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.
Les échecs
Bazbaz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Attendre me rend fou, je vais tenter le coup
J'ai avancé mon fou et je ne veux pas perdre
À part toi tout le reste, le reste je m'en fous
J'ai avancé mon fou pour t'arrêter net,
Te stopper ma reine dans ta jolie retraite,
J'attends ton prochain coup de fil et de tonnerre
Je sais c'est encore flou, l'amour c'est pas très net
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
J'ai avancé mon fou, pour t'empêcher ma reine
D'aller te coucher près de ton cavalier,
Prise dans la diagonale d'un amour digital,
Tu n'auras d'autres choix que d'être mon idéal, idéal
Tu connais tous les coups, je connais tous les cas
Oh mais celui-là en tout cas, il est pour toi et moi
Ce qui va se passer la partie terminée
Pieds et poings liés, les dés sont jetés, jetés
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Tu sais les échecs, ah ! ah !
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Tu sais les échecs, ah ! ah !
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
In the song "Les échecs" by Bazbaz, the lyrics tell a story of a person who is deeply invested in a game of chess, but the game serves as a metaphor for their romantic relationship. The singer is willing to make bold moves and take risks in order to win over their love interest, symbolized as the "queen" in the game. They are driven by their desire to be with this person and are losing their sanity while waiting for a chance to make a move.
The repetition of the line "J'ai avancé mon fou" (I moved my bishop) emphasizes the singer's strategic approach in their pursuit of love. They are willing to sacrifice other aspects of their life because, compared to their love interest, everything else seems unimportant. The mention of the chess term "fou" (bishop) reflects their determination to stop their love interest from retreating and to keep them close.
The lyrics also suggest that the state of love is unclear and unpredictable. The line "Je sais c'est encore flou, l'amour c'est pas très net" (I know it's still blurry, love is not very clear) highlights the uncertainty and complexity of love. The game of chess serves as a metaphor for this confusion, as the moves and outcomes are not always straightforward.
The repetition of the phrase "Les échecs" (chess) throughout the song emphasizes the connection between this strategic game and the singer's approach to love. The chorus suggests that the singer is familiar with the game of chess and sees it as their favorite, perhaps because it mirrors the challenges and excitement of pursuing love.
Overall, "Les échecs" expresses the singer's willingness to take risks, their determination to win over their love interest, and the symbolism of chess as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of love. It showcases the singer's strong desire and strategic approach in their pursuit of a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai avancé mon fou pour te prendre ma reine
I moved my bishop forward to capture your queen
Attendre me rend fou, je vais tenter le coup
Waiting drives me crazy, I'm going to make a move
J'ai avancé mon fou et je ne veux pas perdre
I moved my bishop forward and I don't want to lose
À part toi tout le reste, le reste je m'en fous
Except for you, everything else, I don't care
J'ai avancé mon fou pour t'arrêter net
I moved my bishop forward to stop you right there
Te stopper ma reine dans ta jolie retraite
To stop you, my queen, in your pretty retreat
J'attends ton prochain coup de fil et de tonnerre
I'm waiting for your next thunderous phone call
Je sais c'est encore flou, l'amour c'est pas très net
I know it's still unclear, love is not very clear
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chess, ah! ah!
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Darling, darling, I know it
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chess, ah! ah!
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
Is it my favorite game, favorite?
J'ai avancé mon fou, pour t'empêcher ma reine
I moved my bishop forward to prevent you, my queen
D'aller te coucher près de ton cavalier
From going to sleep next to your knight
Prise dans la diagonale d'un amour digital
Caught in the diagonal of a digital love
Tu n'auras d'autres choix que d'être mon idéal, idéal
You won't have any other choice but to be my ideal, ideal
Tu connais tous les coups, je connais tous les cas
You know all the moves, I know all the situations
Oh mais celui-là en tout cas, il est pour toi et moi
Oh, but this one, at least, is for you and me
Ce qui va se passer la partie terminée
What's going to happen when the game is over
Pieds et poings liés, les dés sont jetés, jetés
Bound hand and foot, the dice are cast, cast
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chess, ah! ah!
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Darling, darling, I know it
Tu sais les échecs, ah ! ah !
You know chess, ah! ah!
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
Is it my favorite game, favorite?
Les échecs, ah ! ah !
Chess, ah! ah!
Chérie, chérie, ça me connaît
Darling, darling, I know it
Tu sais les échecs, ah ! ah !
You know chess, ah! ah!
C'est mon jeu préféré, préféré?
Is it my favorite game, favorite?
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (FRANCE), BMG Rights Management
Written by: Camille BAZBAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind