French pop-reggae-soul artist Camille Bazbaz's career began during his college years as a member of the politically charged, rebellious punk rock group Cri de la Mouche (Cry of the Fly). Bazbaz stayed with the group throughout the 1980s, serving as the group's organist. Influenced by the punk and rock sounds of the '70s, Cri de la Mouche stayed active until their split in 1990.
Bazbaz took the opportunity to explore new stylistic directions. These included reggae, soul, and the blues, but most importantly hip-hop. Bazbaz dove headfirst into the rap and hip-hop idioms in the early 1990s, collaborating with French hip-hop musicians like Joey Starr, who ultimately appeared on his debut record, Dubadelik, released in 1996. Colored with gentle reggae inflections and characterized by Bazbaz's typically humorous and seductive lyrics, the record was well received by the emerging French urban music community. Dubadelik earned Bazbaz a reputation as an underground up-and-comer, opening doors into other creative circles.
Filmmaker Pierre Savadori commissioned Bazbaz to compose the soundtracks for four of his films, Comme Elle Respire (1997), Les Marchands de Sable (2000), Apres Vous (2003), and Hors de Prix (2006). As he gained recognition as a film composer, Bazbaz's solo discography continued to grow with the releases of Une Envie de Chien (2000) and Sur le Bout de la Langue (2004).
A pilgrimage to Kingston, Jamaica, produced the artist's fourth solo record, Le bonheur fantôme. Recorded with a mixture of local musicians and Bazbaz's regular collaborators, the album became the artist's most West Indies-centric project to date. The album's release in May 2007 was followed by a busy touring schedule that would take Bazbaz and his bandmates to every corner of the French world music circuit.
Excès D'Abus
Bazbaz Lyrics
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Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Mes vumètres sont au rouge
Ma ligne désaxée me conduit
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Cow-boy des rodéos
Je monte les petites désaxées
Au fin fond des nuits nues
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Superman en plein cirage
Je hante les rues désaxées
D'un pas royal, de roi mage
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
Je fais des excès d'abus
Des abus d'excès
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
(x 4)
The lyrics to Bazbaz's song Excès D'Abus talk about indulging in excessive behavior and substance abuse when under the influence. The repeated lines "Je fais des excès d'abus, Des abus d'excès, Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu" mean "I commit excesses of abuse, Abuse of excess when I'm drunk". The reference to "vumètres" being in the red, which translates to "vumeters", refers to a sound level meter and might signify how loud and out-of-control the singer is when they drink to excess. The line "Ma ligne désaxée me conduit dans les bouges" translates to "My off-centered line leads me to dives," which could be representative of the singer's loss of control and direction when drunk.
Later on in the lyrics, the singer compares himself to a "cowboy des rodéos" who mounts "les petites désaxées", meaning "rodeo cowboy who rides the tumultuous" and "desaxées" referring to the disorganized and chaotic nights. The lyrics then switch to "Superman en plein cirage" or "Superman while drunk" walking the streets in a royal manner like a wise king, but still being impacted by his excessive drinking.
Overall, the lyrics to Excès D'Abus explore the theme of slipping into excessive and potentially dangerous behavior when under the influence of alcohol. The lyrics contain a sense of recklessness and loss of control that accompanies indulging too much in substances.
Line by Line Meaning
Je fais des excès d'abus
I engage in excessive behaviors, going overboard and abusing things beyond their intended use
Des abus d'excès
These behaviors can become habitual and often lead to further excesses over time
Quand j'ai, quand j'ai bu
This often happens when I have been drinking alcohol
Mes vumètres sont au rouge
My internal mechanisms are functioning at full capacity and I am pushing myself to the limit
Ma ligne désaxée me conduit
My path in life is erratic and unsteady, leading me to questionable places
Dans les bouges
I find myself in seedy, disreputable establishments
Cow-boy des rodéos
I am a reckless individual who enjoys taking risks and living on the edge
Je monte les petites désaxées
I seek out unstable and unpredictable situations to challenge myself
Au fin fond des nuits nues
I venture into the depths of the night, embracing the darkness and losing myself in it
Superman en plein cirage
I become a different person, emboldened and empowered by my intoxication
Je hante les rues désaxées
I haunt the streets, wandering aimlessly and without direction
D'un pas royal, de roi mage
I move with an air of importance, as if I am above the rules and consequences of my actions
Lyrics © EMI VIRGIN MUSIC PUBLISHING FRA, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Philippe TRESSOL, Camille BAZBAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind