of their first album, released in the middle of the year. In July, they appeared in New York with Son of Bazerk at the CMJ New Music Seminar. During this trip, they recorded some remixes with Kirk Yano. They finished their tour in 1992 in Paris at the Zenith, where the house was packed and the audience wild. They began the pre-production for their second album at the end of the year, after the release of a single, "Boogie Man."
The album 1993 J'appuie Sur la Gachette... was a commercial deception, and produced a controversy with the title "Police," which led to an investigation. In this song, they told their own truth regarding law enforcement, and a lot of radio stations would subsequently boycott NTM. Despite their difficulties becoming more widely known for their talent, they became known instead for their uncompromising positions: the dimensions of rap music were still too big for the French ears and market. In 1994, they entered a studio in New York to prepare their new album. In February 1995, the first single, "Tout N'est Pas Si Façile," was released, and the album followed the next month. DJ Clyde was now featured at the controls, and the lyrics were as subversive as ever, still demanding equal rights for all. The single "La Fièvre" was a huge hit and received wide radio exposure -- considerable revenge for a group that had been banned less than a year previously.
The album was a commercial success and NTM's best album to see the light thus far, yet still very underground in its philosophy and rawness. The following tour won them additional recognition, being scheduled in the most popular festivals and concert halls. However, controversy is never far away when you dare to tell a disturbing truth. In a concert organized by SOS Racisme in the south of France, the police present in the concert hall lodged a complaint against NTM for verbal assaults on policemen. The result was an initial court order sentencing them to three months in prison plus the banning of their work in France for a six-month period. However, a second court decision reduced the sentence to a large fine. But the debate was now unavoidable: can a group be condemned for its violent comments, while the group is arguably telling truths shared by a lot of people who live in the suburbs?
NTM's final album, revealing more maturity in the rap game than many rappers can even contemplate, was released in 1998. On the first day following its release, the album sold 40,000 copies, a very impressive figure in France. Singles like "Laisse Pas Trainer Ton Fils" and "Ma Benz" combined NTM's still remaining rawness and subversive side with the knowledge of the street and its effect on youth they had learned through the years. Here the two MCs are at the peak of their talent, having found ways to express all the rage inside, yet being both wild and wise. This combination is the trademark of NTM, who first began breakdancing and spraying graffiti on trains and then channeled their energy into music that became an expression of wisdom. After this album, both MCs created their own labels, Joey Starr's BOSS and Kool Shen's IV My People, continuing to release new material for themselves and their posse.
Comme les temps forts du Hip Hop sur Paname
S'était alors abreuvé de sensations fortes
Au-delà de toutes descriptions
Quand cela te porte
Paris sous les bombes
Le mieux c'était d'y être
Pour mesurer l'hécatombe
Une multitude d'impacts
Paris allait prendre une réelle claque
Un beau matin à son réveil
Par une excentricité qui l'amusait la veille
C'était l'épopée graffiti qui imposait son règne
Paris était recouvert avant qu'on ne comprenne
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
Où sont mes bombes, où sont mes bombes
Avec lesquelles j'exerçais dans l'ombre
Quand nos nuits étaient longues
Et de plus en plus fécondes
Ouais ! On était là stimulés par la pénombre
Prêts pour lâcher les bombes
Prêts pour la couleur en trombe
Certains était là pour exprimer un cri
D'autres comme moi, juste par appétit
Tout foncedé, chaque soir Paris nous était livré
Sans conditions, c'était à prendre ou à laisser
Quel est le gamin, à l'âge que j'avais
Qui n'aurait pas envié l'étendue que couvrait
Nos aires de jeux à l'époque
Quand il fallait qu'on se frotte aussi avec les keufs
Mais ce sont d'autres histoires en bloc
Je crois pouvoir dire qu'on à uvré pour le Hip Hop
Désolé si de nos jours, y'en a encore que cela choque
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
Pour Mad, TCG, big-up !
Pour les funky COP big-up !
Pour les 93 big-up !
Big-up , big-up ! aux autres, on a roulé au Top
J'entends encore d'ici les murmures
Le bruit des pierres sur les rails qui rythmaient l'allure
J'ai kiffé chacune de nos virées nocturnes
J'ai kiffé ces moments qui nous nouaient les burnes
C'étaient nos films à nous
C'était aussi une façon pour nous
D'esquiver la monotonie du quartier
Où l'odeur de la cité finit par te rendre fou
Alors on allait s'évader en bande
Fallait que l'on descende dans les hangars
Prendre de l'avance sur la COMATEC
Ainsi que sur les autres crews afin de faire le break
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
It was an era that'll go down in history
Like the heyday of hip hop in the greater Paris region
Back then it overflowed with powerful sensations
Indescribable when it carries you away
Paris beneath the spraypaint cans, it was Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
There was nothing like being there to witness the carnage
A flurry of collisions
Paris was about to really get smacked
One beautiful morning, upon waking up
By an oddity it had found entertaining the day before
It was epic graffiti proclaiming its dominion
Before anyone knew it, Paris was covered
Refrain
Paris beneath the spraypaint cans, Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
It was Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
2.
Where's my spraypaint? Where's my spraypaint?
With which I practiced my art in the shadows
When our nights were long and increasingly fertile
Yeah, we were turned on by the dimness
Ready to let the cans loose, ready for bursts of color
Some where there to let out a cry
Others, like me, just out of appetite
Completely dark, in the evenings, Paris was in our hands
Unconditionally, it was either take it or leave it
What kid, at the age I was at
Wouldn't have hankered after the expanse that covered
Our playgrounds at the time
When we also had to rub up against the cops?
Now that's a whole other story
I think I can say we labored for hip hop
Sorry if nowadays that still shocks some people
Refrain
3.
Big up to Mad and TCG!
Big up to the funky C.O.P.!
Big up to the Nine Three!
Big up, big up to the others, we've made it to the top
I can still make out the murmurs
The sound of stones on the rails that set the pace
I loved every one of our nocturnal prowls
I loved these moments that helped me grow a pair
These were our movies
And they were also a way for us
To escape the boredom of the 'hood
Where the smell of the housing projects ends up driving you crazy
So we made our escape together
We had to converge on the depots
To stay a step ahead of the Comatec
As well as the other crews, just to get away for a while
Artist Biography by Vincent Latz (Allmusic)
The embodiment of hardcore hip-hop in France for over a decade, NTM (aka Suprême NTM) were comprised of Didier Morville (aka Joey Starr) and Bruno Lopes (aka Kool Shen). Both born in 1968, they grew up in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, where they went to school together, but had no special connection until 1983 when they both attended a dance show in the Trocadero (including American dancers showing their ability to breakdance and smurf). They were together from then on, and trained themselves in these dances with the Actuel Force group. The TV show H.I.P H.O.P., which aired in 1984, just strengthened their resolve, which really took root in the suburbs, where nothing else was designed to keep the kids busy.
Graffiti was the next form of expression they tried, using trains and stations on the line 13 (which went from their town to Paris) as their canvases. They integrated the NTM posse, formed by the DRC (Da Red Chiffons) and the TCG (the Crime Gang). Later, the posse grew larger upon joining with the 93 MC, and the crew became 93 NTM. So, at first, NTM were mainly a group of writers, not predestined to be MCs. It was only their acquaintance with the Assassin posse that got them into music. Their first step into radio was through Radio Nova, on the Deenastyle show hosted by Deenasty and animated by Lionel D. They grew rapidly in technique, as their rage was already there but needed better forms. A few months later, they opened a Souris Déglinguée concert at the Olympia. In 1990, they dropped "Je Rappe" on the Rapatitude compilation, which gave them their first massive exposure to the new generation of musicians on the French rap scene. And while on tour with other artists featured on the compilation, they signed with Epic, a Sony subsidiary.
Their first maxi was called Le Monde de Demain (The World of Tomorrow), and was released that same year. The lyrics prefigured the events that would take place a few months later in France, including anger in the suburbs and student demonstrations ("So now go see in the suburbs, you who command in the higher sphere/Don't take this like a game, my call is serious/Because the youth changes, this is what disturbs you"). The record sold more than 50,000 copies. In 1991, they began their first tour, Authentik, which would become the name of their first album, released in the middle of the year. In July, they appeared in New York with Son of Bazerk at the CMJ New Music Seminar. During this trip, they recorded some remixes with Kirk Yano. They finished their tour in 1992 in Paris at the Zenith, where the house was packed and the audience wild. They began the pre-production for their second album at the end of the year, after the release of a single, "Boogie Man."
The album 1993 J'appuie Sur la Gachette... was a commercial deception, and produced a controversy with the title "Police," which led to an investigation. In this song, they told their own truth regarding law enforcement, and a lot of radio stations would subsequently boycott NTM. Despite their difficulties becoming more widely known for their talent, they became known instead for their uncompromising positions: the dimensions of rap music were still too big for the French ears and market. In 1994, they entered a studio in New York to prepare their new album. In February 1995, the first single, "Tout N'est Pas Si Façile," was released, and the album followed the next month. DJ Clyde was now featured at the controls, and the lyrics were as subversive as ever, still demanding equal rights for all. The single "La Fièvre" was a huge hit and received wide radio exposure -- considerable revenge for a group that had been banned less than a year previously.
The album was a commercial success and NTM's best album to see the light thus far, yet still very underground in its philosophy and rawness. The following tour won them additional recognition, being scheduled in the most popular festivals and concert halls. However, controversy is never far away when you dare to tell a disturbing truth. In a concert organized by SOS Racisme in the south of France, the police present in the concert hall lodged a complaint against NTM for verbal assaults on policemen. The result was an initial court order sentencing them to three months in prison plus the banning of their work in France for a six-month period. However, a second court decision reduced the sentence to a large fine. But the debate was now unavoidable: can a group be condemned for its violent comments, while the group is arguably telling truths shared by a lot of people who live in the suburbs?
NTM's final album, revealing more maturity in the rap game than many rappers can even contemplate, was released in 1998. On the first day following its release, the album sold 40,000 copies, a very impressive figure in France. Singles like "Laisse Pas Trainer Ton Fils" and "Ma Benz" combined NTM's still remaining rawness and subversive side with the knowledge of the street and its effect on youth they had learned through the years. Here the two MCs are at the peak of their talent, having found ways to express all the rage inside, yet being both wild and wise. This combination is the trademark of NTM, who first began breakdancing and spraying graffiti on trains and then channeled their energy into music that became an expression of wisdom. After this album, both MCs created their own labels, Joey Starr's BOSS and Kool Shen's IV My People, continuing to release new material for themselves and their posse.
Il fut une époque à graver dans les annales
Comme les temps forts du Hip Hop sur Paname
S'était alors abreuvé de sensations fortes
Au-delà de toutes descriptions
Quand cela te porte
Paris sous les bombes
Le mieux c'était d'y être
Pour mesurer l'hécatombe
Une multitude d'impacts
Paris allait prendre une réelle claque
Un beau matin à son réveil
Par une excentricité qui l'amusait la veille
C'était l'épopée graffiti qui imposait son règne
Paris était recouvert avant qu'on ne comprenne
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
Où sont mes bombes, où sont mes bombes
Avec lesquelles j'exerçais dans l'ombre
Quand nos nuits étaient longues
Et de plus en plus fécondes
Ouais ! On était là stimulés par la pénombre
Prêts pour lâcher les bombes
Prêts pour la couleur en trombe
Certains était là pour exprimer un cri
D'autres comme moi, juste par appétit
Tout foncedé, chaque soir Paris nous était livré
Sans conditions, c'était à prendre ou à laisser
Quel est le gamin, à l'âge que j'avais
Qui n'aurait pas envié l'étendue que couvrait
Nos aires de jeux à l'époque
Quand il fallait qu'on se frotte aussi avec les keufs
Mais ce sont d'autres histoires en bloc
Je crois pouvoir dire qu'on à uvré pour le Hip Hop
Désolé si de nos jours, y'en a encore que cela choque
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
Pour Mad, TCG, big-up !
Pour les funky COP big-up !
Pour les 93 big-up !
Big-up , big-up ! aux autres, on a roulé au Top
J'entends encore d'ici les murmures
Le bruit des pierres sur les rails qui rythmaient l'allure
J'ai kiffé chacune de nos virées nocturnes
J'ai kiffé ces moments qui nous nouaient les burnes
C'étaient nos films à nous
C'était aussi une façon pour nous
D'esquiver la monotonie du quartier
Où l'odeur de la cité finit par te rendre fou
Alors on allait s'évader en bande
Fallait que l'on descende dans les hangars
Prendre de l'avance sur la COMATEC
Ainsi que sur les autres crews afin de faire le break
Paris sous les bombes
C'était Paris sous les bombes
It was an era that'll go down in history
Like the heyday of hip hop in the greater Paris region
Back then it overflowed with powerful sensations
Indescribable when it carries you away
Paris beneath the spraypaint cans, it was Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
There was nothing like being there to witness the carnage
A flurry of collisions
Paris was about to really get smacked
One beautiful morning, upon waking up
By an oddity it had found entertaining the day before
It was epic graffiti proclaiming its dominion
Before anyone knew it, Paris was covered
Refrain
Paris beneath the spraypaint cans, Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
It was Paris beneath the spraypaint cans
2.
Where's my spraypaint? Where's my spraypaint?
With which I practiced my art in the shadows
When our nights were long and increasingly fertile
Yeah, we were turned on by the dimness
Ready to let the cans loose, ready for bursts of color
Some where there to let out a cry
Others, like me, just out of appetite
Completely dark, in the evenings, Paris was in our hands
Unconditionally, it was either take it or leave it
What kid, at the age I was at
Wouldn't have hankered after the expanse that covered
Our playgrounds at the time
When we also had to rub up against the cops?
Now that's a whole other story
I think I can say we labored for hip hop
Sorry if nowadays that still shocks some people
Refrain
3.
Big up to Mad and TCG!
Big up to the funky C.O.P.!
Big up to the Nine Three!
Big up, big up to the others, we've made it to the top
I can still make out the murmurs
The sound of stones on the rails that set the pace
I loved every one of our nocturnal prowls
I loved these moments that helped me grow a pair
These were our movies
And they were also a way for us
To escape the boredom of the 'hood
Where the smell of the housing projects ends up driving you crazy
So we made our escape together
We had to converge on the depots
To stay a step ahead of the Comatec
As well as the other crews, just to get away for a while
Last edited by Romain on Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:04 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
IAM - Le Mia - 1994
Artist Biography by Vincent Latz (Allmusic)
Everything began in New York for the young Chill -- soon to be known as Akhenaton -- when he met lots of rappers at the beginning of the golden era. But it was definitely when he dropped rhymes on a Choice MC maxi-single in 1988 that he understood rap would be his way. So when he came back to Marseille, he wanted to develop his skills with Eric Mazel (aka DJ Khéops) and the dancer who spits words, Jo -- who would become Shurik'n. And with that same energy, he held strong in his formative years, when money was scarce. In the meantime, producer Imhotep, Kephren, and Malek (aka Freeman) joined the group that would soon become IAM.
In 1989 they recorded -- with no money -- a maxi-single that already contained the Egyptian touch that would become their trademark, also reflected in the text, which displayed an openness and wider point of view than the usual stick-it-to-the-street speeches. As a result, they created considerable reverberation in the audience as they toured with Madonna on her Blonde Ambition Tour. They finally dropped their first album, ...De la Planète Mars (for Marseille), in 1991; it was the first rap album ever released by a French group, and notably one with the talent to approach very different subjects and moods with ease and honesty. The tone was set and competitors were warned -- nobody else would ever combine wisdom acquired in the streets with ancient Eastern philosophy.
