A throwback to the flower power era, '60s revivalists Brigitte are a French female duo combining lounge-pop, retro folk, and French cabaret to produce an authentic hippie-chic sound. Named in honor of several of the decade's icons (Bardot, Fontaine, Lahaie), Aurelie Maggiori, who had previously recorded under the name of Mayane Delem, and Sylvie Hoarau, formerly the lead vocalist in Parisian rock band Vendetta, formed their duo in 2008. After recording a cover version of Michel Jonasz's "Les Vacances au Bord de la Mer" for Delem's former bandmate Benoit Petre's film Thelma Louise et Chantal, the pair signed to Wagram Records and released an EP, Battez-Vous, which featured a unique take on Suprême NTM's '90s hip-hop anthem "Ma Benz." Co-written with Franco-Lebanese singer/songwriter Camille Bazbaz and French troubadour Albin de la Simone, their debut album, Et Vous, Tu M'aimes?, was released in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi
Tomboy manqué
Brigitte Lyrics
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Mon mâle j'le chasse à coup de chasse-spleen et de lispstick de guerre
Ma lente avalanche qui vous fait si peur
J'ai mes regards indécents de cinéma
Ostensible le soir, sensible à sept heures
Je joue, j'm'en fous, c'est plus fort que moi
Je bouge trop fort, je ris aux éclats
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Un Tomboy manqué sans carapace
Je dégringole à coups de danse lasse
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
La nuit tous les cœurs sont pris mais tous les corps sont là
Sexy sous les cœurs le cirque des sirènes aux abois
Les matins violents aux rêves tapageurs
Sur mes regards indécents, mon cinéma
Me torturent jusqu'à la prochaine fois, je pleure
Je joue, j'm'en fous c'est plus fort que moi
Je bouge trop fort, je ris aux éclats
Un rouge trop bavard sur ma bouche à table
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Un Tomboy manqué sans carapace
Je dégringole à coups de danse lasse
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Ma lente avalanche qui vous fait si peur
Je joue, j'm'en fous c'est plus fort que moi
Je bouge trop fort, je ris aux éclats
Un rouge trop bavard sur ma bouche à table
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Un Tomboy manqué sans carapace
Je dégringole à coups de danse lasse
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
The lyrics to Brigitte's song "Tomboy manqué" (which roughly translates to "failed tomboy") describe a woman who is actively rejecting traditional gender roles and expectations. She wants to be desired and attractive, but also wants to be in control of her own sexuality and is not interested in being chased by a typical "alpha male." Instead, she uses tools like lipstick and attitude to assert herself and keep others at bay. She recognizes that her behavior and way of being might be considered indecent or provocative, but she embraces it nonetheless, insisting that it is simply who she is.
The verses of the song describe different scenarios where the woman's behavior is causing a stir – in the evenings when she goes out looking for attention, in the mornings after wild dreams, and in general as she moves through the world with too much energy and enthusiasm. The chorus emphasizes that all of this comes from a place of vulnerability, with the woman's "heart belonging to her dad" and her body often feeling like it's in a fight. Despite these challenges, however, she remains determined to be herself, living life on her own terms.
Overall, the song seems to be celebrating individuality and self-expression, even when that means defying society's expectations of what a woman should be like. It's also acknowledging that this kind of energy can be risky and can feel overwhelming at times. But ultimately, the woman in the song is not interested in toning herself down or changing who she is to fit in – she's going to keep dancing, laughing, and loving with all her might.
Line by Line Meaning
Regardez-moi, j'veux vous plaire, désirez moi, je suis en guerre
Look at me, I want to please you, desire me, I am at war
Mon mâle j'le chasse à coup de chasse-spleen et de lipstick de guerre
I chase my male with shots of melancholy and war lipstick
Ma lente avalanche qui vous fait si peur
My slow avalanche that scares you
J'ai mes regards indécents de cinéma
I have my indecent cinema looks
Ostensible le soir, sensible à sept heures
Obvious at night, sensitive at seven o'clock
Je joue, j'm'en fous, c'est plus fort que moi
I play, I don't care, it's stronger than me
Je bouge trop fort, je ris aux éclats
I move too much, I laugh out loud
Un rouge trop bavard sur ma bouche à table
A too talkative red on my mouth at the table
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
My body in a fight, my heart with daddy
Un Tomboy manqué sans carapace
A failed Tomboy without a shell
Je dégringole à coups de danse lasse
I tumble with tired dance moves
La nuit tous les cœurs sont pris mais tous les corps sont là
At night, all hearts are taken, but all bodies are there
Sexy sous les cœurs le cirque des sirènes aux abois
Sexy underneath the hearts, the circus of desperate sirens
Les matins violents aux rêves tapageurs
Violent mornings with noisy dreams
Sur mes regards indécents, mon cinéma
On my indecent looks, my cinema
Me torturent jusqu'à la prochaine fois, je pleure
They torture me until the next time, I cry
Mon corps en bagarre, mon cœur à papa
My body in a fight, my heart with daddy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind