Inspired by a series of uninterrupted snowstorms, Carole Facal (a.k.a Carac… Read Full Bio ↴Inspired by a series of uninterrupted snowstorms, Carole Facal (a.k.a Caracol) locks herself up in her studio, surrounded by her faithful guitars, vintage amps, a few analogue synths, poetry books and Art-Deco imagery. As the snowcovered city glowed in a soft white light, she plunged herself head-first into her memories and feelings. Driven by her intuition, she wrote a collection of hypersensitive songs featured on her first international english release entitled «Shiver».

Borrowing 2 french and 3 english songs from her latest release Blanc Mercredi, and 6 brand new english tracks, Shiver features Caracol's unique vocal harmonies and a tasteful blend of folk, indie-pop and retro-soul. Caracol surrounded herself with her usual dream team; produced by Sebastien Blais-Montpetit (ADISQ Producer of the year 2011 and DJ Champion guitarist) and accompanied by top notch musicians, she delivers an album of great musicality, using authentic vintage instruments to keep the purity of her signature style.

This third solo album marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Caracol, who has enjoyed a successful French musical career. Her first solo album "L'arbre aux parfums", received several top prizes for both show and album from Radio-Canada, Bourse Rideau, Prix Miroir, Adisq, as well as nominations at the Junos and Canadian Folk music awards. This follows a hugely successful album and #1 single "etrange" with world-pop duo DobaCaracol.

She has toured relentlessly throughout Europe and North America with artists such as Serena Ryder, Joseph Arthur, hitting events & festivals such as NACA, SXSW, CMW, NXNE, Osheaga, Rifflandia and several major Canadian folk festivals.

In june 2011, she was invited to play with The Bangles at the Twilight series on the Santa Monica Pier in California. Since its october 2011 release, Blanc Mercredi has placed in many "best albums of 2011" lists. Media response has been very positive and Caracol has been invited to appear on several tv shows such as Star Academie and Studio 12. She was also recently nominated for a Genie Award in the category "Best Original Song" for her song "Quelque part" in the recent blockbuster Quebec film Starbuck. Caracol now embarks on a 3 month tour of Canada, with Amelia Curran and Vincent Vallieres, before heading off to Europe and Australia in the fall and winter.

Celle que les hommes pleurent
Caracol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mata Hari dont le nom
Dont le nom évoquait l'aube
Dont la peau était sombre
Et la bouche était grande
Tomba la tête haute
Tomba un matin sans honte
Celle que les hommes pleurent
Mata Hari!

L'allure respectable
D'idole à coupable
Mata Hari dont le nom
Dont le nom évoquait l'aube
D'onze balles criblée

Mata Hari!
À ceux qui auraient voulu la prendre
À ceux qui voulaient creuser la tombe
Envoya un baiser sans honte
Emporta ses secrets dans la fosse
À ceux qui auraient voulu la prendre
À ceux qui voulaient creuser la tombe
Souriant avec mépris et fronde
Emporta ses secrets dans la fosse

Mata Hari dont le nom
Dont le nom évoquait l'aube
Étendue dans la fosse
Plaisait-elle encore aux hommes?
Tombée la tête haute
Tombée un matin sans honte
Celle que les hommes pleurent
Candide fleur
Celle que les hommes pleurent

(Refrain)

Mata Hari

Celle que les hommes pleurent
Mata Hari!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Caracol's song Celle que les hommes pleurent are a tribute to the infamous Mata Hari. The song explores the mystery and allure that surrounded Mata Hari and how she fell from grace. The first verse describes Mata Hari's physical characteristics, with her dark skin and large mouth, and how she met her demise with her head held high, without shame. The second verse describes how her respectable image was shattered, and she went from being an idol to a criminal, eventually being executed by eleven bullets. The chorus is a repetition of her name, which has come to symbolize a woman who was both admired and feared by men.

The song paints a picture of a woman who was both confident and enigmatic. Mata Hari, whose real name was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, was a Dutch exotic dancer who became a courtesan, spy, and possibly a double agent during World War I. She was known for her beauty, charm, and sensuality, which made her popular with high-ranking military officials and politicians. However, her allegiance became questionable, and she was suspected of spying for Germany. Despite her proclaimed innocence and protests, she was convicted of espionage and executed by firing squad.

The song captures the fascination that Mata Hari's life and death created, with people still pondering her true motives and loyalties. The lyrics reflect the various opinions and attitudes towards her, from those who wanted to take her down to those who mourned her. The last lines of the song ask whether she still pleased men even in her grave, suggesting that her allure and mystery still linger.

Line by Line Meaning

Mata Hari dont le nom
Referring to Mata Hari, a woman whose name

Dont le nom évoquait l'aube
Whose name connoted dawn

Dont la peau était sombre
Whose skin was dark

Et la bouche était grande
And whose mouth was large

Tomba la tête haute
Fell with her head held high

Tomba un matin sans honte
Fell one morning without shame

Celle que les hommes pleurent
The woman that men cry for, Mata Hari!

Mata Hari!
Mata Hari!

L'allure respectable
From a respectable appearance

D'idole à coupable
To an accused idol

D'onze balles criblée
Riddled with eleven bullets