Despite the usual difficulties of a sophomore effort to overcome, IAM planned Ombre Est Lumière as a double disc containing about 40 tunes. (Released in 1993, a single-disc version of the album would appear in 1994.) The set included "Le Mia," a track that put IAM on radios and dancefloors across France. The group now known in the mainstream audience for this hit would follow it with another anthem, "Le Feu," which definitely put them on the map. Since the beginning, IAM expressed political views and used press interviews and TV shows to affirm them in public -- particularly when politicians were also invited to participate (and many deemed IAM's remarks to be accurate). After Ombre Est Lumière was released and the group received a Victoire de la Musique award, Akhenaton went solo and collaborated with the new guard of Marseille, the Fonky Family. Shurik'n, Imhotep, and Malek also drifted toward solo projects, but all came back together for the preparation of the next episode of the IAM saga.
Recorded in the U.S., the first version of the group's next album would be remixed and reorganized as their skills and experience continued to expand, making L'Ecole du Micro D'Argent an accomplished piece of art by the conclusion of the sessions. Language, moods, sound textures, and the interactivity among the MCs all combined to achieve the subtle difference between a good album and a great one. IAM thus marked a powerful milestone in the French rap genre, one of the few that would extend beyond the borders of the French language. After the shock wave created by L'Ecole du Micro D'Argent had receded, the members of the group decided to refocus on personal projects, even considering cinema. Akhenaton, for example, co-wrote Comme un Aimant, and assembled music from many of the U.S. singers he had loved in his childhood -- from Isaac Hayes to Minnie Riperton to Marlena Shaw -- for the soundtrack.
It would take four years for IAM to return with a new album. Revoir un Printemps would remind listeners of the freshness of the group's sound, contradicting those who asserted that rap was dead in an era when cats wanted to be lions. Despite a newfound maturity, IAM continued to include their share of fun, with Method Man and Redman getting rhymes on "Noble Art," and even Beyoncé and Syleena Johnson taking part in the adventure and adding a little spice to the flavor. Like a number of other rap artists who have emerged in a genre not "monitored" by the music industry, IAM mixed both rage and intelligence, constantly discovering new dimensions for the pleasure of listeners' ears and minds. It can easily be said that this group is one of the few that put French listeners at ease concerning the languages of rap: only talent makes it work, and hip-hop heads in France were reassured that sometimes there is no need to envy the U.S. when a group like IAM can emerge on French shores.
Tu es fada je crains dgun, je vous prends tous ici, un par un !
Au dbut des annes 80, je me souviens des soires
O l'ambiance tait chaude et les mecs rentraient
Stan Smith aux pieds le regard froid
Ils scrutaient la salle le trois-quart en cuir roul autour du bras
Ray Ban sur la tte survtement Tacchini
Pour les plus class les mocassins Nbuloni
Ds qu'ils passaient Cameo Midnight Star
SOS Band Delegation ou Shalamar
Tout le monde se levait des cercles se formaient
Des concours de danse un peu partout s'improvisaient
Je te propose un voyage dans le temps, via plante Marseille
Refrain/Chorus :
Je danse le MIA
Hey DJ met nous donc du Funk, que je danse le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Fait pousser le Pioneer fond pour danser le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Ce soir les bagues brilleront pour danser le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Hey DJ met nous donc du Funk, que je danse le MIA
Je danse le MIA jusqu' c'que la soire vacille
Une bagarre au fond et tout le monde s'parpille
On rlait que c'tait nul que a craignait
Le samedi d'aprs on revenait tellement qu'on s'emmerdait
J'entends encore le rire des filles
Qui assistaient au ballet des R12 sur le parking
A l'intrieur, pour elles c'tait moins rose
"Oh cousine, tu danses ou je t'explose? "
Voil comment tout s'aggravait en un quart-d'heure
Le frre rappliquait : "oh comment tu parles ma soeur "
Viens avec moi, on va se filer
Tte tte je vais te fumer derrire les cyprs
Et tout s'arrangeait ou se rglait la danse
L'un disait "fils t'as aucune chance "
Eh les filles, mes chaussures brillent, hop un tour je vrille
Je te bousille tu te rhabilles et moi je danse le MIA
Comme les voitures c'tait le dfi
KUX 73 JM 120 mon petit
Du grand voyou la plus grosse mauviette
La main sur le volant avec la moquette
Pare-soleil Pioneer sur le pare-brise arrire
Dd et Valrie crit en gros; sur mon pre!
La bonne poque o on sortait la douze sur magic touch
On lui collait la bande rouge la Starsky et Hutch
J'avais la nuque longue Eric aussi Malek coco
La coupe la Marley Pascal tait rasta des affro
Sur Franois et Joe dj la danse ct d'eux
Personne ne touchait une bille
On dansait le MIA
Refrain/Chorus
DJ Speech :
En direct sur Radio Chacal, en duplex live avec le Starflash
Laserline Hatchin club c'est tout de suite 3, 2, 1, Dj :
Merci toutes et tous d'tre encore avec nous ce soir
Au New starflash Lazerline Hatchin Club,
Nous sommes ensemble ce soir pour une soire de bonheur musical
Avec un grand concours de danse.
De nombreux super cadeaux pour les heureux gagnants,
Il y aura les T-shirt Marlboro, les autocollants Pioneer,
Les caleons JB, les peluches,
la technique c'est Michel, le light jockey c'est Momo,
On monte sur les tables, on lve les bras bien haut,
Allez c'est parti...
Je danse le mia x2
Je danse le mia, pas de pacotille
Chemise ouverte, chane en or qui brille
Des gestes lents ils prenaient leur temps pour enchaner
Les passes qu'ils avaient labores dans leur quartier
C'tait vraiment trop beau
Un mec assurait tout le monde criait : ah oui minot
La piste s'enflammait et tous les yeux convergeaient
Les diffrents s'effaaient et les rires clataient
Beaucoup disaient que nos soires taient sauvages
Et qu'il fallait rentrer avec une batte ou une hache
Foutaises, c'taient les ragots des jaloux
Et quoi qu'on en dise, nous on s'amusait beaucoup
Aujourd'hui, encore on peut entendre des filles dire
Hayya, IAM, ils dansent le MIA.
Refrain
Je danse le MIA
You are crazy I fear nothin'1, I take you all here, one by one !
At the dawn of the 80's, I remember the parties
Where the athmosphere was hot and the guys went in
Stan Smith at their feet, with a cold stare
They scanned the room, the car coat rolled around the arm
Ray Bans atop the head, Tacchini tracksuit
For the classiest Nébuloni loafers
As soon as they'd put on Cameo Midnight Star
SOS Band Delegation or Shalamar
Everybody rose, circles would form
Dance contests everywhere just happened
I'm offering you a travel through time, via planet Marseilles
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA until the night slips
A brawl in the back and everybody scatters
We used to rant that it sucked, that it was lousy
The next saturday we were back, we were so bored
I still hear the girls laughs
Who watched the ballet of the Renault 12 on the parking
Inside, for them, it was less pretty
Oh cousin, you dance, or I mess you up ?
Here's how it went bad in a span of fifteen minutes
The brother talked back : oh how do you speak to my sister
Come with me, we're going to thread
Mano a mano I'm gonna smoke you behind the cypress
And everything got better or was settled with dance
One said son, you haven't got a chance
Hey girls, my shoes are shining, hop a spin and I twist
I destroy you, you get your coat, and I'm dancing the MIA
Like cars were the challenge
KUX 73 JM 120 my son
From the greatest thug to the biggest wimp
Hand on the wheel with the carpeting
Pioneer sun-visor on the back wind-shield
Dédé and Valérie written big : (I swear) On My Father !2
The good old time, driving the twelve on magic touch
We glued on a white stripe like Starsky and Hutch
I had a mullet, Eric too, Malek coco
Dreads like Marley Pascal was rasta, some affros
On François and Joe already at the dance beside them
Nobody reached their level.
We were dancing the MIA
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
[DJ Speech]
Live on Jackal Radio, in live duplex with the Starflash
Laserline Hatchin club it is right now 3, 2, 1, Dj :
Thank you everybody to be here again tonight
At the New starflash Lazerline Hatchin Club
We are here tonight for a night of musical happiness
With a great dance contest
Many super gifts for the lucky winners
There will be Marlboro T-shirts, Pioneer stickers, JB boxers briefs, and plushes
at the machines it is Michel, the light jockey it's Momo
Let's get on the tables, put your hands in the air
Come on here we go...
I'm dancing the mia (X2)
I'm dancing the MIA, No cheap junk
Open shirt, shiny gold bling
Slow gestures they took their time to tie their
Moves elaborated in the hood
It was too beautiful
One guy rocked it, everybody was shouting : ah yes kiddo3
The dance floor was one fire and all the eyes converged
The grudges would fade and laughs bursted
A lot of people said our parties were savages
And thet you had to come in with a bat or a hatchet
Bullshit, that was the gossip of the envious
And whatever they say, we had a lot of fun
Today still, one can hear the girls say
"Hayya, IAM, they're dancing the MIA"
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
1. Being "fada" is a provencal expression meaning "turned crazy by the fairies", same for "dégun" provencal for none, nill.
2. Swearing on family member's head is a common emphasis expression in Marseilles.
3. "Minot" is the provencal word for kid.
Thanks to gregoire.tricoire at Lyrics Translate
Artist Biography by Vincent Latz (Allmusic)
Everything began in New York for the young Chill -- soon to be known as Akhenaton -- when he met lots of rappers at the beginning of the golden era. But it was definitely when he dropped rhymes on a Choice MC maxi-single in 1988 that he understood rap would be his way. So when he came back to Marseille, he wanted to develop his skills with Eric Mazel (aka DJ Khéops) and the dancer who spits words, Jo -- who would become Shurik'n. And with that same energy, he held strong in his formative years, when money was scarce. In the meantime, producer Imhotep, Kephren, and Malek (aka Freeman) joined the group that would soon become IAM.
In 1989 they recorded -- with no money -- a maxi-single that already contained the Egyptian touch that would become their trademark, also reflected in the text, which displayed an openness and wider point of view than the usual stick-it-to-the-street speeches. As a result, they created considerable reverberation in the audience as they toured with Madonna on her Blonde Ambition Tour. They finally dropped their first album, ...De la Planète Mars (for Marseille), in 1991; it was the first rap album ever released by a French group, and notably one with the talent to approach very different subjects and moods with ease and honesty. The tone was set and competitors were warned -- nobody else would ever combine wisdom acquired in the streets with ancient Eastern philosophy.
Despite the usual difficulties of a sophomore effort to overcome, IAM planned Ombre Est Lumière as a double disc containing about 40 tunes. (Released in 1993, a single-disc version of the album would appear in 1994.) The set included "Le Mia," a track that put IAM on radios and dancefloors across France. The group now known in the mainstream audience for this hit would follow it with another anthem, "Le Feu," which definitely put them on the map. Since the beginning, IAM expressed political views and used press interviews and TV shows to affirm them in public -- particularly when politicians were also invited to participate (and many deemed IAM's remarks to be accurate). After Ombre Est Lumière was released and the group received a Victoire de la Musique award, Akhenaton went solo and collaborated with the new guard of Marseille, the Fonky Family. Shurik'n, Imhotep, and Malek also drifted toward solo projects, but all came back together for the preparation of the next episode of the IAM saga.
Recorded in the U.S., the first version of the group's next album would be remixed and reorganized as their skills and experience continued to expand, making L'Ecole du Micro D'Argent an accomplished piece of art by the conclusion of the sessions. Language, moods, sound textures, and the interactivity among the MCs all combined to achieve the subtle difference between a good album and a great one. IAM thus marked a powerful milestone in the French rap genre, one of the few that would extend beyond the borders of the French language. After the shock wave created by L'Ecole du Micro D'Argent had receded, the members of the group decided to refocus on personal projects, even considering cinema. Akhenaton, for example, co-wrote Comme un Aimant, and assembled music from many of the U.S. singers he had loved in his childhood -- from Isaac Hayes to Minnie Riperton to Marlena Shaw -- for the soundtrack.
It would take four years for IAM to return with a new album. Revoir un Printemps would remind listeners of the freshness of the group's sound, contradicting those who asserted that rap was dead in an era when cats wanted to be lions. Despite a newfound maturity, IAM continued to include their share of fun, with Method Man and Redman getting rhymes on "Noble Art," and even Beyoncé and Syleena Johnson taking part in the adventure and adding a little spice to the flavor. Like a number of other rap artists who have emerged in a genre not "monitored" by the music industry, IAM mixed both rage and intelligence, constantly discovering new dimensions for the pleasure of listeners' ears and minds. It can easily be said that this group is one of the few that put French listeners at ease concerning the languages of rap: only talent makes it work, and hip-hop heads in France were reassured that sometimes there is no need to envy the U.S. when a group like IAM can emerge on French shores.
Intro :
Tu es fada je crains dgun, je vous prends tous ici, un par un !
Au dbut des annes 80, je me souviens des soires
O l'ambiance tait chaude et les mecs rentraient
Stan Smith aux pieds le regard froid
Ils scrutaient la salle le trois-quart en cuir roul autour du bras
Ray Ban sur la tte survtement Tacchini
Pour les plus class les mocassins Nbuloni
Ds qu'ils passaient Cameo Midnight Star
SOS Band Delegation ou Shalamar
Tout le monde se levait des cercles se formaient
Des concours de danse un peu partout s'improvisaient
Je te propose un voyage dans le temps, via plante Marseille
Refrain/Chorus :
Je danse le MIA
Hey DJ met nous donc du Funk, que je danse le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Fait pousser le Pioneer fond pour danser le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Ce soir les bagues brilleront pour danser le MIA
Je danse le MIA
Hey DJ met nous donc du Funk, que je danse le MIA
Je danse le MIA jusqu' c'que la soire vacille
Une bagarre au fond et tout le monde s'parpille
On rlait que c'tait nul que a craignait
Le samedi d'aprs on revenait tellement qu'on s'emmerdait
J'entends encore le rire des filles
Qui assistaient au ballet des R12 sur le parking
A l'intrieur, pour elles c'tait moins rose
"Oh cousine, tu danses ou je t'explose? "
Voil comment tout s'aggravait en un quart-d'heure
Le frre rappliquait : "oh comment tu parles ma soeur "
Viens avec moi, on va se filer
Tte tte je vais te fumer derrire les cyprs
Et tout s'arrangeait ou se rglait la danse
L'un disait "fils t'as aucune chance "
Eh les filles, mes chaussures brillent, hop un tour je vrille
Je te bousille tu te rhabilles et moi je danse le MIA
Comme les voitures c'tait le dfi
KUX 73 JM 120 mon petit
Du grand voyou la plus grosse mauviette
La main sur le volant avec la moquette
Pare-soleil Pioneer sur le pare-brise arrire
Dd et Valrie crit en gros; sur mon pre!
La bonne poque o on sortait la douze sur magic touch
On lui collait la bande rouge la Starsky et Hutch
J'avais la nuque longue Eric aussi Malek coco
La coupe la Marley Pascal tait rasta des affro
Sur Franois et Joe dj la danse ct d'eux
Personne ne touchait une bille
On dansait le MIA
Refrain/Chorus
DJ Speech :
En direct sur Radio Chacal, en duplex live avec le Starflash
Laserline Hatchin club c'est tout de suite 3, 2, 1, Dj :
Merci toutes et tous d'tre encore avec nous ce soir
Au New starflash Lazerline Hatchin Club,
Nous sommes ensemble ce soir pour une soire de bonheur musical
Avec un grand concours de danse.
De nombreux super cadeaux pour les heureux gagnants,
Il y aura les T-shirt Marlboro, les autocollants Pioneer,
Les caleons JB, les peluches,
la technique c'est Michel, le light jockey c'est Momo,
On monte sur les tables, on lve les bras bien haut,
Allez c'est parti...
Je danse le mia x2
Je danse le mia, pas de pacotille
Chemise ouverte, chane en or qui brille
Des gestes lents ils prenaient leur temps pour enchaner
Les passes qu'ils avaient labores dans leur quartier
C'tait vraiment trop beau
Un mec assurait tout le monde criait : ah oui minot
La piste s'enflammait et tous les yeux convergeaient
Les diffrents s'effaaient et les rires clataient
Beaucoup disaient que nos soires taient sauvages
Et qu'il fallait rentrer avec une batte ou une hache
Foutaises, c'taient les ragots des jaloux
Et quoi qu'on en dise, nous on s'amusait beaucoup
Aujourd'hui, encore on peut entendre des filles dire
Hayya, IAM, ils dansent le MIA.
Refrain
Je danse le MIA
You are crazy I fear nothin'1, I take you all here, one by one !
At the dawn of the 80's, I remember the parties
Where the athmosphere was hot and the guys went in
Stan Smith at their feet, with a cold stare
They scanned the room, the car coat rolled around the arm
Ray Bans atop the head, Tacchini tracksuit
For the classiest Nébuloni loafers
As soon as they'd put on Cameo Midnight Star
SOS Band Delegation or Shalamar
Everybody rose, circles would form
Dance contests everywhere just happened
I'm offering you a travel through time, via planet Marseilles
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA until the night slips
A brawl in the back and everybody scatters
We used to rant that it sucked, that it was lousy
The next saturday we were back, we were so bored
I still hear the girls laughs
Who watched the ballet of the Renault 12 on the parking
Inside, for them, it was less pretty
Oh cousin, you dance, or I mess you up ?
Here's how it went bad in a span of fifteen minutes
The brother talked back : oh how do you speak to my sister
Come with me, we're going to thread
Mano a mano I'm gonna smoke you behind the cypress
And everything got better or was settled with dance
One said son, you haven't got a chance
Hey girls, my shoes are shining, hop a spin and I twist
I destroy you, you get your coat, and I'm dancing the MIA
Like cars were the challenge
KUX 73 JM 120 my son
From the greatest thug to the biggest wimp
Hand on the wheel with the carpeting
Pioneer sun-visor on the back wind-shield
Dédé and Valérie written big : (I swear) On My Father !2
The good old time, driving the twelve on magic touch
We glued on a white stripe like Starsky and Hutch
I had a mullet, Eric too, Malek coco
Dreads like Marley Pascal was rasta, some affros
On François and Joe already at the dance beside them
Nobody reached their level.
We were dancing the MIA
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
[DJ Speech]
Live on Jackal Radio, in live duplex with the Starflash
Laserline Hatchin club it is right now 3, 2, 1, Dj :
Thank you everybody to be here again tonight
At the New starflash Lazerline Hatchin Club
We are here tonight for a night of musical happiness
With a great dance contest
Many super gifts for the lucky winners
There will be Marlboro T-shirts, Pioneer stickers, JB boxers briefs, and plushes
at the machines it is Michel, the light jockey it's Momo
Let's get on the tables, put your hands in the air
Come on here we go...
I'm dancing the mia (X2)
I'm dancing the MIA, No cheap junk
Open shirt, shiny gold bling
Slow gestures they took their time to tie their
Moves elaborated in the hood
It was too beautiful
One guy rocked it, everybody was shouting : ah yes kiddo3
The dance floor was one fire and all the eyes converged
The grudges would fade and laughs bursted
A lot of people said our parties were savages
And thet you had to come in with a bat or a hatchet
Bullshit, that was the gossip of the envious
And whatever they say, we had a lot of fun
Today still, one can hear the girls say
"Hayya, IAM, they're dancing the MIA"
[Chorus]
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Turn on the Pioneer to the max, so we can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Tonight my rings will shine, we're dancing the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
Hey DJ put on some Funk, so I can dance the MIA
I'm dancing the MIA
1. Being "fada" is a provencal expression meaning "turned crazy by the fairies", same for "dégun" provencal for none, nill.
2. Swearing on family member's head is a common emphasis expression in Marseilles.
3. "Minot" is the provencal word for kid.
Thanks to gregoire.tricoire at Lyrics Translate
Last edited by Romain on Thu Aug 18, 2016 11:37 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles - 1964
Artist Biography by Stewart Mason (Allmusic)
Although she's best-known as the pretty, perky teenager who won the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with her hit "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son," French pop singer France Gall has had a much longer and more varied career than that, having released solid records almost non-stop since the early '60s. Although only a cult figure in most of the rest of the world, Gall is a major star and beloved figure in her native country.
Born Isabelle Gall in Paris on October 9, 1947, Gall was the daughter of French performer and producer, Roger Gall, who had written songs for Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. In 1962, at the age of 15, Gall was ushered into the studio by her father to record her debut EP, Ne Sois pas Si Bete. The four-track EP (the standard in French pop music at the time, and the format of most of her releases for the rest of the decade) was an enormous hit, selling 200,000 copies in France thanks both to the irresistible title-track and the absolutely stunning cover photo. Gall released a series of similarly successful pop hits for the next several years, peaking with winning the aforementioned Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. But although many dismissed Gall as a Francophone Lesley Gore, making fluffy and ultra-commercial pop hits with little substance, Gall's hits from this era stand up far better than most. Only Francoise Hardy was consistently making records up to these standards during this era. Though Gall's high, breathy voice was admittedly somewhat limited, she made the most of it. Even dopey hits like "Sacre Charlemagne," a duet with a pair of puppets who were the stars of a children's show on French TV, have an infectious, zesty charm; meatier tunes, like the sultry jazz-tinged ballad "Pense a Moi" and the brilliant rocker "Laisse Tomber les Filles," were as good as any single produced in the U.S. or Great Britain at the time.
In 1966, Gall's public persona shifted into a more mature phase, both musically and personally. The change came with that year's controversial hit "Les Sucettes." Though on the surface the Gainsbourg-penned tune was a pretty little song about a young girl and her lollipop, the unmistakable subtext of the sly lyrics meant that the not-yet-18-year-old Gall was singing approvingly (and, she later claimed, completely unknowingly) about oral sex. Les Sucettes and its follow-up, Baby Pop, are among Gall's finest, musically richer and more varied than her early hits, but every bit as catchy. (During this period of her career, Gall was signed not only to the French division of Philips, but to the German branch of the company, and also released several German-language EPs and albums, mixing translations of her Francophone hits and all-new material.) The psychedelic era found Gall, under Gainsbourg's guidance, singing increasingly strange songs, like "Teenie Weenie Boppie" (a bizarre tune about a deadly LSD trip that somehow involves Mick Jagger) set to some of Gainsbourg's most out-there arrangements. The excellent 1968 is Gall's best album from this period, with "Teenie Weenie Boppie," the trippy "Nefertiti," and the slinky, jazzy "Bebe Requin," perhaps Gall's sexiest single ever.
Like all of the stars of the '60s ye-ye scene, Gall's career took a downturn in the early '70s. No longer a teenager, but without a new persona to redefine herself with, (and without the help of Gainsbourg, whose time was taken by his own albums and those of his wife Jane Birkin), Gall floundered both commercially and artistically. A label change from Philips to BASF in 1972 didn't help matters, but in 1974, Gall met and married songwriter/producer Michel Berger. Berger took over his wife's career starting with 1975's France Gall and re-established her popularity throughout Europe. Berger's middle of the road soft rock style (think late-era Elton John, with whom Gall recorded a duet, "Les Aveux," in 1980) is slickly commercial and for the most part, less-inspired than Gall's '60s work, but although her material was by and large weaker, Gall became a much stronger and more technically adept singer during this era. Albums like 1987's Babacar, 1984's Debranche, and 1988's live Tour de France cannot be recommended to those completely averse to mellow "lite" rock, but they have their charms.
Gall's life took a tragic turn in the '90s; Berger died of a heart attack at the age of 46 in 1992, and their daughter Pauline died of cystic fibrosis at the age of 19 in 1997. Gall announced her retirement after Berger's death, but after reconsidering, she restarted her career with 1996's France, a tender tribute to her partner and mentor. That same year, a new generation of listeners began discovering her work when Heavenly covered her Serge Gainsbourg-penned hit "Nous ne Sommes pas des Anges" on Operation: Heavenly.
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qui pleureras
Oui j'ai pleuré mais ce jour-là
Non je ne pleurerai pas
Non je ne pleurerai pas
Je dirai c'est bien fait pour toi
Je dirai ça t'apprendra
Je dirai ça t'apprendra
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Ça te jouera un mauvais tour
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Tu le paieras un de ces jours
On ne joue pas impunément
Avec un cœur innocent
Avec un cœur innocent
Tu verras ce que je ressens
Avant qu'il ne soit longtemps
Avant qu'il ne soit longtemps
La chance abandonne
Celui qui ne sait
Que laisser les cœurs blessés
Tu n'auras personne
Pour te consoler
Tu ne l'auras pas volé
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qui pleureras
Non pour te plaindre il n'y aura
Personne d'autre que toi
Personne d'autre que toi
Alors tu te rappelleras
Tout ce que je te dis là
Tout ce que je te dis là
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll get dropped
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll cry
Yes, I have cried, but that day
No, I won't cry
No, I won't cry anymore
I will say that you deserve it
I will say it serves you right
I will say it serves you right
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
That will play a bad trick on you
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
You'll have to pay for it one of these days
One cannot play without being backfired
With an innocent heart
With an innocent heart
You'll see what I feel
Soon
Soon
Chance forsakes
The one who knows nothing else
But leaving wounded hearts
You'll have no one
To comfort you
You'll deserve it!
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll get dropped
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll cry
For your whining
There will be no one else but you
There will be no one else but you
And then you'll remember
Everything I said now
Everything I said now
A cover version by April March - Chick Habit - 1995
Artist Biography by Stewart Mason (Allmusic)
Although she's best-known as the pretty, perky teenager who won the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with her hit "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son," French pop singer France Gall has had a much longer and more varied career than that, having released solid records almost non-stop since the early '60s. Although only a cult figure in most of the rest of the world, Gall is a major star and beloved figure in her native country.
Born Isabelle Gall in Paris on October 9, 1947, Gall was the daughter of French performer and producer, Roger Gall, who had written songs for Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. In 1962, at the age of 15, Gall was ushered into the studio by her father to record her debut EP, Ne Sois pas Si Bete. The four-track EP (the standard in French pop music at the time, and the format of most of her releases for the rest of the decade) was an enormous hit, selling 200,000 copies in France thanks both to the irresistible title-track and the absolutely stunning cover photo. Gall released a series of similarly successful pop hits for the next several years, peaking with winning the aforementioned Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. But although many dismissed Gall as a Francophone Lesley Gore, making fluffy and ultra-commercial pop hits with little substance, Gall's hits from this era stand up far better than most. Only Francoise Hardy was consistently making records up to these standards during this era. Though Gall's high, breathy voice was admittedly somewhat limited, she made the most of it. Even dopey hits like "Sacre Charlemagne," a duet with a pair of puppets who were the stars of a children's show on French TV, have an infectious, zesty charm; meatier tunes, like the sultry jazz-tinged ballad "Pense a Moi" and the brilliant rocker "Laisse Tomber les Filles," were as good as any single produced in the U.S. or Great Britain at the time.
In 1966, Gall's public persona shifted into a more mature phase, both musically and personally. The change came with that year's controversial hit "Les Sucettes." Though on the surface the Gainsbourg-penned tune was a pretty little song about a young girl and her lollipop, the unmistakable subtext of the sly lyrics meant that the not-yet-18-year-old Gall was singing approvingly (and, she later claimed, completely unknowingly) about oral sex. Les Sucettes and its follow-up, Baby Pop, are among Gall's finest, musically richer and more varied than her early hits, but every bit as catchy. (During this period of her career, Gall was signed not only to the French division of Philips, but to the German branch of the company, and also released several German-language EPs and albums, mixing translations of her Francophone hits and all-new material.) The psychedelic era found Gall, under Gainsbourg's guidance, singing increasingly strange songs, like "Teenie Weenie Boppie" (a bizarre tune about a deadly LSD trip that somehow involves Mick Jagger) set to some of Gainsbourg's most out-there arrangements. The excellent 1968 is Gall's best album from this period, with "Teenie Weenie Boppie," the trippy "Nefertiti," and the slinky, jazzy "Bebe Requin," perhaps Gall's sexiest single ever.
Like all of the stars of the '60s ye-ye scene, Gall's career took a downturn in the early '70s. No longer a teenager, but without a new persona to redefine herself with, (and without the help of Gainsbourg, whose time was taken by his own albums and those of his wife Jane Birkin), Gall floundered both commercially and artistically. A label change from Philips to BASF in 1972 didn't help matters, but in 1974, Gall met and married songwriter/producer Michel Berger. Berger took over his wife's career starting with 1975's France Gall and re-established her popularity throughout Europe. Berger's middle of the road soft rock style (think late-era Elton John, with whom Gall recorded a duet, "Les Aveux," in 1980) is slickly commercial and for the most part, less-inspired than Gall's '60s work, but although her material was by and large weaker, Gall became a much stronger and more technically adept singer during this era. Albums like 1987's Babacar, 1984's Debranche, and 1988's live Tour de France cannot be recommended to those completely averse to mellow "lite" rock, but they have their charms.
Gall's life took a tragic turn in the '90s; Berger died of a heart attack at the age of 46 in 1992, and their daughter Pauline died of cystic fibrosis at the age of 19 in 1997. Gall announced her retirement after Berger's death, but after reconsidering, she restarted her career with 1996's France, a tender tribute to her partner and mentor. That same year, a new generation of listeners began discovering her work when Heavenly covered her Serge Gainsbourg-penned hit "Nous ne Sommes pas des Anges" on Operation: Heavenly.
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qui pleureras
Oui j'ai pleuré mais ce jour-là
Non je ne pleurerai pas
Non je ne pleurerai pas
Je dirai c'est bien fait pour toi
Je dirai ça t'apprendra
Je dirai ça t'apprendra
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Ça te jouera un mauvais tour
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Tu le paieras un de ces jours
On ne joue pas impunément
Avec un cœur innocent
Avec un cœur innocent
Tu verras ce que je ressens
Avant qu'il ne soit longtemps
Avant qu'il ne soit longtemps
La chance abandonne
Celui qui ne sait
Que laisser les cœurs blessés
Tu n'auras personne
Pour te consoler
Tu ne l'auras pas volé
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera
Laisse tomber les filles
Laisse tomber les filles
Un jour c'est toi qui pleureras
Non pour te plaindre il n'y aura
Personne d'autre que toi
Personne d'autre que toi
Alors tu te rappelleras
Tout ce que je te dis là
Tout ce que je te dis là
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll get dropped
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll cry
Yes, I have cried, but that day
No, I won't cry
No, I won't cry anymore
I will say that you deserve it
I will say it serves you right
I will say it serves you right
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
That will play a bad trick on you
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
You'll have to pay for it one of these days
One cannot play without being backfired
With an innocent heart
With an innocent heart
You'll see what I feel
Soon
Soon
Chance forsakes
The one who knows nothing else
But leaving wounded hearts
You'll have no one
To comfort you
You'll deserve it!
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll get dropped
Stop messing around with the girls
Stop messing around with the girls
One day you'll be the one who'll cry
For your whining
There will be no one else but you
There will be no one else but you
And then you'll remember
Everything I said now
Everything I said now
A cover version by April March - Chick Habit - 1995
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Nicoletta - Mamy Blue - 1971
Wikipédia :
Nicoletta Grisoni, longer name Nicole Fernande Grisoni-Chappuis, better known by her mononym Nicoletta (born 11 April 1944 in Vongy, now known as Thonon-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France) is a French pop singer. Becoming very popular on French radio and television, where she had a number of hits in the 1960s and the 1970s, she was considered as part of what is known as the French yé-yé generation heavily influenced by American music, particularly R&B, Rock and roll and Beat music. She is mostly known for her version of "Mamy Blue".
