Coulais began his musical education on the violin and piano, aiming to become a composer of contemporary classical music. However, a series of acquaintances gradually re-oriented him towards film music. Coulais was particularly influenced by director François Reichenbach, who asked him in 1977 to write the soundtrack to his new documentary Mexico Magico. The first full-length production he composed the score for was the 1986 film La femme secrète by Sébastien Grall. Until the end of the 1990s, he remained low-profile, composing mainly for television. His name can often be found from TV films by Gérard Marx and Laurent Heynemann. He also composed the soundtracks for Christine Pascal's 1992 film Le petit prince a dit, and Agnès Merlet's Le fils du requin in 1993.
In 1994, he met the television producer Josée Dayan, who let him write a theme for the TV series La rivière Esperance, aired on the France 2 network in autumn 1995. He worked with Dayan again with other major productions such as Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Balzac, and Les nuiteux.
The largest turning point of his career came in 1996, when he worked with directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou of the documentary Microcosmos. This single film, which gave a great significance to the music in it, was a great success and made Coulais one of the most wanted composers of French film music. In 1997, he won the César award for the best musical score in a film, as well as a Victoire de la Musique. His reputation was confirmed by the soundtracks to Himalaya (1999) and Les rivières pourpres (2000), and after that Bruno Coulais's name was to be found on most new French blockbusters, such as Belphégor and Vidocq.
After producing the soundtrack to Winged Migration in 2001, Coulais announced that he wanted to significantly reduce his contributions to film music, and instead concentrate on other projects, such as the creation of an opera for children, and collaborations with Akhenaton, Akhenaton's group IAM and the Corsican group A Filetta, with whom he had worked since he had made the soundtrack for Jacques Weber's film Don Juan in 1998.
In 2002, his name was found on the ending credits of the animation L'enfant qui voulait être un ours, and in 2004, on Frédéric Schoendoerffer's Agents secrets. The same year, he wrote the soundtrack to the film Les choristes by Christophe Baratier, which subsequently became an international hit. The music for this film received as great praise as the film itself, and it won Coulais his third César award. Since then, Coulais's collaborations in cinema seem to be limited to works by directors with whom he already shares some history, in particular Jacques Perrin, Frédéric Schoendoerffer, and James Huth.
Bruno Coulais's musical style may vary significantly between different projects, but there are some constant factors visible: his taste for opera and for human voice (in particular that of children), for a search for original sonority, for world music and mixing different musical cultures, and finally, a certain tendency to give preference to the ambience created by lighting rather than the film's narration.
Exploration
Bruno Coulais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
romancing down
and if you're done feeling chances anyway
open new lenses, make a mess of her
open new lenses, make a mess of dreams
Twee de da da
romancing down
and if you're done feeling chances anyway
we live somewhere, many doubt you anyway
The lyrics of Bruno Coulais's Exploration are poetic and beautiful. The first line sings about exploring the world and the different experiences life has to offer. Singing in the rain is a metaphor for enjoying life even during difficult times. Living in fidelity speaks of being loyal and true to oneself while gently romancing down can be interpreted as taking things slowly and enjoying each moment.
The next line talks about taking chances and exploring new perspectives with an open mind. The phrase, "make a mess of her" may sound confusing but can be taken as seeking out new experiences and not being afraid of making mistakes. The following line, "make a mess of dreams" carries the same idea, as we should not be afraid of pursuing our dreams even if the process may be messy.
The chorus repeats the same sentiments as the first verse, emphasizing the importance of experiencing life while staying true to oneself. The final line, "many doubt you anyway" acknowledges that people may doubt and criticize you, but one should still continue living life on their own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Singing in rain, living in fidelity, gently
Enjoying life despite the difficulties, staying true to oneself and living peacefully
Romancing down
Taking life at a slow, peaceful pace
And if you're done feeling chances anyway
If you feel like you've exhausted all your opportunities
Open new lenses, make a mess of her
Try new things, take risks, and embrace the imperfections
Open new lenses, make a mess of dreams
Expand your perspective and challenge yourself to achieve your dreams, even if it's difficult
Twee de da da
Musical interlude
We live somewhere, many doubt you anyway
Despite the doubts of others, we still have a purpose and a place in this world
Contributed by Madison P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.