Born in Paris on 7 April 1961, Axel Bauer grew up in a talented musical family, which included a classical concert pianist (his aunt) and a professional jazz musician (his father). Axel's father honed his musical skills playing drums with Django Reinhardt and went on to work with the crème de la crème of the jazz world. Surrounded by music from an early age, Axel acquired an extensive musical culture and a passion for British and American groups.
Axel took piano lessons as a child, but without any great enthusiasm. The instrument which was to prove the love of his life was the guitar. Throughout his teenage years the budding young musician spent considerably more time hanging out in local rock clubs than he did studying at his lycée. Nevertheless, Axel passed his baccalauréat with no trouble at all and went on to enrol at art school, where he developed another great passion in life, drawing.
Music won out over art in the end, however, and by the late 70s Axel had bought his first guitar and was spending most of his time playing chords and songwriting. Axel went on to trade his first guitar in for a Stratocaster while on a trip to Africa and this legendary make of guitar seemed to act as a lucky charm on his career.
On The Waterfront
In the early 80s Axel was introduced to the songwriter Michel Eli and the pair embarked upon successful songwriting collaboration together. In fact, it was one of their early numbers that launched Axel's career.
By 1983 pop videos were all the rage on the French music scene and any artist who wanted to make their way in the world had to have an eye-catching video clip. Axel Bauer excelled in this department, enlisting the services of French video-maker and fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Taking inspiration from the movie "Querelle de Brest", Mondino shot an elegant 80s twist on the film classic in which Axel strode through the streets of a deserted French port dressed in a sexy polo neck, braces and cloth cap. Bauer's single "Cargo de nuit" proved to be a huge hit with the French public and over the next few months half of France walked round singing "Trente-cinq jours sans voir la terre / Pull rayé, mal rasé" (35 days and still no sight of land/ Here I am on deck, unkempt and unshaven in my stripy sailor's top).
"Cargo de nuit" went on to sell a staggering 700,000 copies, catapulting Axel to fame within a few weeks of its release. This lightning rise to fame turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing, however. It was difficult enough for a 22-year-old singer to be thrust into the media spotlight, but Axel's other problem was that he quickly became the victim of a 'one-hit wonder' phenomenon, music fans associating his success with a well-tuned marketing machine rather than the good, honest slog of a singer-songwriter. What's more, the look Mondino had created for Axel in his "Querelle de Brest" video soon became a subject of mockery.
Axel attempted to repeat the success of "Cargo de nuit" with "Phantasmes", but his second single sold just 200,000 and sales of his third single, "Jessy", plummeted to 60,000. In short, Axel's fall from grace proved to be as rapid as his lightning rise to fame. One stroke of bad luck was followed by another and after his record company, Vogue, went bankrupt, Axel found himself totally abandoned by the French music industry.
The Exile Years
Following this string of disappointments and disasters in France, Axel decided to re-locate to London in 1987. The wind of fortune changed for him once he had crossed the Channel, however, and after sending out a tentative demo tape Axel was offered a recording deal with EMI. (This was a major achievement in itself, for Axel was the first French artist to be signed by the label which had launched The Beatles).
Axel concentrated on his live career from this point on, touring extensively throughout the UK. Five years after his first hit, he went on to bring out a debut album "Les Nouveaux seigneurs", which half-heartedly experimented with techno. But Axel failed to repeat his early success - "Les Nouveaux seigneurs" sold a mere 20,000 copies.
Meanwhile, Axel had not been forgotten in France (although he seemed to be forever associated in most people's minds with "Cargo de nuit" and his "Querelle de Brest" video). While the record-buying public failed to see beyond Axel's public image, several French musicians recognised his talent. And when Axel returned to France in 1989 one of the first people to call him was Jean-Louis Aubert (the former lead singer of Téléphone), who invited him into the studio to work on his forthcoming album. Axel ended up guesting on two tracks on Aubert's album, "Bleu Blanc Vert".
Encouraged by the fact that he had not been forgotten on the French music scene, Axel, by now in his thirties, returned to the studio. In 1990 he released a second album entitled "Sentinelles" (which many people actually took to be his first). Apart from several songs penned by Axel himself, "Sentinelles" featured tracks written by a host of well-known French songwriters including Boris Bergman, Catherine Ringer (from Rita Mitsouko), Jean-Louis Aubert and Christine Lidon.
This second album, a combination of rock, guitar riffs and romantic ballads, appeared to be much better-suited to Axel's personality and, although "Sentinelles" failed to score a huge hit with French music critics, it did produce one chart-topping single, "Eteins la lumière". This melodic electric guitar ballad (written and composed by Bauer himself), proved that a genuinely talented musician lay beneath the one-hit wonder image of "Cargo de nuit".
Following the success of the single, Axel Bauer embarked upon an extensive two-month French tour (October – November 1990), bringing the house down when he performed at l'Elysée Montmartre in Paris on October 25th.
The Travelling Life
Axel gradually began to shake off his "Cargo de nuit" image, but inventing a new persona in the French public's mind proved to be a long and arduous image. Keen to stay out of the showbiz spotlight the second time round, Axel decided to go off travelling for a while and shortly after his "Sentinelles" tour he disappeared into the Sahara, going off to live with the Touareg community for several months. When he returned from his adventures in the desert, he went off to live in the French countryside where he took up his songwriting activities once again.
Axel spent most of his three years in the countryside working on material for a new album, entitled "Simple mortel". Mixed and produced by UK studio wizard Steve Forward, this album featured a return to 70s-style rock and brought Axel's descant vocals to the fore. Released in March '98, "Simple mortel" got an enthusiastic reception in the French media but failed to produce a chart-topping single.
Axel appeared satisfied with his new album however and, after taking time off to spend with his girlfriend and new-born baby, he set off on tour again in 1999, appearing on the French club circuit with a three-piece backing band.
It had been a long uphill struggle for Axel to shake off "Cargo de nuit", but by the end of his 1999 tour he finally appeared to have done so. This break with the past left him free to embark upon new projects and in 2000, Axel re-surfaced on the French music scene with a new album entitled "Achille".
Axel's 11-track album featured a richer, fuller, more mature style and contributions from guest vocalists Miossec and Zazie (a long-term friend). Axel's songwriting had come a long way since "Cargo de nuit" and he wrote much of the material on his new album himself. "Achille" also featured songs written by Juan Tamayo, Arnaud Giroux and his girlfriend Ilhem Kadid. Axel began touring his new album in December 2000 and brought the house down when he appeared in Paris, performing at La Scène (a 'bar-restaurant' in Bastille) on January 23rd 2001.Axel returned to La Scène to play three concerts in May.
Gold disc
Axel rocketed back to the top of the charts after "A ma place", a duet he recorded with Zazie, was released as a single at the start of the summer. The single went on to reach no.6 in the French singles chart in June. Following his new chart success, Axel kicked off a mini-tour in the autumn of 2001 with a concert in Paris at the Elysée Montmartre on 22 October. The concert, an absolute sell-out, featured guest appearances by a variety of artists including Zazie, Jean-Louis Aubert and the musicians from Parisian band Aston Villa. At the end of the tour Axel's record company presented him with his first gold disc, after sales of his album (which had since been re-released with a new cover and a new title "Personne n'est parfait") topped the 100,000 mark.
In January 2002 the single "A ma place" went on to win the NRJ Music Award for Best Francophone Song of the Year. Following this new success Axel joined the Enfoirés tour, performing a series of fund-raising concerts for French charity "Restaurants du Cœur". Then on 12 February he continued his fund-raising activities for Survival (an organisation fighting to protect indigenous peoples). Later that month Florent Pagny released his new album, "2", which included a duet recorded with Bauer entitled "Terre".
Bauer remained busy with live concerts throughout the spring of 2002, performing a mini-tour which included an appearance in Francis Cabrel's native village, Astaffort (near Toulouse) on 30 March.
Having reached the 20-year milestone in his career, 2003 seemed to be an appropriate year for Axel Bauer to release a greatest hits album. Needless to say "La Désintégrale", released in April of that year, included his biggest chart hit "Cargo."
A few months after the release of his greatest hits compilation, Axel was already hard at work writing material for a new album. He ended up composing the majority of the music for this new opus, which featured his usual mix of rock and mainstream sounds. Working in collaboration with producer Daniel Presley, Axel did try and move back towards his musical roots, however, keeping the overall sound on the album as raw and live as possible. A number of well-known songwriters contributed lyrics to the album including Ilhem Kahid, Pierre-Yves Lebert – who wrote the first single release "Tu me tues" (featuring music by Philippe Uminski) - Kemar (a former member of No One is Innocent) and Fred (from the group Aston Villa). This musical 'family' appeared to suit Axel Bauer down to the ground. His new album, "Bad Cowboy", would finally be released in April 2006.
The following month, Axel Bauer made a welcome return to the live circuit, performing a series of concerts across France.
(excerpt from http://www.rfimusique.com/siteen/biographie/biographie_6249.asp)
Bad Cowboy
Axel Bauer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On verse des larmes
On nous fait si peur
On en fait des drames
Dessus ça nous tombe
Des pluies de malaise
Des nouvelles de la bombe
On pourrait perdre la vie
À en croire la bande
Des porteurs de mépris
Toujours prêts à nous vendre
De la vie sans peur
Rien que du bonheur
De la vie sans souci
De la vie sans bruit
Oh la la le monde
Ça barde et ça gronde
Partout le monde
Ça va mal
Bad cowboy !
Bad cowboy
Mais qu'est-ce qu'on doit faire
L'ouvrir ou se taire
Ou mourir de rire
Passer au travers
Arrêter les images
Qui nous barrent le passage
Sortir et se voir
Un nouvel espoir
Mais on nous tire dessus
Avec des mots qui tuent
On s'prend des balles perdues
On étaient prévenus
Oh la la le monde
Ça barde et ça gronde
Partout le monde
Ça déraille
Bad cowboy !