Wikipédia :
"Mamy Blue" (later aka "Mammy Blue") is the title of an international hit from 1971-72 for several artists.
The song was originally written with French lyrics in 1970 by veteran French songwriter Hubert Giraud; he conceived the song in his car waiting out a Parisian traffic jam and had completed its demo within a few days. After four months the first recorded version of "Mamy Blue" was made - with Italian lyrics - by Ivana Spagna marking that singer's recording debut.
In May 1971 Alain Milhaud, a French record producer based in Spain, acquired the song for Los Pop-Tops, a group he managed: Milhaud produced the Pop-Tops recording of "Mamy Blue" in a session in London after the group's frontman Phil Trim wrote English lyrics for the song. The French Barclay label expediently had the song covered by both Joël Daydé (fr) and Nicoletta.
The Dayde version - featuring Phil Trim's English lyric - was recorded at Olympic Sound Studio in London and the Decca Studio in Paris: Wally Stott was the arranger. Nicoletta's version featured the original French lyrics written by Hubert Giraud who himself produced Nicoletta's recording
The Pop-Tops and Joël Daydé both reached #1 on the French charts with "Mamy Blue" while the Nicoletta version rose as high as #4 affording the singer her career record. Both the Pop-Tops and Dayde versions became concurrent major hits in several other territories including Belgium where the Pop-Tops and Dayde's versions reached #1 on respectively the Dutch and French chart with Pop-Tops reaching #3 on the latter, the Netherlands where Pop-Tops reached #3 and Dayde #13, Norway where Pop-Tops reached #1 and Dayde #3 and Sweden where Pop-Tops reached #1 and Dayde #6. In Spain Dayde's English version of "Mamy Blue" reached #2 while Pop-Tops reached #1 with a specially recorded version of the song in Spanish.
In Germany the Pop-Tops spent ten weeks at #1 while the Dayde version only charted peripherally at #40 while a German rendering recorded by Ricky Shayne afforded Shayne his best ever German chart showing with a #7 peak. The Pop-Tops also rendered "Mamy Blue" in Italian with a resultant #1 in Italy where a local cover by Johnny Dorelli also charted at #28: another Italian cover by Dalida failed to chart as did the English version by Ricky Shayne in its Italian release. Ricky Shayne's English version did appear in the French Top Ten (peak: #8) with the Dayde, Nicoletta and Pop Tops versions and also charted in Brazil (#1) and Japan, selling 500,000 copies in the latter territory where the Pop Tops version had also been a hit at #2.
The Pop Tops English version also reached #1 in Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; in Denmark the song also reached the Top Ten via a cover by Roger Whittaker which also reached #4 in Finland where the version by Pop Tops and a Finnish rendering by Kirka Babitzin also reached the Top Ten.
The Joel Dayde version of "Mamy Blue" reached #2 in Australia, the only evident territory where Dayde did not have to vie with Pop Tops although the cover by Roger Whittaker and another by James Darren did well enough regionally to register on Australia's national chart with respective peaks of #53 and #47. In South Africa "Mamy Blue" was recorded by a session group billed as Charisma: produced by Graeme Beggs, this version spent twelve weeks at #1 making it the second longest running South African #1 hit. Otherwise "Mamy Blue" did not have a strong national chart showing in the English speaking world: in the UK the Pop Tops vied with a cover by Roger Whittaker with neither version reaching the Top 30 respective chart peaks being #35 and #31; in the US the Pop Tops was the sole charting version with a #57 peak on the Hot 100 in Billboard whose Easy Listening chart afforded the track a #28 peak; in Canada Pop Tops vied with a cover by session group Oak Island Treasury Department - these versions respectively peaking at #42 and #68 - while a cover by Roger Whittaker of the original French version was a hit on Canada's French charts reaching #2. "Mamy Blue" returned to the Hot 100 in 1973 via a remake by the Stories which peaked at #50: this version charted in Canada at #47.
Nicoletta
Oh Mamy! Oh Mamy, Mamy blue
Oh Mamy blue! {2x}
Où es-tu, où es-tu Mamy blue?
Oh Mamy blue!
Je suis partie un soir d´été
Sans dire un mot, sans t´embrasser
Sans un regard sur le passé
Dès que j´ai franchi la frontière
Le vent soufflait plus fort qu´hier
Quand j´étais près de toi ma mère
{au Refrain}
Et aujourd´hui je te reviens
Oui, j´ai refait tout le chemin
Qui m´avait entraînée si loin
Tu n´es plus là pour me sourire
Me réchauffer, me recueillir
Et je n´ai plus qu´à repartir
{au Refrain}
Et le temps a passé
Et Mamy blue s´est en allée
La maison a fermé ses yeux
Le chat et les chiens sont très vieux
Et ils viennent me dire adieu
Je ne reviendrai plus jamais
Dans ce village que j´aimais
Où tu reposes désormais
English cover :
Oh Mamy! Oh Mamy blue!
Oh Mamy blue!
I may be your forgotten son
who wandered off at twenty one
it's sad to find myself at home
oh ma.
If I could only hold your hand
and say I'm sorry yes I am
I'm sure you really understand
oh
Ma
where are you now.
Oh
Mamy
oh
Mamy - Mamy - blue
oh
Mamy - Blue
The house we shared upon the hill
seems lifeless but it's standing still
and memories of childhood days
fill my mind
oh Mamy
Mamy
Mamy.
I've seen enough of different lights
seen tired days and lonely nights
and now without you by my side
I'm lost
how can I survive.
Oh
Mamy...
Nobody who takes care of me
who loves me
who has time for me
the walls look silent at my face
oh
Ma
so dead is our place.
The sky is dark
the wind is rough
and now I know what I have lost
the house is not a home at all
I'm leaving
the future seems so small.
Wikipédia :
Nicoletta Grisoni, longer name Nicole Fernande Grisoni-Chappuis, better known by her mononym Nicoletta (born 11 April 1944 in Vongy, now known as Thonon-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France) is a French pop singer. Becoming very popular on French radio and television, where she had a number of hits in the 1960s and the 1970s, she was considered as part of what is known as the French yé-yé generation heavily influenced by American music, particularly R&B, Rock and roll and Beat music. She is mostly known for her version of "Mamy Blue".
Wikipédia :
"Mamy Blue" (later aka "Mammy Blue") is the title of an international hit from 1971-72 for several artists.
The song was originally written with French lyrics in 1970 by veteran French songwriter Hubert Giraud; he conceived the song in his car waiting out a Parisian traffic jam and had completed its demo within a few days. After four months the first recorded version of "Mamy Blue" was made - with Italian lyrics - by Ivana Spagna marking that singer's recording debut.
In May 1971 Alain Milhaud, a French record producer based in Spain, acquired the song for Los Pop-Tops, a group he managed: Milhaud produced the Pop-Tops recording of "Mamy Blue" in a session in London after the group's frontman Phil Trim wrote English lyrics for the song. The French Barclay label expediently had the song covered by both Joël Daydé (fr) and Nicoletta.
The Dayde version - featuring Phil Trim's English lyric - was recorded at Olympic Sound Studio in London and the Decca Studio in Paris: Wally Stott was the arranger. Nicoletta's version featured the original French lyrics written by Hubert Giraud who himself produced Nicoletta's recording
The Pop-Tops and Joël Daydé both reached #1 on the French charts with "Mamy Blue" while the Nicoletta version rose as high as #4 affording the singer her career record. Both the Pop-Tops and Dayde versions became concurrent major hits in several other territories including Belgium where the Pop-Tops and Dayde's versions reached #1 on respectively the Dutch and French chart with Pop-Tops reaching #3 on the latter, the Netherlands where Pop-Tops reached #3 and Dayde #13, Norway where Pop-Tops reached #1 and Dayde #3 and Sweden where Pop-Tops reached #1 and Dayde #6. In Spain Dayde's English version of "Mamy Blue" reached #2 while Pop-Tops reached #1 with a specially recorded version of the song in Spanish.
In Germany the Pop-Tops spent ten weeks at #1 while the Dayde version only charted peripherally at #40 while a German rendering recorded by Ricky Shayne afforded Shayne his best ever German chart showing with a #7 peak. The Pop-Tops also rendered "Mamy Blue" in Italian with a resultant #1 in Italy where a local cover by Johnny Dorelli also charted at #28: another Italian cover by Dalida failed to chart as did the English version by Ricky Shayne in its Italian release. Ricky Shayne's English version did appear in the French Top Ten (peak: #8) with the Dayde, Nicoletta and Pop Tops versions and also charted in Brazil (#1) and Japan, selling 500,000 copies in the latter territory where the Pop Tops version had also been a hit at #2.
The Pop Tops English version also reached #1 in Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; in Denmark the song also reached the Top Ten via a cover by Roger Whittaker which also reached #4 in Finland where the version by Pop Tops and a Finnish rendering by Kirka Babitzin also reached the Top Ten.
The Joel Dayde version of "Mamy Blue" reached #2 in Australia, the only evident territory where Dayde did not have to vie with Pop Tops although the cover by Roger Whittaker and another by James Darren did well enough regionally to register on Australia's national chart with respective peaks of #53 and #47. In South Africa "Mamy Blue" was recorded by a session group billed as Charisma: produced by Graeme Beggs, this version spent twelve weeks at #1 making it the second longest running South African #1 hit. Otherwise "Mamy Blue" did not have a strong national chart showing in the English speaking world: in the UK the Pop Tops vied with a cover by Roger Whittaker with neither version reaching the Top 30 respective chart peaks being #35 and #31; in the US the Pop Tops was the sole charting version with a #57 peak on the Hot 100 in Billboard whose Easy Listening chart afforded the track a #28 peak; in Canada Pop Tops vied with a cover by session group Oak Island Treasury Department - these versions respectively peaking at #42 and #68 - while a cover by Roger Whittaker of the original French version was a hit on Canada's French charts reaching #2. "Mamy Blue" returned to the Hot 100 in 1973 via a remake by the Stories which peaked at #50: this version charted in Canada at #47.
Nicoletta
Pop Tops
Joel Daydé
{Refrain:}
Oh Mamy! Oh Mamy, Mamy blue
Oh Mamy blue! {2x}
Où es-tu, où es-tu Mamy blue?
Oh Mamy blue!
Je suis partie un soir d´été
Sans dire un mot, sans t´embrasser
Sans un regard sur le passé
Dès que j´ai franchi la frontière
Le vent soufflait plus fort qu´hier
Quand j´étais près de toi ma mère
{au Refrain}
Et aujourd´hui je te reviens
Oui, j´ai refait tout le chemin
Qui m´avait entraînée si loin
Tu n´es plus là pour me sourire
Me réchauffer, me recueillir
Et je n´ai plus qu´à repartir
{au Refrain}
Et le temps a passé
Et Mamy blue s´est en allée
La maison a fermé ses yeux
Le chat et les chiens sont très vieux
Et ils viennent me dire adieu
Je ne reviendrai plus jamais
Dans ce village que j´aimais
Où tu reposes désormais
English cover :
Oh Mamy! Oh Mamy blue!
Oh Mamy blue!
I may be your forgotten son
who wandered off at twenty one
it's sad to find myself at home
oh ma.
If I could only hold your hand
and say I'm sorry yes I am
I'm sure you really understand
oh
Ma
where are you now.
Oh
Mamy
oh
Mamy - Mamy - blue
oh
Mamy - Blue
The house we shared upon the hill
seems lifeless but it's standing still
and memories of childhood days
fill my mind
oh Mamy
Mamy
Mamy.
I've seen enough of different lights
seen tired days and lonely nights
and now without you by my side
I'm lost
how can I survive.
Oh
Mamy...
Nobody who takes care of me
who loves me
who has time for me
the walls look silent at my face
oh
Ma
so dead is our place.
The sky is dark
the wind is rough
and now I know what I have lost
the house is not a home at all
I'm leaving
the future seems so small.
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Léo Ferré - Avec le temps - 1971
Artist Biography by François Couture (Allmusic)
Although little known in English speaking countries, Léo Ferré (1916-1993) is a monument of French chanson, revered throughout the francophone world. A singer, songwriter, author, composer, and even orchestra conductor, he is mostly remembered for songs like "Avec le Temps," "Les Anarchistes," and "Jolie Môme." His career began in the cabaret and took him through four decades and a number of styles, but his best material and his popularity peak happened in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, as the generation of May ‘68 adopted him as an anarchist figure.
Léo Ferré was born and raised in the principality of Monaco, between France and Italy. Throughout his life, the artist would live and work in the two countries alternately, even recording a few songs in Italian. He completed his college studies in 1934 in Rome. Since his father refused to let him go to the music conservatory, he went to Paris for studies in law, earning a diploma in Political Sciences in 1939. The second World War dragged him into the military and upon Paris' capitulation he fled back to Monaco. He got married for the first time in 1943, began to work at Radio Monte-Carlo, and wrote his first songs.
After the Liberation (1945) Ferré gave his first performances in Parisian cabarets, encouraged by Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, and Juliette Gréco who would sing many of his songs. His first wife divorced him in 1950. Shortly after, he met Madeleine Rabereau, who would become his second wife and have a decisive influence on his career, pushing him constantly forward. He cut his first 78 rpms for Le Chant du Monde and wrote his first piece of "serious" music, the oratorio "La Chanson du Mal-Aimé." In 1953, Ferré was signed by the record label Odéon and recorded his first LP which includes "Paris-Canaille."
In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s he recorded a series of albums devoted to French poets, interspersed with LPs of his own songs. His lyrics alternate between love topics and a social commentary that grows more and more bitter: "Thank You Satan," "Mon Général" (against Charles De Gaulle), "Ni Dieu, Ni Maître." When the events of May ‘68 take place, Ferré is at a popular and artistic peak. Now forever associated to the Anarchist movement, he let himself be transported by the younger generation. He abandoned the over-emphatic, theatrical style of singing that was also Jacques Brel's trademark, recorded and toured with the rock group Zoo, and included monologues in his concerts. In October 1970 came out the single "Avec le Temps." It became his signature song.
Starting in 1975, Ferré attempted a career in classical music, conducting orchestras for his works and classics (he recorded works by Beethoven and Ravel). For the next decade he continued to release albums and tour, but his prime had passed. His writings and television appearances were feeding his popularity more than his musical production of the time, and by 1985 he had considerably slowed down his activities. He was preparing a come back to the stage when illness struck in 1992. He died in July 1993 at age 77.
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
On oublie le visage et l'on oublie la voix
Le coeur, quand ça bat plus, c'est pas la peine d'aller
Chercher plus loin, faut laisser faire et c'est très bien
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
L'autre qu'on adorait, qu'on cherchait sous la pluie
L'autre qu'on devinait au détour d'un regard
Entre les mots, entre les lignes et sous le fard
D'un serment maquillé qui s'en va faire sa nuit
Avec le temps tout s'évanouit
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
Même les plus chouettes souv'nirs ça t'as une de ces gueules
A la gal'rie j'farfouille dans les rayons d'la mort
Le samedi soir quand la tendresse s'en va toute seule
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
L'autre à qui l'on croyait pour un rhume, pour un rien
L'autre à qui l'on donnait du vent et des bijoux
Pour qui l'on eût vendu son âme pour quelques sous
Devant quoi l'on s'traînait comme traînent les chiens
Avec le temps, va, tout va bien
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
On oublie les passions et l'on oublie les voix
Qui vous disaient tout bas les mots des pauvres gens
Ne rentre pas trop tard, surtout ne prends pas froid
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
Et l'on se sent blanchi comme un cheval fourbu
Et l'on se sent glacé dans un lit de hasard
Et l'on se sent tout seul peut-être mais peinard
Et l'on se sent floué par les années perdues
Alors vraiment... avec le temps... on n'aime plus
With time ...
With time, they go away, everything goes away
We forget the face and we forget the voice
The "heart beat stop", there's no need to go further
Searching further, let it go and that is very well
With time ...
With time, it goes, everything goes
The other we loved, we searched in the rain
The other we guessed with a "passing glance"
Between words, between the lines and under the make-up
On a "disguised" vow, who will "dutifully work nights"
With time everything vanishes
With time ...
With Time, it goes, all goes away,
Even the coolest souveniers that have us "drop our jaw" at the 99 cent store, we scavenge (Farfouille=turn upside down by searching) in the aisles of death,
On Saturday evening when tenderness goes away all alone, With time...
With time, it goes, everything goes
The other whom we took for a pain in the neck, for a nothing
The other to whow we gave the boot and jewelry
For one who whould sell his soul for pennies
In face of all this, who dragged ourselves along like street dogs
With time, go, everything is fine
With time ...
With time, it goes, everything goes
We forget the passions and we forget the voices
Which whispered the words of the poor people
"Don't return too late, mostly don't catch a cold."
With time...
With time, it goes, all goes away
And we feel "old and grey" like an "burnt out" horse
And we feel frozen in a bed of "bad luck"
And we feel ourselves all alone, perhaps "falsely self-sufficient"
And we feel ourselves fooled by the lost years
So really,
With time we don't love any more.
Artist Biography by François Couture (Allmusic)
Although little known in English speaking countries, Léo Ferré (1916-1993) is a monument of French chanson, revered throughout the francophone world. A singer, songwriter, author, composer, and even orchestra conductor, he is mostly remembered for songs like "Avec le Temps," "Les Anarchistes," and "Jolie Môme." His career began in the cabaret and took him through four decades and a number of styles, but his best material and his popularity peak happened in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, as the generation of May ‘68 adopted him as an anarchist figure.
Léo Ferré was born and raised in the principality of Monaco, between France and Italy. Throughout his life, the artist would live and work in the two countries alternately, even recording a few songs in Italian. He completed his college studies in 1934 in Rome. Since his father refused to let him go to the music conservatory, he went to Paris for studies in law, earning a diploma in Political Sciences in 1939. The second World War dragged him into the military and upon Paris' capitulation he fled back to Monaco. He got married for the first time in 1943, began to work at Radio Monte-Carlo, and wrote his first songs.
After the Liberation (1945) Ferré gave his first performances in Parisian cabarets, encouraged by Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, and Juliette Gréco who would sing many of his songs. His first wife divorced him in 1950. Shortly after, he met Madeleine Rabereau, who would become his second wife and have a decisive influence on his career, pushing him constantly forward. He cut his first 78 rpms for Le Chant du Monde and wrote his first piece of "serious" music, the oratorio "La Chanson du Mal-Aimé." In 1953, Ferré was signed by the record label Odéon and recorded his first LP which includes "Paris-Canaille."
In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s he recorded a series of albums devoted to French poets, interspersed with LPs of his own songs. His lyrics alternate between love topics and a social commentary that grows more and more bitter: "Thank You Satan," "Mon Général" (against Charles De Gaulle), "Ni Dieu, Ni Maître." When the events of May ‘68 take place, Ferré is at a popular and artistic peak. Now forever associated to the Anarchist movement, he let himself be transported by the younger generation. He abandoned the over-emphatic, theatrical style of singing that was also Jacques Brel's trademark, recorded and toured with the rock group Zoo, and included monologues in his concerts. In October 1970 came out the single "Avec le Temps." It became his signature song.
Starting in 1975, Ferré attempted a career in classical music, conducting orchestras for his works and classics (he recorded works by Beethoven and Ravel). For the next decade he continued to release albums and tour, but his prime had passed. His writings and television appearances were feeding his popularity more than his musical production of the time, and by 1985 he had considerably slowed down his activities. He was preparing a come back to the stage when illness struck in 1992. He died in July 1993 at age 77.
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
On oublie le visage et l'on oublie la voix
Le coeur, quand ça bat plus, c'est pas la peine d'aller
Chercher plus loin, faut laisser faire et c'est très bien
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
L'autre qu'on adorait, qu'on cherchait sous la pluie
L'autre qu'on devinait au détour d'un regard
Entre les mots, entre les lignes et sous le fard
D'un serment maquillé qui s'en va faire sa nuit
Avec le temps tout s'évanouit
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
Même les plus chouettes souv'nirs ça t'as une de ces gueules
A la gal'rie j'farfouille dans les rayons d'la mort
Le samedi soir quand la tendresse s'en va toute seule
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
L'autre à qui l'on croyait pour un rhume, pour un rien
L'autre à qui l'on donnait du vent et des bijoux
Pour qui l'on eût vendu son âme pour quelques sous
Devant quoi l'on s'traînait comme traînent les chiens
Avec le temps, va, tout va bien
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
On oublie les passions et l'on oublie les voix
Qui vous disaient tout bas les mots des pauvres gens
Ne rentre pas trop tard, surtout ne prends pas froid
Avec le temps...
Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
Et l'on se sent blanchi comme un cheval fourbu
Et l'on se sent glacé dans un lit de hasard
Et l'on se sent tout seul peut-être mais peinard
Et l'on se sent floué par les années perdues
Alors vraiment... avec le temps... on n'aime plus
With time ...
With time, they go away, everything goes away
We forget the face and we forget the voice
The "heart beat stop", there's no need to go further
Searching further, let it go and that is very well
With time ...
With time, it goes, everything goes
The other we loved, we searched in the rain
The other we guessed with a "passing glance"
Between words, between the lines and under the make-up
On a "disguised" vow, who will "dutifully work nights"
With time everything vanishes
With time ...
With Time, it goes, all goes away,
Even the coolest souveniers that have us "drop our jaw" at the 99 cent store, we scavenge (Farfouille=turn upside down by searching) in the aisles of death,
On Saturday evening when tenderness goes away all alone, With time...
With time, it goes, everything goes
The other whom we took for a pain in the neck, for a nothing
The other to whow we gave the boot and jewelry
For one who whould sell his soul for pennies
In face of all this, who dragged ourselves along like street dogs
With time, go, everything is fine
With time ...
With time, it goes, everything goes
We forget the passions and we forget the voices
Which whispered the words of the poor people
"Don't return too late, mostly don't catch a cold."
With time...
With time, it goes, all goes away
And we feel "old and grey" like an "burnt out" horse
And we feel frozen in a bed of "bad luck"
And we feel ourselves all alone, perhaps "falsely self-sufficient"
And we feel ourselves fooled by the lost years
So really,
With time we don't love any more.
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh - 1973/1989
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
Led by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, the Paris-based Magma have been, in their way, perhaps the ultimate progressive rock group; while other artists have achieved greater commercial success and critical acclaim, Magma have typified the many ambitions and excesses of the genre that won them as many detractors as fans, even going so far as to invent their own lyrical and musical language in order to bring their unique vision to life. The son of a jazz pianist, Vander initially followed in his father's footsteps, modeling his technique on the work of John Coltrane alum Elvin Jones and starting his career with a number of jazz and R&B outfits. While in Paris in 1969, however, he was struck by a vision of Earth's spiritual and ecological future so disturbing to him that he decided to explore his fears by musical means, assembling Magma with the aid of wife and vocalist Stella, singer Klaus Blasquiz, and fusion bassists Francis Moze and Jannick Top.
As outlined on the group's eponymous 1970 double-album debut, Vander's tale -- projected to be told over the course of ten LPs -- pitted Earth against a rival planet named Kobaia. Over the course of 1971's 1,001 Centigrade and 1973's Mekanïk Destructïw Kommandoh (recorded with a choir), the story -- much of it told in native Kobaian -- unfolded to depict an Earth so uninhabitable that its citizens must flee to the nearby planet, where years of conflict culminated in the achievement of cosmic harmony and a reconciliation with the deity Ptäh. Chart success was not forthcoming, and after a few early tours of the U.S. and Britain Magma spent the middle years of the decade almost exclusively in France, where they launched records including 1974's Kohntarkosz and the next year's Live. After the commercial failure of 1976's Üdü Wüdü and 1977's Inédits, Magma essentially disbanded, although the group lived on in various forms, as alumni founded a number of loosely affiliated splinter groups to carry on Vander's work, while a number of bands -- including Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Ensemble Nimbus, Happy Family, and Koenji Hyakkei -- would be influenced by Magma during the years to follow. In 1983, Vander himself resurfaced with the acoustic project Offering, but later returned to more grandiose designs with Les Voix de Magma, an attempt to resurrect his early material for a new generation of listeners.
In the mid-‘90s Vander re-formed Magma proper -- including Stella Vander, various musicians new to the Magma fold, and appearances by members of the band's earlier lineups -- and they began an extended period of recordings and live appearances featuring both new music and material from their "classic" period. In 1995 the album Kohntarkosz Anteria (K.A.) appeared as the second part of a trilogy that began with the Kohntarkosz album in 1974; the third and final part of the trilogy, Emehntehtt-Re, was issued in 2009. Meanwhile, Magma documented a number of their live shows on both CD and DVD releases, including the La Trilogie au Trianon CD and DVD sets recorded at the band’s 30th anniversary concerts in Paris during May 2000 and the Live in Tokyo two-CD set recorded in 2005. Magma also performed music from 35 years of the band’s history during a four-week residency at the Le Triton club in Paris during May of 2005; the Le Triton concerts were documented on the four-volume Mythes et Légendes DVD series released between 2006 and 2008.
Lyrics.wikia :
MDK is a song cycle for small choir and baritone soloist with jazz ensemble (including brass/woodwind choir) doubling on orchestral percussion. The sound of MDK is aggressively Teutonic, even histrionically so, due to the use of antecedents found in Carl Orff's faux-antiquarian Carmina Burana song cycle upon the foundation of two separate choirs, one of mixed voices and one of mixed horns, and ultimately the unique blend of techniques from both the European heroic as well as Afro-gospel vocal traditions.
MDK incorporates the Carmina's percussive orchestra with rhythmic developments of 20th-century art-music -notably the use of piano as a percussion sound, and rhythmic "phasing"- to sculpt an angular and propulsive orchestral sound especially suited to the oppressive and militaristic story-lines of this desperately dys-topian cycle. This martial sound anticipates the aggression and savagery articulated in the "Black Metal" movement via delirious falsettos and growling, near-obsessive repetition of rhythmic cells, and the Middle-European mass of the composer's synthetic Kobaian language as embodied by his choir.
Phenomenally, throughout these depths MDK remain essentially a cabaret piece. European art-song elements fuse over light 'electric-jazz' textures, with only momentary rock strophes. Composer Vander credits the "spiritual" aspect of John Coltrane's output as his primary inspiration, and the MDK choirs are nothing if not volcanic. Yet apart from a similar idiosyncratic virtuosity, MDK's sound is essentially melodic, and far more reminiscent of Miles Davis' "Bitches' Brew" benedictions, than any of Coltrane's catharses.
Hur
Dëh antzik Köhntarkösz Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Stöht wurdah melekaahm
Uz dëh orkbahnn Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Zëbëhn straïn de Geuštaah wortsiš, da reuš Stoah
Lah wortz reïšfünk dëh wehreštëhgeuhntzur,
Ün dëh bündëhr drakaïda Kommandöh,
Wuhr dï heul Zortsüng
Urwah de zün
Urwah de Zëbëhn
Urwah de Glešt
Urwah de Geuštaah
Urwah de kümkah
Urwah de wurdah
Urwah kamkaï
Hirr wölt dos fünker
Dos waraah ïtah ehrtzüng
Da wurdihn sin zortsüng
Iss da Zëss eusfeuhl dêt nünd
Ïš dëh rawëhn dëh štünditt
Ëk da ëhrdzort fuh osk düts euht weuhrdrešt
Dün dëh bündëhr wortsiš glaö
Dün dëh Wahrgenuhr Reugëhlëmêstëh
Ïš malawëlëkaahm
Da Ëhrtz Meurdek
Da felt dos zimëhn don reiš
Bündëhr ünt ïrkahndos
Ün dêts Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Üwëhl kümkah...
Kobaïa ïss dëh Hündin!
Üwëhl üwëhl üwëhl
Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
Üwëhl üwëhl üwëhl...
Dowëri wissëhndoh woraï
Dowëri wissëhndoh woraï (2x)
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi (3x)
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï...
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk Zeuhl Wortz
Wï wï Ëss Ëss dö worïtstoh wahn
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk Zeuhl Wortz
Wï wï Ëss Ëss dö worïtstoh wahn
Ïss ïss ëhnwöhl ëss ëss Ühnwëhl
Ïss ïss ëhnwöhl ëss ëss Ühnwëhl
Ïösz da ëtnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
Ïösz da etnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
O wïlëh wï soï ê wïlëh wï soï
O wïlëh rï sün dö wëh loï loï loï
Ïösz da ëtnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
Ïösz mïtlaït da felt dos fünker üt stiïk reïš stiïhtz klowitš
O wïlëh wï soï ê wïlëh wï soï
O wïlëh rï sün dö wëh loï loï loï
Ïmëhn imëhn sündi imëhn slïbenli
Šlaöss
Ïmëhn imëhn sündi imëhn lohëssi
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ô sowïloï!
Ô sowïloï!
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dö wëhr dö
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Dü dê wëh rïn düh
Dê wëh rïn düh dê wëh rïn düh
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn...
Zaïn! Zaïn! Zaïn! Zaïn!
Ëwëhn döh šlakëhnzaïn
Šlag! Šlag! Šlag!
Ïn zaïn ïnzïnëhratöhr Geuš
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Diï dê wëh rïn düh
Dowëri
Ätüh! Ätüh! Ätüh! Ätüh!... (chœurs)
Ëgeuh šlagëhn
Da wurdah da wortsïš da
Hël! Hël! Hël!
Dêt nünd
Rï sï sündi sün! sün!
Dowerï sün! sün!
Ëwëless
Wirt! wirt!
Hël! Hël! Hël!
Manëh dê wëh wowo wëritstoh
Ïosz
Wï wï
Dêts fünker dêts fünker iosz
Wï
Dê ïosz
Wï wï!
Bradïa Šlakëhndê!
Wï wï üss üss wï wï
Wï wï wï üss
üü üüüü üü üüüü
Wï döwï döwï sün
Sün sün sün sün
üü üüüü üü üüü
üü üüüü üü üüü
Ïn dä wöss A'wïhl
A'wëh wëh lah wöhl A' wïhl A'
Wïss A' döhl A'
Wëh wëh lëh Röhe wöhl A' döhle lah wïhl A'
Ün dä wöhl dowï
Sün Ö lah woh woh lah Röhe
Ïn da wöss da wïhl
Loh mhöss A' pëmëh Nëh Röhe!
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
Led by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, the Paris-based Magma have been, in their way, perhaps the ultimate progressive rock group; while other artists have achieved greater commercial success and critical acclaim, Magma have typified the many ambitions and excesses of the genre that won them as many detractors as fans, even going so far as to invent their own lyrical and musical language in order to bring their unique vision to life. The son of a jazz pianist, Vander initially followed in his father's footsteps, modeling his technique on the work of John Coltrane alum Elvin Jones and starting his career with a number of jazz and R&B outfits. While in Paris in 1969, however, he was struck by a vision of Earth's spiritual and ecological future so disturbing to him that he decided to explore his fears by musical means, assembling Magma with the aid of wife and vocalist Stella, singer Klaus Blasquiz, and fusion bassists Francis Moze and Jannick Top.
As outlined on the group's eponymous 1970 double-album debut, Vander's tale -- projected to be told over the course of ten LPs -- pitted Earth against a rival planet named Kobaia. Over the course of 1971's 1,001 Centigrade and 1973's Mekanïk Destructïw Kommandoh (recorded with a choir), the story -- much of it told in native Kobaian -- unfolded to depict an Earth so uninhabitable that its citizens must flee to the nearby planet, where years of conflict culminated in the achievement of cosmic harmony and a reconciliation with the deity Ptäh. Chart success was not forthcoming, and after a few early tours of the U.S. and Britain Magma spent the middle years of the decade almost exclusively in France, where they launched records including 1974's Kohntarkosz and the next year's Live. After the commercial failure of 1976's Üdü Wüdü and 1977's Inédits, Magma essentially disbanded, although the group lived on in various forms, as alumni founded a number of loosely affiliated splinter groups to carry on Vander's work, while a number of bands -- including Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Ensemble Nimbus, Happy Family, and Koenji Hyakkei -- would be influenced by Magma during the years to follow. In 1983, Vander himself resurfaced with the acoustic project Offering, but later returned to more grandiose designs with Les Voix de Magma, an attempt to resurrect his early material for a new generation of listeners.
In the mid-‘90s Vander re-formed Magma proper -- including Stella Vander, various musicians new to the Magma fold, and appearances by members of the band's earlier lineups -- and they began an extended period of recordings and live appearances featuring both new music and material from their "classic" period. In 1995 the album Kohntarkosz Anteria (K.A.) appeared as the second part of a trilogy that began with the Kohntarkosz album in 1974; the third and final part of the trilogy, Emehntehtt-Re, was issued in 2009. Meanwhile, Magma documented a number of their live shows on both CD and DVD releases, including the La Trilogie au Trianon CD and DVD sets recorded at the band’s 30th anniversary concerts in Paris during May 2000 and the Live in Tokyo two-CD set recorded in 2005. Magma also performed music from 35 years of the band’s history during a four-week residency at the Le Triton club in Paris during May of 2005; the Le Triton concerts were documented on the four-volume Mythes et Légendes DVD series released between 2006 and 2008.
Lyrics.wikia :
MDK is a song cycle for small choir and baritone soloist with jazz ensemble (including brass/woodwind choir) doubling on orchestral percussion. The sound of MDK is aggressively Teutonic, even histrionically so, due to the use of antecedents found in Carl Orff's faux-antiquarian Carmina Burana song cycle upon the foundation of two separate choirs, one of mixed voices and one of mixed horns, and ultimately the unique blend of techniques from both the European heroic as well as Afro-gospel vocal traditions.
MDK incorporates the Carmina's percussive orchestra with rhythmic developments of 20th-century art-music -notably the use of piano as a percussion sound, and rhythmic "phasing"- to sculpt an angular and propulsive orchestral sound especially suited to the oppressive and militaristic story-lines of this desperately dys-topian cycle. This martial sound anticipates the aggression and savagery articulated in the "Black Metal" movement via delirious falsettos and growling, near-obsessive repetition of rhythmic cells, and the Middle-European mass of the composer's synthetic Kobaian language as embodied by his choir.
Phenomenally, throughout these depths MDK remain essentially a cabaret piece. European art-song elements fuse over light 'electric-jazz' textures, with only momentary rock strophes. Composer Vander credits the "spiritual" aspect of John Coltrane's output as his primary inspiration, and the MDK choirs are nothing if not volcanic. Yet apart from a similar idiosyncratic virtuosity, MDK's sound is essentially melodic, and far more reminiscent of Miles Davis' "Bitches' Brew" benedictions, than any of Coltrane's catharses.
Here an example of the "Kobaian" langague (first part) :
Hur
Dëh antzik Köhntarkösz Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Stöht wurdah melekaahm
Uz dëh orkbahnn Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Zëbëhn straïn de Geuštaah wortsiš, da reuš Stoah
Lah wortz reïšfünk dëh wehreštëhgeuhntzur,
Ün dëh bündëhr drakaïda Kommandöh,
Wuhr dï heul Zortsüng
Urwah de zün
Urwah de Zëbëhn
Urwah de Glešt
Urwah de Geuštaah
Urwah de kümkah
Urwah de wurdah
Urwah kamkaï
Hirr wölt dos fünker
Dos waraah ïtah ehrtzüng
Da wurdihn sin zortsüng
Iss da Zëss eusfeuhl dêt nünd
Ïš dëh rawëhn dëh štünditt
Ëk da ëhrdzort fuh osk düts euht weuhrdrešt
Dün dëh bündëhr wortsiš glaö
Dün dëh Wahrgenuhr Reugëhlëmêstëh
Ïš malawëlëkaahm
Da Ëhrtz Meurdek
Da felt dos zimëhn don reiš
Bündëhr ünt ïrkahndos
Ün dêts Kreuhn Köhrmahn
Üwëhl kümkah...
Kobaïa ïss dëh Hündin!
Üwëhl üwëhl üwëhl
Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
Üwëhl üwëhl üwëhl...
Dowëri wissëhndoh woraï
Dowëri wissëhndoh woraï (2x)
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi (3x)
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï sündi
Elëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö ëlëh wëhsö wëh löwï...
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk Zeuhl Wortz
Wï wï Ëss Ëss dö worïtstoh wahn
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk
Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk Zeuhl Wortz
Wï wï Ëss Ëss dö worïtstoh wahn
Ïss ïss ëhnwöhl ëss ëss Ühnwëhl
Ïss ïss ëhnwöhl ëss ëss Ühnwëhl
Ïösz da ëtnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
Ïösz da etnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
O wïlëh wï soï ê wïlëh wï soï
O wïlëh rï sün dö wëh loï loï loï
Ïösz da ëtnah wëhrdëtt dos da Magma üdets klowitš
Ïösz mïtlaït da felt dos fünker üt stiïk reïš stiïhtz klowitš
O wïlëh wï soï ê wïlëh wï soï
O wïlëh rï sün dö wëh loï loï loï
Ïmëhn imëhn sündi imëhn slïbenli
Šlaöss
Ïmëhn imëhn sündi imëhn lohëssi
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Wï wï wï dö wërïssï
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr êm
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ahl wëhr ïss ün ëhr
Ô sowïloï!
Ô sowïloï!
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dö wëhr dö
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Dü dê wëh rïn düh
Dê wëh rïn düh dê wëh rïn düh
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn diï dê wëh rïn diï
Dê wëh rïn...
Zaïn! Zaïn! Zaïn! Zaïn!
Ëwëhn döh šlakëhnzaïn
Šlag! Šlag! Šlag!
Ïn zaïn ïnzïnëhratöhr Geuš
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dowëri
Ïösz! Ïösz! Ïösz! dê wëh rïn
Diï dê wëh rïn düh
Dowëri
Ätüh! Ätüh! Ätüh! Ätüh!... (chœurs)
Ëgeuh šlagëhn
Da wurdah da wortsïš da
Hël! Hël! Hël!
Dêt nünd
Rï sï sündi sün! sün!
Dowerï sün! sün!
Ëwëless
Wirt! wirt!
Hël! Hël! Hël!
Manëh dê wëh wowo wëritstoh
Ïosz
Wï wï
Dêts fünker dêts fünker iosz
Wï
Dê ïosz
Wï wï!
Bradïa Šlakëhndê!
Wï wï üss üss wï wï
Wï wï wï üss
üü üüüü üü üüüü
Wï döwï döwï sün
Sün sün sün sün
üü üüüü üü üüü
üü üüüü üü üüü
Ïn dä wöss A'wïhl
A'wëh wëh lah wöhl A' wïhl A'
Wïss A' döhl A'
Wëh wëh lëh Röhe wöhl A' döhle lah wïhl A'
Ün dä wöhl dowï
Sün Ö lah woh woh lah Röhe
Ïn da wöss da wïhl
Loh mhöss A' pëmëh Nëh Röhe!
Last edited by Romain on Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
I like your picks, very representative !
I was going to post some French hip-hop next time you had a day-off, but in any case NTM and IAM are were to start with French hip-hop (MC Solaar's first 2 albums deserve a mention too)... but I cringed a bit seeing IAM represented by Le Mia...
I was going to post some French hip-hop next time you had a day-off, but in any case NTM and IAM are were to start with French hip-hop (MC Solaar's first 2 albums deserve a mention too)... but I cringed a bit seeing IAM represented by Le Mia...
Re: France - One song per day.
Hello Nassim, at least I hope you like Paris Sous les bombesNassim wrote:I like your picks, very representative !
I was going to post some French hip-hop next time you had a day-off, but in any case NTM and IAM are were to start with French hip-hop (MC Solaar's first 2 albums deserve a mention too)... but I cringed a bit seeing IAM represented by Le Mia...
I try to put all the style of music and approximatively the same number of songs by decade but hip-hop is clearly not my favorite one... I put the two most important group with songs I know but of course, you are welcome to increase the hip-hop posts. The next one woul be McSolaar with "Bouge de là" et Orelsan avec "Mon pote". But if you prefer another song, you're welcome (si tu publies, peux-tu garder le même style de présentation s'il te plaît, j'aime bien les choses ordonnées
Merci de participer en tout cas.
Re: France - One song per day.
Mc Solaar - Bouge de là ! - 1991
Wikipédia :
MC Solaar (born Claude M'Barali, March 5, 1969) is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of France's most internationally popular and influential hip hop artists.
MC Solaar is known for his complex lyrics, which rely on word play, lyricism, and inquiry. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin' Loud and recorded with British group Urban Species and the late Guru, member of the acclaimed New York duo Gang Starr. He has since released seven studio records and one live album and currently lives with his wife, French actress Chloé Bensemoun, their son Roman and daughter Bonnie.
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is French rapper MC Solaar's first album. The title is a pun on the French version of the Biblical proverb "qui sème le vent récolte la tempête" (he who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind, Hosea 8:7). The song samples Lou Donaldson's One Cylinder. It was released in 1991 and gained enormous success.
Bouge de là was the album's first single, which was hugely successful in France and went on to kickstart Solaar's career there. The song is based on a sample of The Message by 1970s English band Cymande.
Other popular single from the album are Caroline
Tout a commencé là-bas, dans la ville qu'on appelle Maisons-Alfort
Quand je vois une fatma chelou qui fait vibrer son corps
Elle me dit: "Claude M.C., viens là qu'j'te donne du réconfort."
J'ai dit: "Non-merci, c'est très gentil mais je n'mange pas d'porc..."
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
J'continue mon trajet, j'arrive vers la Gare de Lyon
Quand je vois un gars qui se dit vraiment très fort comme un lion
Il me dit: "Claude M.C., est-ce que tu veux qu'on s'boxe ?"
Ses hématomes étaient plus gros qu'les seins de Samantha Fox !
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Ma voisine de palier, elle s'appelle Cassandre,
Elle a un petit chien qu'elle appelle Alexandre.
Elle me dit: "Claude M.C., est-ce que tu peux le descendre ?"
J'ai pris mon Magnum, j'ai dû mal comprendre.
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Directement, j'suis allé chez Lucie,
Qui aime les chiens, les chats et Trente Millions d'Amis.
Elle me dit: "T'aimes les animaux, toi mon super M.C. ?"
J'ai dit: "oui j'adore, avec du sel et bien cuits !"
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Plus tard, dans le métro y a un charclo qui traîne,
Il me raconte toute sa vie, il me dit qu'il vient de Rennes.
Ensuite, il me dit qu'il pue, qu'il faudrait qu'il se baigne...
J'lui dis: "Jette-toi dans l'égout, t'arrives direct dans la Seine !"
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
J'continue mon trajet, j'arrive vers le boul'vard Barbès
Quand j'vois un de mes amis qui venait de Marrakech
Il me dit: "Arwah, arwah, j't'achète des rap en dinars."
J'ai dit: "Non, je veux des dollars car on m'appelle Solaar."
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Alors, j'ai bougé; j'ai dû m'en aller, partir, bifurquer,
J'ai dû m'évader, j'ai dû m'enfuir, j'ai dû partir, j'ai dû m'éclipser,
J'ai dû me camoufler, j'ai dû disparaître... Pour réapparaître.
Oh ! Oh ! Bouge de là.
Bouge de là.
Everything started down there, in the town which we call Maisons-Alfort
When I see a weird woman shaking her body
She says to me: "Claude M.C., come there that I give you comfort."
I said: "No, thank you, it's very kind, but I don't eat pork..."
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
I continue my journey, I arrive at the Gare de Lyon
When I see a boy who says, very strongly, like a lion
He says to me: "Claude M.C., do you want to box with me?"
His haematoma were fatter than Samantha Fox's boobs!
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
My next-door neighbour, she's called Cassandra
She has a little dog who she calls Alexander
She says to me: "Claude M.C., can you get down from there?"
I took my Magnum, I must have misunderstood.
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
Directly, I went to Lucy's house
Who likes dogs, cats and Thirty Million Friends
She says to me: "You like animals, you my super M.C.?"
I said: "Yes, I love them, with salt and well cooked!"
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
Later, on the underground, there is a tramp who loiters
He tells me all of his life, he tells me that he comes from Rennes.
Then, he tells me that he stinks, that he must bathe...
I say to him: "Throw yourself in the sewer, you will arrive directly in the Seine!"
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
I continue my journey, I arrive at the boulevard Barbès
When I see one of my friends who comes from Marrakesh
He says to me: "Live, live, I buy you rap in dinars."
I said: "No, I want dollars because I'm called Solaa."
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
So, I moved, I had to go, leave, change path,
I had to avoid myself, I had to flee, I had to leave, I had to slip away
I had to camouflage myself, I had to disappear...to reappear
Oh! Oh! Move away.
Move away.
Wikipédia :
MC Solaar (born Claude M'Barali, March 5, 1969) is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of France's most internationally popular and influential hip hop artists.
MC Solaar is known for his complex lyrics, which rely on word play, lyricism, and inquiry. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin' Loud and recorded with British group Urban Species and the late Guru, member of the acclaimed New York duo Gang Starr. He has since released seven studio records and one live album and currently lives with his wife, French actress Chloé Bensemoun, their son Roman and daughter Bonnie.
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is French rapper MC Solaar's first album. The title is a pun on the French version of the Biblical proverb "qui sème le vent récolte la tempête" (he who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind, Hosea 8:7). The song samples Lou Donaldson's One Cylinder. It was released in 1991 and gained enormous success.
Bouge de là was the album's first single, which was hugely successful in France and went on to kickstart Solaar's career there. The song is based on a sample of The Message by 1970s English band Cymande.
Other popular single from the album are Caroline
Bouge de là
Tout a commencé là-bas, dans la ville qu'on appelle Maisons-Alfort
Quand je vois une fatma chelou qui fait vibrer son corps
Elle me dit: "Claude M.C., viens là qu'j'te donne du réconfort."
J'ai dit: "Non-merci, c'est très gentil mais je n'mange pas d'porc..."
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
J'continue mon trajet, j'arrive vers la Gare de Lyon
Quand je vois un gars qui se dit vraiment très fort comme un lion
Il me dit: "Claude M.C., est-ce que tu veux qu'on s'boxe ?"
Ses hématomes étaient plus gros qu'les seins de Samantha Fox !
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Ma voisine de palier, elle s'appelle Cassandre,
Elle a un petit chien qu'elle appelle Alexandre.
Elle me dit: "Claude M.C., est-ce que tu peux le descendre ?"
J'ai pris mon Magnum, j'ai dû mal comprendre.
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Directement, j'suis allé chez Lucie,
Qui aime les chiens, les chats et Trente Millions d'Amis.
Elle me dit: "T'aimes les animaux, toi mon super M.C. ?"
J'ai dit: "oui j'adore, avec du sel et bien cuits !"
Elle m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Plus tard, dans le métro y a un charclo qui traîne,
Il me raconte toute sa vie, il me dit qu'il vient de Rennes.
Ensuite, il me dit qu'il pue, qu'il faudrait qu'il se baigne...
J'lui dis: "Jette-toi dans l'égout, t'arrives direct dans la Seine !"
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
J'continue mon trajet, j'arrive vers le boul'vard Barbès
Quand j'vois un de mes amis qui venait de Marrakech
Il me dit: "Arwah, arwah, j't'achète des rap en dinars."
J'ai dit: "Non, je veux des dollars car on m'appelle Solaar."
Il m'a fait: "Bouge de là !"
Bouge de là !
Alors, j'ai bougé; j'ai dû m'en aller, partir, bifurquer,
J'ai dû m'évader, j'ai dû m'enfuir, j'ai dû partir, j'ai dû m'éclipser,
J'ai dû me camoufler, j'ai dû disparaître... Pour réapparaître.
Oh ! Oh ! Bouge de là.
Bouge de là.
Everything started down there, in the town which we call Maisons-Alfort
When I see a weird woman shaking her body
She says to me: "Claude M.C., come there that I give you comfort."
I said: "No, thank you, it's very kind, but I don't eat pork..."
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
I continue my journey, I arrive at the Gare de Lyon
When I see a boy who says, very strongly, like a lion
He says to me: "Claude M.C., do you want to box with me?"
His haematoma were fatter than Samantha Fox's boobs!
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
My next-door neighbour, she's called Cassandra
She has a little dog who she calls Alexander
She says to me: "Claude M.C., can you get down from there?"
I took my Magnum, I must have misunderstood.
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
Directly, I went to Lucy's house
Who likes dogs, cats and Thirty Million Friends
She says to me: "You like animals, you my super M.C.?"
I said: "Yes, I love them, with salt and well cooked!"
She told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
Later, on the underground, there is a tramp who loiters
He tells me all of his life, he tells me that he comes from Rennes.
Then, he tells me that he stinks, that he must bathe...
I say to him: "Throw yourself in the sewer, you will arrive directly in the Seine!"
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
I continue my journey, I arrive at the boulevard Barbès
When I see one of my friends who comes from Marrakesh
He says to me: "Live, live, I buy you rap in dinars."
I said: "No, I want dollars because I'm called Solaa."
He told me: "Move away!"
Move away!
So, I moved, I had to go, leave, change path,
I had to avoid myself, I had to flee, I had to leave, I had to slip away
I had to camouflage myself, I had to disappear...to reappear
Oh! Oh! Move away.
Move away.
Last edited by Romain on Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: France - One song per day.
Taking over for today, I'd rather pick a song from one of his solo album if we want to talk about Orelsan.
Orelsan - Suicide Social
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Orelsan is a French hardcore rapper whose full-length debut, the hit album Perdu d'Avance (2009), was the subject of much controversy, with many critics likening him to Eminem. Born Aurélien Cotentin on August 1, 1982, in Caen, France, he listened to rock music as a youth but gravitated toward rap music as he grew older. He made his recording debut in the mid-2000s with a series of underground singles released online; in particular, he used the popular video-sharing websites YouTube and Dailymotion to release early singles such as "Ramen" (2006) and "Saint-Valentin" (2007). In association with the French rap label 7th Magnitude, Orelsan made his commercial debut in October 2008 with "Changement," the lead single from his full-length album debut, Perdu d'Avance (2009). A Top 20 hit on the French albums chart, Perdu d'Avance spawned a series of follow-up singles, among them "No Life," "Différent," and "Soirée Ratée." Produced chiefly by Skread, the album was an atypical French rap release.
Whereas most French rappers are of immigrant descent, hail from suburban high-rise ghettos, and rap about social injustice, Orelsan is a white middle-class rapper from the far northern province of Lower Normandy who raps about the boredom of his rural locale. Hence the comparisons drawn to not only Eminem but also Mike Skinner, the British rapper known as the Streets. Shortly after the release of Perdu d'Avance, Orelsan became the subject of much controversy when French politicians of both the right and left wing joined together in their condemnation of the violence and misogyny expressed in his lyrics, in particular those of the song "Sale Pute" (i.e. "Dirty Slut"). While the song isn't included on Perdu d'Avance and indeed predates the album, the controversy garnered lots of publicity, especially once French cultural minister Christine Albanel tried to get it banned from YouTube, and thereby made Orelsan something of an outlaw hero. His 2011 effort, Le Chant Des Sirènes, featured much less controversial material with many tracks focusing on the artist's rise to fame
It's always hard to pick one song to represent an artist (so kiddos to Romain for doing that everyday) and Orelsan is no exception : you can get the funny Orelsan, the nostalgic Orelsan, the cynical, the depressed, the bragging, the drun or the party Orelsan. While the Mike Skinner comparison is probably the more sensible one, it's hard to deny Eminem's influence on Orelsan, and like him he shows several personas in his songs : most often he is either the funny loser (most akin to The Streets), the bragging psycho (akin to Slim Shady) and sometimes a very honest and sincere "himself", but he also sometimes inhabits a character for a single song and this is the case for Suicide Social, a single verse rant of a French average worker pushed to suicide, spitting his hatred of pretty much everyone in France. Some people missed that it is meant to be exaggerated (being the last works of a broken person) but it also points out many of the issues that France struggle with and that define our era.
Aujourd'hui sera l'dernier jour de mon existence
La dernière fois qu'j'ferme les yeux, mon dernier silence
J'ai longtemps cherché la solution à ces nuisances
Ça m’apparaît maintenant comme une évidence
Fini d'être une photocopie
Finies la monotonie, la lobotomie
Aujourd'hui, j'mettrai ni ma chemise, ni ma cravate
J'irai pas jusqu'au travail, j'donnerai pas la patte
Adieu les employés d'bureau et leurs vies bien rangées
Si tu pouvais rater la tienne, ça les arrangerait
Ça prendrait un peu d'place dans leurs cerveaux étriqués
Ça les conforterait dans leur médiocrité
Adieu les représentants grassouillets
Qui boivent jamais d'eau, comme s'ils n'voulaient pas s'mouiller
Les commerciaux qui sentent l'after-shave et l'cassoulet
Mets d'la mayonnaise sur leur mallette : ils s'la boufferaient
Adieu, adieu les vieux comptables séniles
Adieu les secrétaires débiles et leurs discussions stériles
Adieu les jeunes cadres fraîchement diplômés
Qu'empileraient les cadavres pour arriver jusqu'au sommet
Adieu tous ces grands PDG
Essaie d'ouvrir ton parachute doré quand tu t'fais défenestrer
Ils font leur beurre sur des salariés désespérés
Et jouent les vierges effarouchées quand ils s'font séquestrer
Tous ces fils de quelqu'un, ces fils d'une pute snob
Qui partagent les trois-quarts des richesses du globe
Adieu les p'tits patrons, ces beaufs embourgeoisés
Qui grattent des RTT pour payer leurs vacances d'été
Adieu les ouvriers, ces produits périmés
C'est la loi du marché, mon pote : t'es bon qu'à t'faire virer
Ça t'empêchera d'engraisser ta gamine affreuse
Qui s'fera sauter par un pompier, qui va finir coiffeuse
Adieu la campagne et ses familles crasseuses
Proches du porc au point d'attraper la fièvre aphteuse
Toutes ces vieilles, ces commères qui s'bouffent entre elles
Ces vieux radins et leurs économies d'bouts d'chandelles
Adieu cette France profonde
Profondément stupide, cupide, inutile, putride
C'est fini, vous êtes en retard d'un siècle
Plus personne n'a besoin d'vos bandes d'incestes
Adieu tous ces gens prétentieux dans la capitale
Qui essaient d'prouver qu'ils valent mieux qu'toi à chaque fois qu'ils t'parlent
Tous ces connards dans la pub, dans la finance, dans la com'
Dans la télé, dans la musique, dans la mode
Ces Parisiens, jamais contents, médisants
Faussement cultivés, à peine intelligents
Ces répliquants qui pensent avoir le monopole du bon goût
Qui regardent la Province d'un œil méprisant
Adieu les Sudistes, abrutis par leur soleil cuisant
Leur seul but dans la vie, c'est la troisième mi-temps
Accueillants, soi-disant
Ils t'baisent avec le sourire
Tu peux l'voir à leur façon d'conduire
Adieu ces nouveaux fascistes
Qui justifient leurs vies d'merde par des idéaux racistes
Devenu néo-nazi parce que t'avais aucune passion
Au lieu d'jouer les SS, trouve une occupation
Adieu les piranhas dans leur banlieue
Qui voient pas plus loin qu'le bout d'leur haine, au point qu'ils s'bouffent entre eux
Qui deviennent agressifs une fois qu'ils sont à douze
Seuls, ils lèveraient pas l'petit doigt dans un combat d'pouce
Adieu les jeunes moyens, les pires de tous
Ces baltringues supportent pas la moindre petite secousse
Adieu les fils de bourges
Qui possèdent tout mais n'savent pas quoi en faire
Donne leur l'Éden, ils t'en font un Enfer
Adieu tous ces profs dépressifs
T'as raté ta propre vie, comment tu comptes élever mes fils ?
Adieu les grévistes et leur CGT
Qui passent moins d'temps à chercher des solutions qu'des slogans pétés
Qui fouettent la défaite du survêt' au visage
Transforment n'importe quelle manif' en fête au village
Adieu les journalistes qui font dire c'qu'ils veulent aux images
Vendraient leur propre mère pour écouler quelques tirages
Adieu la ménagère devant son écran
Prête à gober la merde qu'on lui jette entre les dents
Qui pose pas d'questions tant qu'elle consomme
Qui s'étonne même plus d'se faire cogner par son homme
Adieu ces associations bien-pensantes
Ces dictateurs de la bonne conscience
Bien contents qu'on leur fasse du tort
C'est à celui qui condamnera l'plus fort
Adieu lesbiennes refoulées, surexcitées
Qui cherchent dans leur féminité une raison d'exister
Adieu ceux qui vivent à travers leur sexualité
Danser sur des chariots : c'est ça votre fierté ?
Les Bisounours et leur pouvoir de l'arc-en-ciel
Qui voudraient m'faire croire qu'être hétéro c'est à l'ancienne
Tellement... tellement susceptibles
Pour prouver qu't'es pas homophobe, faudra bientôt qu'tu suces des types
Adieu ma Nation
Tous ces incapables dans les administrations
Ces rois d'l'inaction
Avec leur bâtiments qui donnent envie de vomir
Qui font exprès d'ouvrir à des heures où personne peut venir
Bêêêêh... Tous ces moutons pathétiques
Change une fonction dans leur logiciel, ils s'mettent au chômage technique
À peu près l'même Q.I. qu'ces saletés d'flics
Qui savent pas construire une phrase en-dehors d'leurs sales répliques
Adieu les politiques, en parler serait perdre mon temps
Tout l'système est complètement incompétent
Adieu les sectes, adieu les religieux
Ceux qui voudraient m'imposer des règles pour que j'vive mieux
Adieu les poivrots qui rentrent jamais chez eux
Qui préfèrent s'faire enculer par la Française Des Jeux
Adieu les banquiers véreux
Le monde leur appartient
Adieu tous les pigeons qui leur mangent dans la main
J'comprends qu'j'ai rien à faire ici quand j'branche la 1
Adieu la France de Joséphine Ange-Gardien
Adieu les hippies, leur naïveté qui changera rien
Adieu les SM, libertins, et tous ces gens malsains
Adieu ces pseudo-artistes engagés
Pleins d'banalités démagogues dans la trachée
Écouter des chanteurs faire la morale ça m'fait chier
Essaie d'écrire des bonnes paroles avant d'la prêcher
Adieu les p'tits mongols qui savent écrire qu'en abrégé
Adieu les sans papiers, les clochards, tous ces tas d'déchets
J'les hais !
Les sportifs, les hooligans dans les stades
Les citadins, les bouseux dans leur étable
Les marginaux, les gens respectables
Les chômeurs, les emplois stables
Les génies, les gens passables
De la plus grande crapule à la Médaille du Mérite
De la première dame au dernier trav' du pays !
*Détonation...*
In English :
Today will be the last day of my existence
The last time I close my eyes, my last silence
I've been looking for a long time for a cure to those nuisances
It now seems obvious to me
Done being a photocopy
Finished monotony, lobotomy
Today I will put on neither my skirt nor my tie
I won't go to work, I won't give the paw
Farewell office worker and their tidy life
If you could fail yours, that would suit them best
It would take less space in their skimpy brain
It would comfort them in their mediocrity
Goodbye podgy sales representative
Who never drink water like they're afraid to get wet
Salesperson smelling like after-shave and cassoulet
Put some mayonnaise in their briefcase, they would eat it.
Farewell, farewell old senile accountants
Farewell dumb secretary and their sterile discussions
Farewell young executives, fresh out of college
Who would pile up dead bodies to get to the top
Farewell all those big CEOs
Try to open your golden parachute when you'll get thrown out of the window
Their make money over desperate workers
And act as scared virgins when they get locked away
All those sons of someone, those sons of a snob bitch
Who share 3 quarters of the world's wealth
Farewell little bosses, yuppified rednecks
Who use their compensatory time to pay their summer holidays
Farewell labourers, expired products
That's the law of the market, my friend : your only use if being fired
That will prevent you from fattening your ghastly daughter
Who'll get laid by a fireman and who'll end up hairdresser
Farewell countryside and your filthy families
So close to pigs as to catch foot-and-mouth disease
All those old ladies, gossips at each other throats
Those old cheapskates and their cheese-paring savings
Farewell this heartland France
Deeply stupid, cupid, useless, putrid
It's done, you're a century late
Nobody needs your band of incest anymore
Farewell those self-important people from the capital
Who try to prove they're worth more than you whenever they talk to you
All those assholes in advertising, finance, communication
In medias, musique, fashion
Those Parisians, never happy, slanderous
Falsely educated, barely clever
Those replicants who think they have monopoly on good taste
Who look at provinces with contempt
Farewell Southerners, made moronic by their cooking sun
Their only goal in life is the post-match celebration
Welcoming, allegedly
They screw you with a smile
You can see it at how they drive
Farewell neo-facists
Who explain their shitty lives through racist ideals
Turned neo-nazi because you had no passion
Instead of playing SS, find some pasttime
Farewell pirahnas in their suburbs
Who don't see further than the tip of their hatred, so much as to eat each other
Who become aggressive when they are twelve
Alone, they would not move a finger in a thumb fight
Farewell average young, the world of all
Those suckers can not stand the slightest jolt
Farewell sons of middle class
Who own everything but don't know what to do with it
Give them Eden they turn it into Hell
Farewell all the depressive teachers
You failed your own life, who do you plan on raising my kids ?
Goodbye strikers and their CGT (one of the largest French trade unions)
Who spend less time on solutions than on broken mottos
Who stink lose from head to jumper
Turn any protest into a barbecue party
Farewell journalist who make pictures say whatever they want
Who'd sell their own mom for a bigger print run
Farewell the housewife in front of her screen
Ready to swallow the crap we put between her teeth
Who doesn't ask questions as long as she consume
Who's no longer surprised to get beaten by her man
Farewell those right-thinking associations
Dictators of clear conscience
So happy you're doing them some wrong
It's whoever will condemn the strongest
Farewell repressed lesbians, over-excited
Who seek in their femininity a reason to live
Farewell those who live through their sexuality
Dancing on carts, is that your pride ?
Carebears and their rainbow power
Who want me to believe being straight is outdated
So... so easily offended
To prove you're not homophobic you'll soon have to blow guys
Farewell my Nation,
All those duffers in their administration
Those kings of inaction
With their buildings who make you want to throw up
Who purposely open when no one can come
Beeeeeh, all those pathetic sheeps
Change one function in their software, they'd be laid-off
About the same IQ as those dirty cops
who can't build a sentence safe for their lame cues
Farewell politicians, talking about them would be wasting my time
All the system is completely incompetent
Farewell cults, farewell religious people
Who want to impose rules so I live better
Farewell drunkyards who never go back home
Who'd rather get fucked by the National Lottery
Farewell shady bankers
The world is theirs
Farewell all those dupes who eat in their hand
I understand I have nothing to do here when I put on the 1st channel
Farewell France of "Joséphine Ange-Gardien"
Farewell hippies, their ingenuity which won't change anything
Farewell SM, libertines and all those noxious people
Farewell those so-called protest artists
Full of demagogue platitudes in their trachea
Listening to singers preaching me pisses me off
Try to write some good words before preaching them
Farewell little retards who can only write abbreviated
Farewell illegal immigrants, hobos, all those garbage
I hate them !
