He first came to the music industry's attention with his collaboration with, and arrangements for, Keren Ann and his sister Coralie Clément. Finally earning a solo contract after many years of struggle, Biolay released his debut album, Rose Kennedy, in 2002. A concept album, Rose Kennedy looks at early 1960s America through the cataractic eyes of the late matriarch, who went from attending dinner parties to suffering the assassination of two of her sons.
Next up was Négatif, a double CD full of sometimes violent imagery surrounding a group of drifters, which included a disaffected, oddly sympathetic, american named Billy Bob. Biolay released two albums in 2005, A L'origine (translated: In The Beginning) is a darker, denser work than his previous outings, while Home is a light, sunny duet album with his wife, started when they noticed that they needed good road trip CD to listen to while on vacation. He has also written film scores, songs and arrangements for such beloved french stars as Francoise Hardy, Juliette Greco and Henri Salvador.
He worked with Elodie Frégé on her second album Le Jeu des 7 erreurs
(including lead single "La Ceinture") which was released in autumn 2006.
Raté
Benjamin Biolay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
D’une syllabe ou deux
Raté de rien, d’un sourire, d’un soupir de trop,
D’un coup de tête hideux
Raté de peu, ni la faute à pas de chance, ni à Dieu,
Vide et peu scrupuleux
Raté de rien, du minable sublime et radieux
Un pas d’avance, un pas d’avance aux cieux.
Qu’elle est courte hélas cette vie dégueulasse
Quelle impasse
Là où je vais, viens, jamais personne ne me rejoins ,
Personne, ni rien.
Raté de peu, d’un serment, d’un sermon de trop
Et finir par sonner creux
Raté de rien, d’un litige, d’un vertige, d’un saut
Dans le vide envieux
Raté de peu, ni la faute à pas de chance, ni à Dieu,
Vide et peu scrupuleux
Raté de rien, du minable sublime, radieux
Un pas d’avance, un pas d’avance aux cieux.
Qu’elle est courte hélas cette vie dégueulasse
Quelle impasse
Presque magicien d’Oz, Raté de pas grand chose
Qu’elle est courte et rance, cette vie d’errance
Quand j’y pense
Là où je vais, viens, jamais personne ne me rejoins , personne, ni rien,
Ni rien
The lyrics of Benjamin Biolay's song Raté talk about how close success and failure can be. The difference between them can be just a small detail, a word, a syllable or a smile. The song talks about how easy it is to miss out on success and how disappointing it is to fall short of one's goals. The lyrics also suggest that sometimes, failure is not due to bad luck or God's will, but rather a result of one's own shortcomings.
The song then reflects on the brevity of life and how lonely it can be. The lyrics suggest that the singer is on a journey where nobody ever joins him, and nothing ever happens. The song emphasizes the fact that life can be short and yet so unpleasant to live, almost like a dead end street. The song concludes by highlighting how close the singer is to achieving greatness, and how one small step could make all the difference.
Overall, the lyrics are insightful and thought-provoking, pointing to the idea that success and failure are often just a matter of small details. The song is a poignant reflection on the precariousness of life and the difficulty of finding fulfillment in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Raté de peu, d’un détail, d’un cheveu, d’un mot,
Failing by a slim margin, due to a detail, a strand of hair, a word or two.
D’une syllabe ou deux
Even by just one or two syllables.
Raté de rien, d’un sourire, d’un soupir de trop,
Failing by nothing, except for a smile or an extra sigh.
D’un coup de tête hideux
From a hideous impulse.
Raté de peu, ni la faute à pas de chance, ni à Dieu,
Failed by a slim margin, not due to bad luck or God.
Vide et peu scrupuleux
Empty and lacking in morals.
Raté de rien, du minable sublime et radieux
Failed by nothing, in spite of the miserable, yet sublime and radiant situation.
Un pas d’avance, un pas d’avance aux cieux.
One step closer, one step closer to heaven.
Qu’elle est courte hélas cette vie dégueulasse
Alas, how short and disgusting this life is.
Quelle impasse
What a dead end.
Là où je vais, viens, jamais personne ne me rejoins,
Wherever I go, no one ever joins me.
Personne, ni rien.
No one, and nothing.
Raté de peu, d’un serment, d’un sermon de trop
Failing by a slim margin, due to an oath or an excessive sermon.
Et finir par sonner creux
And end up feeling hollow.
Raté de rien, d’un litige, d’un vertige, d’un saut
Failed by nothing, except for a dispute, a dizzy spell, or a leap of faith.
Dans le vide envieux
In the envious void.
Presque magicien d’Oz, Raté de pas grand chose
Almost a Wizard of Oz, failing by not much.
Qu’elle est courte et rance, cette vie d’errance
How short and stale this life of wandering is.
Quand j’y pense
When I think about it.
Là où je vais, viens, jamais personne ne me rejoins, personne, ni rien,
Wherever I go, no one ever joins me, no one, and nothing.
Ni rien
And nothing.
Contributed by Samantha L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nathalie Darzel
Un des plus grand Chanteur Compositeur Interprète de notre époque, si ce n'est le meilleur!! I love You Mister Biolay....
Thierry Grd
Bonjour, je suis plus âgé que vous tous, mais fan de ce garçon, aussi ! Il est au top de l'interprétation de la composition, avec une voix plutôt singulière ! OK le gars ! Thierry 57 balais, et hétéro ... pour la précision !
Alberto Bustamante
Beautiful song!