After their first 1999 se… Read Full Bio ↴Debout Sur Le Zinc is a French music band.
After their first 1999 self-titled album, their subsequent album L’homme à tue-tête released in May, 2001 gained them media acclaim and public popularity. By the time their 2004 album Des singes et les moutons enhanced their repertoire, they were selling out venues such as La Cigale and touring internationally. Songs from their latest album Les Promesses were featured in their first concert at the oldest music hall in Paris, the Olympia, where they played to a full house on May 16, 2006.
The band acknowledges influences from traditional French and Irish music, rock, klezmer, and many styles that are considered dance hall music, such as gypsy jazz, tango, waltz. Music critics and fans admire their ability to mix these different styles into an exuberant, cohesive whole.
They are known to be friends with bands like La Rue Kétanou or Les Ogres de Barback.
Les voisins
Debout sur le zinc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ses boulevards,
Ses vitrines,
Allume ses feux le soir,
C'est beau,
Ça brille,
Mais d'un peu plus près,
L'artifice
Bien des histoires
En coulisses.
Viens par chez moi
Certains soirs,
Rôde et tu verras
Circuler dans les couloirs
De vrais inspecteurs
De sainteté,
Ce sont les fossoyeurs
De ta liberté.
Celle-là s'enquiquine,
Une autre rumine,
Celui-là se défoule,
Sort de sa déprime,
Exaltés, hélas,
Contre qui dépasse
Par inattention dans la
Cohabitation.
La ville reste un peu vague
Au rez-de-chaussée,
Monte
Dans les étages,
Mesure
Sa rigidité,
Là,
Finis les goûts,
Les couleurs,
Prends
Tes jambes à ton cou,
Si tu passes
Passée l'heure.
La ville,
Ses jardins,
Ses musées,
Reporte à demain,
C'est rusé,
Pour aller au ciel
Coûte que coûte,
Se bouche les oreilles,
Mais en route
D'autres les ont bien
Indiscrètes,
Serpents qui sifflent
Sur nos têtes,
Aujourd'hui et là
Se prépare
Une vendetta en
Pantoufles et peignoir.
Refrain.
The song "Les Voisins" by Debout sur le Zinc describes the city at night with its lit boulevards and flashy storefronts that seem to hide the secrets and stories that happen behind the scenes. The first verse highlights the deception of the artifice present in the city and how the shining light of the night only serves to conceal much darker truths.
The second verse is a warning to those who venture too close to the reality of the city. The chorus, "Viens par chez moi certains soirs, Rôde et tu verras circuler dans les couloirs de vrais inspecteurs de sainteté, Ce sont les fossoyeurs de ta liberté," warns people about the inspectors of morality who try to control and limit their freedom.
The third verse is a commentary on the rigidity of the city and how it limits individual expression and creativity. The final verse talks about the people who are preparing for a "vendetta" in their pajamas and robes, representing the rebellion against a seemingly oppressive city.
Line by Line Meaning
La ville,
The city
Ses boulevards,
Its boulevards
Ses vitrines,
Its display windows
Allume ses feux le soir,
Lights up at night
C'est beau,
It's beautiful
Ça brille,
It shines
Mais d'un peu plus près,
But up close
L'artifice
The facade
Semble dissimuler
Seems to hide
Bien des histoires
Many stories
En coulisses.
Behind the scenes.
Viens par chez moi
Come by my place
Certains soirs,
Some evenings
Rôde et tu verras
Wander around and you'll see
Circuler dans les couloirs
Moving around in the hallways
De vrais inspecteurs
Real inspectors
De sainteté,
Of holiness
Ce sont les fossoyeurs
They're the gravediggers
De ta liberté.
Of your freedom.
Celle-là s'enquiquine,
That one is annoyed
Une autre rumine,
Another one is brooding
Celui-là se défoule,
He's blowing off steam
Sort de sa déprime,
Getting out of his slump
Exaltés, hélas,
Excited, alas
Contre qui dépasse
Against those who cross
Par inattention dans la
By carelessness in the
Cohabitation.
Coexistence.
La ville reste un peu vague
The city remains a bit vague
Au rez-de-chaussée,
On the ground floor
Monte
Goes up
Dans les étages,
Up to the floors
Mesure
Measures
Sa rigidité,
Its rigidity
Là,
There,
Finis les goûts,
No more personal taste,
Les couleurs,
No more colors,
Prends
Take
Tes jambes à ton cou,
Your legs and run
Si tu passes
If you pass
Passée l'heure.
After the hour.
La ville,
The city
Ses jardins,
Its gardens
Ses musées,
Its museums
Reporte à demain,
Postpone to tomorrow
C'est rusé,
It's sly
Pour aller au ciel
To get to heaven
Coûte que coûte,
At any cost
Se bouche les oreilles,
Plugs their ears
Mais en route
But on the way
D'autres les ont bien
Others have them
Indiscrètes,
Indiscreet
Serpents qui sifflent
Snakes that hiss
Sur nos têtes,
Over our heads
Aujourd'hui et là
Today and there
Se prépare
Prepares itself
Une vendetta en
A vendetta in
Pantoufles et peignoir.
Slippers and bathrobe.
Refrain.
Chorus.
Contributed by Hailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.