Athletes, hooligans in the stadiums
Citizens, bumpkins in their stables
Dropouts, respectable people
Jobless, steady workers
Geniuses, decent people,
From the biggest crooks to the National Order of Merit
From the first lady to the last tran of the country
*Gun shot*
Orelsan - Suicide Social
Artist Biography by Jason Birchmeier (AllMusic)
Orelsan is a French hardcore rapper whose full-length debut, the hit album Perdu d'Avance (2009), was the subject of much controversy, with many critics likening him to Eminem. Born Aurélien Cotentin on August 1, 1982, in Caen, France, he listened to rock music as a youth but gravitated toward rap music as he grew older. He made his recording debut in the mid-2000s with a series of underground singles released online; in particular, he used the popular video-sharing websites YouTube and Dailymotion to release early singles such as "Ramen" (2006) and "Saint-Valentin" (2007). In association with the French rap label 7th Magnitude, Orelsan made his commercial debut in October 2008 with "Changement," the lead single from his full-length album debut, Perdu d'Avance (2009). A Top 20 hit on the French albums chart, Perdu d'Avance spawned a series of follow-up singles, among them "No Life," "Différent," and "Soirée Ratée." Produced chiefly by Skread, the album was an atypical French rap release.
Whereas most French rappers are of immigrant descent, hail from suburban high-rise ghettos, and rap about social injustice, Orelsan is a white middle-class rapper from the far northern province of Lower Normandy who raps about the boredom of his rural locale. Hence the comparisons drawn to not only Eminem but also Mike Skinner, the British rapper known as the Streets. Shortly after the release of Perdu d'Avance, Orelsan became the subject of much controversy when French politicians of both the right and left wing joined together in their condemnation of the violence and misogyny expressed in his lyrics, in particular those of the song "Sale Pute" (i.e. "Dirty Slut"). While the song isn't included on Perdu d'Avance and indeed predates the album, the controversy garnered lots of publicity, especially once French cultural minister Christine Albanel tried to get it banned from YouTube, and thereby made Orelsan something of an outlaw hero. His 2011 effort, Le Chant Des Sirènes, featured much less controversial material with many tracks focusing on the artist's rise to fame
It's always hard to pick one song to represent an artist (so kiddos to Romain for doing that everyday) and Orelsan is no exception : you can get the funny Orelsan, the nostalgic Orelsan, the cynical, the depressed, the bragging, the drun or the party Orelsan. While the Mike Skinner comparison is probably the more sensible one, it's hard to deny Eminem's influence on Orelsan, and like him he shows several personas in his songs : most often he is either the funny loser (most akin to The Streets), the bragging psycho (akin to Slim Shady) and sometimes a very honest and sincere "himself", but he also sometimes inhabits a character for a single song and this is the case for Suicide Social, a single verse rant of a French average worker pushed to suicide, spitting his hatred of pretty much everyone in France. Some people missed that it is meant to be exaggerated (being the last works of a broken person) but it also points out many of the issues that France struggle with and that define our era.
Lyrics :
Aujourd'hui sera l'dernier jour de mon existence
La dernière fois qu'j'ferme les yeux, mon dernier silence
J'ai longtemps cherché la solution à ces nuisances
Ça m’apparaît maintenant comme une évidence
Fini d'être une photocopie
Finies la monotonie, la lobotomie
Aujourd'hui, j'mettrai ni ma chemise, ni ma cravate
J'irai pas jusqu'au travail, j'donnerai pas la patte
Adieu les employés d'bureau et leurs vies bien rangées
Si tu pouvais rater la tienne, ça les arrangerait
Ça prendrait un peu d'place dans leurs cerveaux étriqués
Ça les conforterait dans leur médiocrité
Adieu les représentants grassouillets
Qui boivent jamais d'eau, comme s'ils n'voulaient pas s'mouiller
Les commerciaux qui sentent l'after-shave et l'cassoulet
Mets d'la mayonnaise sur leur mallette : ils s'la boufferaient
Adieu, adieu les vieux comptables séniles
Adieu les secrétaires débiles et leurs discussions stériles
Adieu les jeunes cadres fraîchement diplômés
Qu'empileraient les cadavres pour arriver jusqu'au sommet
Adieu tous ces grands PDG
Essaie d'ouvrir ton parachute doré quand tu t'fais défenestrer
Ils font leur beurre sur des salariés désespérés
Et jouent les vierges effarouchées quand ils s'font séquestrer
Tous ces fils de quelqu'un, ces fils d'une pute snob
Qui partagent les trois-quarts des richesses du globe
Adieu les p'tits patrons, ces beaufs embourgeoisés
Qui grattent des RTT pour payer leurs vacances d'été
Adieu les ouvriers, ces produits périmés
C'est la loi du marché, mon pote : t'es bon qu'à t'faire virer
Ça t'empêchera d'engraisser ta gamine affreuse
Qui s'fera sauter par un pompier, qui va finir coiffeuse
Adieu la campagne et ses familles crasseuses
Proches du porc au point d'attraper la fièvre aphteuse
Toutes ces vieilles, ces commères qui s'bouffent entre elles
Ces vieux radins et leurs économies d'bouts d'chandelles
Adieu cette France profonde
Profondément stupide, cupide, inutile, putride
C'est fini, vous êtes en retard d'un siècle
Plus personne n'a besoin d'vos bandes d'incestes
Adieu tous ces gens prétentieux dans la capitale
Qui essaient d'prouver qu'ils valent mieux qu'toi à chaque fois qu'ils t'parlent
Tous ces connards dans la pub, dans la finance, dans la com'
Dans la télé, dans la musique, dans la mode
Ces Parisiens, jamais contents, médisants
Faussement cultivés, à peine intelligents
Ces répliquants qui pensent avoir le monopole du bon goût
Qui regardent la Province d'un œil méprisant
Adieu les Sudistes, abrutis par leur soleil cuisant
Leur seul but dans la vie, c'est la troisième mi-temps
Accueillants, soi-disant
Ils t'baisent avec le sourire
Tu peux l'voir à leur façon d'conduire
Adieu ces nouveaux fascistes
Qui justifient leurs vies d'merde par des idéaux racistes
Devenu néo-nazi parce que t'avais aucune passion
Au lieu d'jouer les SS, trouve une occupation
Adieu les piranhas dans leur banlieue
Qui voient pas plus loin qu'le bout d'leur haine, au point qu'ils s'bouffent entre eux
Qui deviennent agressifs une fois qu'ils sont à douze
Seuls, ils lèveraient pas l'petit doigt dans un combat d'pouce
Adieu les jeunes moyens, les pires de tous
Ces baltringues supportent pas la moindre petite secousse
Adieu les fils de bourges
Qui possèdent tout mais n'savent pas quoi en faire
Donne leur l'Éden, ils t'en font un Enfer
Adieu tous ces profs dépressifs
T'as raté ta propre vie, comment tu comptes élever mes fils ?
Adieu les grévistes et leur CGT
Qui passent moins d'temps à chercher des solutions qu'des slogans pétés
Qui fouettent la défaite du survêt' au visage
Transforment n'importe quelle manif' en fête au village
Adieu les journalistes qui font dire c'qu'ils veulent aux images
Vendraient leur propre mère pour écouler quelques tirages
Adieu la ménagère devant son écran
Prête à gober la merde qu'on lui jette entre les dents
Qui pose pas d'questions tant qu'elle consomme
Qui s'étonne même plus d'se faire cogner par son homme
Adieu ces associations bien-pensantes
Ces dictateurs de la bonne conscience
Bien contents qu'on leur fasse du tort
C'est à celui qui condamnera l'plus fort
Adieu lesbiennes refoulées, surexcitées
Qui cherchent dans leur féminité une raison d'exister
Adieu ceux qui vivent à travers leur sexualité
Danser sur des chariots : c'est ça votre fierté ?
Les Bisounours et leur pouvoir de l'arc-en-ciel
Qui voudraient m'faire croire qu'être hétéro c'est à l'ancienne
Tellement... tellement susceptibles
Pour prouver qu't'es pas homophobe, faudra bientôt qu'tu suces des types
Adieu ma Nation
Tous ces incapables dans les administrations
Ces rois d'l'inaction
Avec leur bâtiments qui donnent envie de vomir
Qui font exprès d'ouvrir à des heures où personne peut venir
Bêêêêh... Tous ces moutons pathétiques
Change une fonction dans leur logiciel, ils s'mettent au chômage technique
À peu près l'même Q.I. qu'ces saletés d'flics
Qui savent pas construire une phrase en-dehors d'leurs sales répliques
Adieu les politiques, en parler serait perdre mon temps
Tout l'système est complètement incompétent
Adieu les sectes, adieu les religieux
Ceux qui voudraient m'imposer des règles pour que j'vive mieux
Adieu les poivrots qui rentrent jamais chez eux
Qui préfèrent s'faire enculer par la Française Des Jeux
Adieu les banquiers véreux
Le monde leur appartient
Adieu tous les pigeons qui leur mangent dans la main
J'comprends qu'j'ai rien à faire ici quand j'branche la 1
Adieu la France de Joséphine Ange-Gardien
Adieu les hippies, leur naïveté qui changera rien
Adieu les SM, libertins, et tous ces gens malsains
Adieu ces pseudo-artistes engagés
Pleins d'banalités démagogues dans la trachée
Écouter des chanteurs faire la morale ça m'fait chier
Essaie d'écrire des bonnes paroles avant d'la prêcher
Adieu les p'tits mongols qui savent écrire qu'en abrégé
Adieu les sans papiers, les clochards, tous ces tas d'déchets
J'les hais !
Les sportifs, les hooligans dans les stades
Les citadins, les bouseux dans leur étable
Les marginaux, les gens respectables
Les chômeurs, les emplois stables
Les génies, les gens passables
De la plus grande crapule à la Médaille du Mérite
De la première dame au dernier trav' du pays !
*Détonation...*
In English :
Today will be the last day of my existence
The last time I close my eyes, my last silence
I've been looking for a long time for a cure to those nuisances
It now seems obvious to me
Done being a photocopy
Finished monotony, lobotomy
Today I will put on neither my skirt nor my tie
I won't go to work, I won't give the paw
Farewell office worker and their tidy life
If you could fail yours, that would suit them best
It would take less space in their skimpy brain
It would comfort them in their mediocrity
Goodbye podgy sales representative
Who never drink water like they're afraid to get wet
Salesperson smelling like after-shave and cassoulet
Put some mayonnaise in their briefcase, they would eat it.
Farewell, farewell old senile accountants
Farewell dumb secretary and their sterile discussions
Farewell young executives, fresh out of college
Who would pile up dead bodies to get to the top
Farewell all those big CEOs
Try to open your golden parachute when you'll get thrown out of the window
Their make money over desperate workers
And act as scared virgins when they get locked away
All those sons of someone, those sons of a snob bitch
Who share 3 quarters of the world's wealth
Farewell little bosses, yuppified rednecks
Who use their compensatory time to pay their summer holidays
Farewell labourers, expired products
That's the law of the market, my friend : your only use if being fired
That will prevent you from fattening your ghastly daughter
Who'll get laid by a fireman and who'll end up hairdresser
Farewell countryside and your filthy families
So close to pigs as to catch foot-and-mouth disease
All those old ladies, gossips at each other throats
Those old cheapskates and their cheese-paring savings
Farewell this heartland France
Deeply stupid, cupid, useless, putrid
It's done, you're a century late
Nobody needs your band of incest anymore
Farewell those self-important people from the capital
Who try to prove they're worth more than you whenever they talk to you
All those assholes in advertising, finance, communication
In medias, musique, fashion
Those Parisians, never happy, slanderous
Falsely educated, barely clever
Those replicants who think they have monopoly on good taste
Who look at provinces with contempt
Farewell Southerners, made moronic by their cooking sun
Their only goal in life is the post-match celebration
Welcoming, allegedly
They screw you with a smile
You can see it at how they drive
Farewell neo-facists
Who explain their shitty lives through racist ideals
Turned neo-nazi because you had no passion
Instead of playing SS, find some pasttime
Farewell pirahnas in their suburbs
Who don't see further than the tip of their hatred, so much as to eat each other
Who become aggressive when they are twelve
Alone, they would not move a finger in a thumb fight
Farewell average young, the world of all
Those suckers can not stand the slightest jolt
Farewell sons of middle class
Who own everything but don't know what to do with it
Give them Eden they turn it into Hell
Farewell all the depressive teachers
You failed your own life, who do you plan on raising my kids ?
Goodbye strikers and their CGT (one of the largest French trade unions)
Who spend less time on solutions than on broken mottos
Who stink lose from head to jumper
Turn any protest into a barbecue party
Farewell journalist who make pictures say whatever they want
Who'd sell their own mom for a bigger print run
Farewell the housewife in front of her screen
Ready to swallow the crap we put between her teeth
Who doesn't ask questions as long as she consume
Who's no longer surprised to get beaten by her man
Farewell those right-thinking associations
Dictators of clear conscience
So happy you're doing them some wrong
It's whoever will condemn the strongest
Farewell repressed lesbians, over-excited
Who seek in their femininity a reason to live
Farewell those who live through their sexuality
Dancing on carts, is that your pride ?
Carebears and their rainbow power
Who want me to believe being straight is outdated
So... so easily offended
To prove you're not homophobic you'll soon have to blow guys
Farewell my Nation,
All those duffers in their administration
Those kings of inaction
With their buildings who make you want to throw up
Who purposely open when no one can come
Beeeeeh, all those pathetic sheeps
Change one function in their software, they'd be laid-off
About the same IQ as those dirty cops
who can't build a sentence safe for their lame cues
Farewell politicians, talking about them would be wasting my time
All the system is completely incompetent
Farewell cults, farewell religious people
Who want to impose rules so I live better
Farewell drunkyards who never go back home
Who'd rather get fucked by the National Lottery
Farewell shady bankers
The world is theirs
Farewell all those dupes who eat in their hand
I understand I have nothing to do here when I put on the 1st channel
Farewell France of "Joséphine Ange-Gardien"
Farewell hippies, their ingenuity which won't change anything
Farewell SM, libertines and all those noxious people
Farewell those so-called protest artists
Full of demagogue platitudes in their trachea
Listening to singers preaching me pisses me off
Try to write some good words before preaching them
Farewell little retards who can only write abbreviated
Farewell illegal immigrants, hobos, all those garbage
I hate them !
Athletes, hooligans in the stadiums
Citizens, bumpkins in their stables
Dropouts, respectable people
Jobless, steady workers
Geniuses, decent people,
From the biggest crooks to the National Order of Merit
From the first lady to the last tran of the country
*Gun shot*
Re: France - One song per day.
Thank you a lot Nassim. Well done for your choice (and the presentation ).
WHere do you find the translation? It's always the biggest part of the job to find a good translation of the songs.
And I don't know what do you think but if I don't put huge french songs in this thread, maybe I can put one in each beginning of new page (like "Je t'aime moi non plus" for example in the post #101 or "La vie en rose in page #151).
Have a good day and merci beaucoup.
).WHere do you find the translation? It's always the biggest part of the job to find a good translation of the songs.
And I don't know what do you think but if I don't put huge french songs in this thread, maybe I can put one in each beginning of new page (like "Je t'aime moi non plus" for example in the post #101 or "La vie en rose in page #151).
Have a good day and merci beaucoup.