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.
L'adorer
Étienne Daho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ne me morde la main
Ne me couronne d'épines
Désadorer l'adorer
Avant que ses baisers ne deviennent couteaux
Que ses bouquets de fleurs ne me fassent la peau
Désadorer l'adorer
Ce chagrin si haut
Que je porte
Beau comme un drapeau
En vainqueur
Dont on admire le sort
Courageux qui sait aimer trop fort
Car comme les Dieux
Qu'on adore adorer
J'adorais l'adorer
J'ai été si vivant
Chaque minute
Chaque seconde
Mais avant d'abhorrer ses humeurs vagabondes
Désadorer l'adorer
Avant que l'infidèle à nouveau ne sévisse
Qu'inéluctablement
Le destin s'accomplisse
Désadorer l'adorer
Mais arborer
Ce chagrin si haut
Que je porte
Beau comme un drapeau
En vainqueur
Dont on admire le sort
Courageux qui sait aimer trop fort
Car comme les Dieux
Qu'on adore adorer
J'adorais l'adorer
Désadorer l'adorer
Désadorer l'adorer
Désadorer l'adorer
The lyrics to Étienne Daho and Edith Fambuena's song, "L'adorer," express the pain and struggle of letting go of a toxic love. The singer is aware that the person they adore is unfaithful and dangerous but finds it difficult to stop loving them. The lyrics convey the internal conflict the singer feels between their desire to let go and their love and addiction to their partner.
The opening lines express the fear the singer has of being hurt by the person they love. They refer to the unfaithful individual as the "assassine" (assassin) and fear that they will bite their hand and crown them with thorns, a reference to the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. The singer then acknowledges their need to "Désadorer l'adorer," or to un-worship their lover. They fear that their lover's kisses will become knives, and their flowers will turn into poison. The singer understands that they are dangerously in love and must break free to save themselves.
However, they soon realize that it is not easy to let go of their lover. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Mais arborer / Ce chagrin si haut / Que je porte / Beau comme un drapeau / En vainqueur" (But to display / This sorrow so high / That I carry / Beautiful like a flag / As a winner). They understand that their love was courageous and beautiful, despite being toxic. They carry their pain like a battle scar and see it as a sign of their strength.
Overall, "L'adorer" is a beautiful yet painful representation of the struggle of letting go of a toxic love. It speaks to the paradoxical nature of love that can be both beautiful and destructive.
Line by Line Meaning
Avant que l'infidèle à la beauté assassine
Before the unfaithful one with deadly beauty
Ne me morde la main
Bites my hand
Ne me couronne d'épines
Crowns me with thorns
Désadorer l'adorer
To cease loving the one I adored
Avant que ses baisers ne deviennent couteaux
Before their kisses turn into knives
Que ses bouquets de fleurs ne me fassent la peau
That their bunches of flowers don't become my downfall
Mais arborer Ce chagrin si haut Que je porte
But to show this sorrow so high that I carry
Beau comme un drapeau En vainqueur
Beautiful like a victorious flag
Dont on admire le sort
Of which the fate is admired
Courageux qui sait aimer trop fort
Brave for loving too much
Car comme les Dieux Qu'on adore adorer
For like the Gods we love to worship
J'adorais l'adorer
I loved to love the one I adored
J'ai été si vivant Chaque minute Chaque seconde
I was so alive every minute, every second
Mais avant d'abhorrer ses humeurs vagabondes
But before disliking their wandering moods
Désadorer l'adorer
To cease loving the one I adored
Avant que l'infidèle à nouveau ne sévisse
Before the unfaithful one strikes again
Qu'inéluctablement Le destin s'accomplisse
That inevitably, destiny is fulfilled
Désadorer l'adorer
To cease loving the one I adored
Désadorer l'adorer
To cease loving the one I adored
Désadorer l'adorer
To cease loving the one I adored
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Etienne Daho, Edith Fambuena, Jean Louis Pierot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SUSANA
Avant que l'infidèle à la beauté assassine
Ne me morde la main, ne me couronne d'épines
Désadorer l'adorer
Avant que ses baisers ne deviennent couteaux
Que ses bouquets de fleurs ne me fassent la peau
Désadorer l'adorer
Mais arborer
Ce chagrin si haut
Que je porte, beau comme un drapeau
En vainqueur
Dont on admire le sort
Courageux
Qui sait aimer trop fort
Car comme dieu
Qu'on adore adorer
J'adorais L'adorer
J'ai été si vivant, chaque minute, chaque seconde
Mais avant d'abhorrer ses humeurs vagabondes
Désadorer l'adorer
Avant que l'infidèle à nouveau ne sévisse
Qu'inéluctablement le destin s'accomplisse
Désadorer l'adorer
Mais arborer
Michel Bouvy
Ce type est loin d être un chanteur pop variété de qualité mais simplement un véritable monument de la chanson française au niveau des plus grands
nisetteu
quelle sublime chanson, quelle prestance, profondeur, arrangement magnifiques. découverte aujourd’hui, je suis transportée. merci de nous faire vibrer avec tant d'humanité
I PV
Oui Sabrina : Je ne me lasse pas d'écouter attentivement les paroles de cette chanson puissante ! elle me berce, me tranche. Oui sabrina je ne me lasse pas encore.
Laurence FABING
Cet artiste est juste extraordinaire de talent 🥰
A. B.
Ma mère a adoré mon père, qui n'a cessé de la trahir. Un jour, elle en est morte. Cette chanson est juste, contrairement à la vie.
Amy Jo
Une de ses chansons que je préfère. Quelle voix! On adore l'écouter ! Un des meilleurs.
françois o
Les violons ("strings") en "nappes synthétiques", la douceur de la voix, et les mots bien choisis aussi pour bien nous bercer : merci pour ce cadeau musical... que nous adorons !
folk
Carrément fan. ...Un très très grand artiste
Annick Vidal
J adore daho tout simplement quel talent
Denis Riviere
Ma préférée de lui, à se faire tirer les larmes...