Bad cowboy
Arrive les sheriffs
Ceux qui vont nous sauver
Nettoyer la ville
De tous les dangers
Mais c'est la parano
Qui nous tire dans le dos
La loi du plus fort
Pan, t'es mort
Bien sûr qu'on va pendre
Les petits voleurs de cendres
On aura plus à s'en faire
Ô misère
Oh la la le monde
Ça barde et ça gronde
Partout le monde
Ça va mal
Bad cowboy !
Bad cowboy
Oh la la le monde
Ça barde et ça gronde
Partout le monde
Ça va mal
The song "Bad Cowboy" by Axel Bauer is a commentary on the state of the world and the fear it instills in people. The lyrics reflect the chaos and uncertainty of modern times, with phrases like "On nous fait si peur" (they make us so afraid) and "Ça barde et ça gronde" (it's rough and tough everywhere). The verses are filled with images of violence, both physical and psychological, that people are constantly bombarded with, even by those who claim to have their best interests at heart. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Bad cowboy," emphasizes the lawlessness and lack of control people feel in the face of this turmoil.
The song's verses point out the contradictions and paradoxes present in the world today. The line "De la vie sans peur, rien que du bonheur" (a life without fear, nothing but happiness) is immediately followed by "De la vie sans souci, de la vie sans bruit" (a life without worries, a life without noise), indicating that a world without fear is an impossible dream because worry and unrest will always exist. Similarly, the lines "Arrive les sheriffs/Ceux qui vont nous sauver" (the sheriffs arrive/they will save us) suggest that people are looking for a hero to solve their problems, yet the next line "Mais c'est la parano/Qui nous tire dans le dos" (but it's paranoia/shooting us in the back) shows that even those we trust the most may ultimately betray us.
Overall, "Bad Cowboy" is a poignant reflection on the modern human condition and the difficult choices people must make when faced with overwhelming fear and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh la la le monde
Expressing dismay and frustration at the state of the world
On verse des larmes
Crying due to the sadness and difficulty of the situation
On nous fait si peur
Being made fearful by the events happening around us
On en fait des drames
Turning everything into a dramatic event due to heightened emotions
Dessus ça nous tombe
Unexpectedly dealing with difficult situations
Des pluies de malaise
Feeling unease and discomfort all around us
Des nouvelles de la bombe
Hearing news of impending danger and destruction
Que des foutaises
All of it seems like meaningless nonsense
On pourrait perdre la vie
The danger of losing one's life is very real
À en croire la bande
According to what others are saying
Des porteurs de mépris
People who have disdain for us and others
Toujours prêts à nous vendre
Always looking to take advantage of us and sell us something
De la vie sans peur
Longing for a life without fear
Rien que du bonheur
Only filled with happiness
De la vie sans souci
Living without worry or problems
De la vie sans bruit
Living without chaos or noise
Ça barde et ça gronde
Everything is in a state of upheaval and unrest
Partout le monde
Everywhere in the world
Ça déraille
Things are going off the rails and not working as they should
Bad cowboy !
Addressing someone who is unwilling to make things better and is instead contributing to the problem
Mais qu'est-ce qu'on doit faire
Questioning what can be done to make things better
L'ouvrir ou se taire
Uncertain whether it's better to speak up or stay quiet
Ou mourir de rire
Considering that laughter and humor may be the only way to cope
Passer au travers
Trying to make it through to the other side of the difficult times
Arrêter les images
Stopping the constant flow of disturbing imagery from the media
Qui nous barrent le passage
Which are blocking us from moving forward and finding hope
Sortir et se voir
Taking a step back and seeing things clearly for what they are
Un nouvel espoir
Discovering a new sense of hope and optimism
Mais on nous tire dessus
Even when trying to move forward, people are attacking and criticizing us
Avec des mots qui tuent
Using harmful and hurtful language to bring others down
On s'prend des balles perdues
Being caught in the crossfire of other people's battles
On étaient prévenus
Knowing that it was going to be this way and yet still feeling overwhelmed
Arrive les sheriffs
The people who are supposed to protect us finally show up
Ceux qui vont nous sauver
Coming to rescue us from the danger and chaos
Nettoyer la ville
Cleaning up the mess and making things right again
De tous les dangers
From all the dangerous and harmful people and situations
Mais c'est la parano
Realizing that the fear and anxiety might be coming from within ourselves
Qui nous tire dans le dos
Being attacked by the very people who are supposed to be on our side
La loi du plus fort
Feeling like it's a survival of the fittest situation
Pan, t'es mort
It's a battle and if you're not careful, you won't make it out alive
Bien sûr qu'on va pendre
Of course we're going to punish those who have done wrong
Les petits voleurs de cendres
The people who have stolen trivial things
On aura plus à s'en faire
Feeling like we'll finally be able to relax and not have to worry
Ô misère
Exclaiming in despair and sadness
Ça va mal
Everything is not going well and it's difficult to stay positive
Contributed by Avery N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.