Daho is best known in Britain for his appearence on the number 11 Saint Etienne hit single "He's On The Phone", which is an English-language adaptation of his 1984 French-language hit "Weekend à Rome". He also collaborated with Saint Etienne on the Resurrection EP, his album Eden, and his single "Le Premier Jour", itself based on the track "Ready or Not" from Sarah Cracknell's 1997 solo album "Lipslide".
He has worked with many other artists, such as Chris Isaak, Marianne Faithfull, Elli Medeiros, Astrud Gilberto, Vanessa Daou, the Swingle Singers, and more. His duet with Charlotte Gainsbourg, titled "If", was released in 2004.
His 1996 album Eden featured a mix of electronic-oriented songs, ranging from downtempo ballads to drum 'n' bass-influenced tracks, and HiNRG dance. Corps & armes (2000) saw Daho return to a more orchestral sound fuelled by traditional instruments, such as piano, acoustic guitar, and horns. In 2004, he released Réévolution, which featured a guitar-heavy rock sound.
In 2012, he produced and composed songs for French comedian/singer Lou Doillon for her first album Places.
Étienne Daho is one of the most influential French pop singers of the last four decades. His extensive work has seen him collaborate with many artists, and explore a wide range of musical styles.
Chez Les Yéyé
Étienne Daho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni les gris-gris que tu portais
Da dou ron ron que tu écoutais
Au bar dum dum où tu dansais
Non rien n'aura raison de moi,
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita,
Chez les Yé-Yé, ye ye
Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé
Oui à Sing-Sing je finirai
J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt
Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé
Fais un flashback au temps passé
Est-ce que t'entends c'que j'te disais
Je suis fou, fou, fou de t'aimer
Non rien n'aura raison de moi,
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita,
Chez les Yé-Yé, ye ye.
The song "Chez Les Yéyé" by Étienne Daho is a love song that tells a story about a man who is deeply in love with his Lolita and is willing to do anything to be with her. The song is a beautiful mix of French and English lyrics, and the repetitive use of the "yé-yé" and "da dou ron ron" phrases adds a certain charm to the song.
The first two lines ("Ni les tam-tams du yé yé yé / Ni les gris-gris que tu portais") talk about the things that the Lolita used to do or wear, such as wearing a gris-gris, which is an amulet in West African cultures. The next two lines ("Da dou ron ron que tu écoutais / Au bar dum dum où tu dansais") describe her love for music and dancing, which is further emphasized in the following lines.
The chorus ("Non rien n'aura raison de moi, / J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita, / Chez les Yé-Yé, ye ye / Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé") talks about the man's determination to go and find his Lolita, even if it means going to the yé-yé clubs where she used to go, and dancing to the tam-tams until he finds her. He even mentions going to Sing-Sing, which is a reference to a notorious prison in New York, which shows just how much he is willing to do to be with her.
The bridge ("J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt / Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé / Fais un flashback au temps passé / Est-ce que t'entends c'que j'te disais / Je suis fou, fou, fou de t'aimer") describes the man's obsession with his Lolita and how he has a knife with a sharp edge, which he is willing to use to protect her. He asks her to listen to him and remember what he said to her in the past, and he repeats his love for her, which seems to be the main theme of the song.
Overall, "Chez Les Yéyé" is a beautiful and haunting song that talks about love, obsession, and determination, all through a mix of French and English lyrics, and with a catchy melody that is sure to stay with you for a long time.
Line by Line Meaning
Ni les tam-tams du yé yé yé
Not even the sound of the yé yé yé tam-tams
Ni les gris-gris que tu portais
Nor the gris-gris that you wore
Da dou ron ron que tu écoutais
The da dou ron ron that you listened to
Au bar dum dum où tu dansais
At the bar dum dum where you danced
Non rien n'aura raison de moi,
Nothing will stop me,
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita,
I'll come find you, my Lolita
Chez les Yé-Yé, ye ye
At the Yé-Yé place, ye ye
Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé
Beneath the yé yé yé tam-tams
J'f'rais du ram dam, je me connais
I'll make a commotion, I know myself
Oui à Sing-Sing je finirai
Yes, I'll end up in Sing-Sing
J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt
I have a switchblade
Sous les tam-tams du yé yé yé
Beneath the yé yé yé tam-tams
Fais un flashback au temps passé
Take a flashback to the past
Est-ce que t'entends c'que j'te disais
Do you hear what I was telling you?
Je suis fou, fou, fou de t'aimer
I'm crazy, crazy, crazy about loving you
Non rien n'aura raison de moi,
Nothing will stop me,
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita,
I'll come find you, my Lolita
Chez les Yé-Yé, ye ye.
At the Yé-Yé place, ye ye.
Contributed by Taylor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.