She began her musical education at a French conservatory at seven years old. By age 18, she was studying Musicology at the University in Montpellier, France, and then obtained her Master in Musicology at the Sorbonne in Paris. Émilie was intrigued by the idea of combining her traditional musical education with new music technologies and studio experimentations. She developed these interests into unique skills at the cutting edge new technology music school, the IRCAM in Paris, which to this day remains the only center in the world dedicated to contemporary musical research and production, bringing science and art together in order to widen instrumentation and rejuvenate musical language.
Here she met Cyrille Brissot who she still works with today to develop and build specific instruments adapted to Émilie’s needs, both in the studio and on stage, including the “Brissot” - a breathtaking arm controller that allows her to remotely control, modulate and transform her live voice through a series of controlled effects. Émilie uses a variety of other new technology devices including Yamaha’s “Tenori-on” and a variety of other new hardware and software. Émilie uses this technology to give herself a wide range of versatility on stage, including being able to control everything – from beats to multiple instruments to vocal harmonies and modulation simultaneously while alone on stage.
Shortly after Ircam, Émilie Simon signed a record deal with Barclay/Universal France. Since then, she has written, arranged, performed and produced her two records and the original music for the French (original) version of March of the Penguins. There, Émilie used many diverse and inventive techniques including rubbing pieces of ice together to produce beats and sounds, and blended them with her electronic machinery and inviting lyrics.
Despite garnering best album honors in the electronic category at France’s
“Victoires de la Musique” Awards for her debut, and being touted as one of the most promising female artists, the Montpellier-bred chanteuse is quick to champion her independence as an artist over such acclaim. “[Awards] are nice, but it’s like a cherry on top, really,” the singer/songwriter insists. “It’s great when you have the feeling you are doing something important or that you’re understood. But it doesn’t alter the way I work in any way. I’m always thinking back on what I have done, because I don’t want to be redundant. I want to make music without rules, without anybody telling me what I have to do.”
Émilie Simon first made her mark on the U.S. in the fall of 2006 with her debut U.S. release, The Flower Book on Nov. 7, 2006. Her plush, artful soundscapes had already yielded her significant praise and awards in her French homeland, as well as acclaim across the rest of Europe and Japan. Singing in both French and English, Émilie allows her music to flow naturally, rewarding her with devoted fans worldwide. A year and a half after The Flower Book’s release, Émilie is currently residing in New York City and writing her next record. She will be performing shows in NYC this Fall to preview her new material. Having always begun the creative process in the recording studio, and then following with live performances, Émilie is trying a new approach. For the new record, she will let the songs breathe and evolve in a live environment before heading into the studio.
Rose Hybride De Thé
Émilie Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comme Narcisse je contemple
Dans ces miroirs entre vos tempes
Le reflet sombre de mes vices
Allongée à même le saule
Tout mon hêtre vous peuplier
Moi peu à peu je me pliais
Madame rose hybride de thé
Belle des nuits au crépuscule
Loin des regrets et des scrupules
Quelques pétales au thym parfait
Madame rose hybride de thé
Ne m'en voulez pas de chercher
Il ne me reste de nous deux
Qu'un souvenir bien vaporeux
Comment voulez-vous que je me menthe
Vos songes rongent mes pensées
Vos ronces me sont destinées
Vous étiez pourtant si charmante
Ne prenez pas cet air genêt
See'est un hasard si mes mains tremble
Dès l'instant où nous sommes ensembles
Sous un conifère enlacés
Madame rose hybride de thé
Belle des nuits au crépuscule
Loin des regrets et des scrupules
Quelques pétales au thym parfait
Madame rose hybride de thé
Ne m'en voulez pas de chercher
Il ne me reste de nous deux
Qu'un souvenir bien vaporeux
The lyrics of Emilie Simon's song, Rose hybride de thé, are a poetic exploration of a complicated and potentially forbidden attraction. The singer is drawn to an unnamed woman, described as a "madame rose hybride de thé," who embodies beauty and intrigue. The first stanza describes the singer's fixation on the woman's eyes, comparing himself to the Narcissus of Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection. The "miroirs" or mirrors between her temples reflect the "reflet sombre" or dark reflection of the singer's "vices." This creates a sense of internal conflict, as the singer is both drawn to the woman and also recognizes the potential harm that his desires could cause.
The second stanza describes the singer's physical reaction to the woman, as he "plie" or bends before her. The references to different types of trees ("saule," "hêtre," "peuplier," and "conifère") create a sense of natural beauty and wildness, which contrasts with the singer's own feelings of weakness and submission. The chorus repeats the title phrase, "madame rose hybride de thé," emphasizing the woman's beauty and mystery. The singer acknowledges that he is searching for something that may no longer exist ("il ne me reste de nous deux qu'un souvenir bien vaporeux"), but his desire for the woman persists nonetheless.
One interesting interpretation of this song is that it portrays a same-sex attraction or relationship. The use of female pronouns for both the singer and the object of desire is unusual and could signify a queer identity. Additionally, the chorus phrase "belle des nuits au crépuscule" could be interpreted as a reference to the "blue hour" or twilight, a time of day often associated with queer desire and culture. However, the lyrics are ambiguous enough that they could also apply to a heterosexual relationship or a more abstract idea of desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Mon oeillet fixé à votre iris
I fixate on your eyes, like an eyebright flower, and like Narcissus, I examine my reflection in the mirrors between your temples that display the dark reflection of my flaws.
Allongée à même le saule
Lying on the willow tree, I become one with the poplar tree, as I gradually bend before your charms and your words.
Madame rose hybride de thé
Madam rose hybrid tea, you are the beauty of the twilight nights, free from regrets and scruples, like a few perfect thyme petals.
Ne m'en voulez pas de chercher
Please don't blame me for seeking, as all that remains of us is a hazy memory.
Comment voulez-vous que je me menthe
How can I lie to myself when your dreams eat away at my thoughts, and your thorns are meant for me, though you were once so charming.
Ne prenez pas cet air genêt
Do not take on this heather-like attitude, as it is mere coincidence that my hands tremble from the moment we are together, under the embrace of a coniferous tree.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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