Backer was born in Belgium, but moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was two. Originally a member of the indie band Downstares, Backer began performing under the name Gotye in 2001 when the band disbanded. Aside from his solo work, De Backer has been a member of the indie band The Basics since its formation in 2002.
Gotye's second album Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May 2006 and was voted Number 1 in the listeners poll of the Best Album of 2006 . The album was also nominated for a J Award that year. Two tracks from that album, Learnalilgivinanlovin and Heart's A Mess, were ranked 94 and 8 respectively in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006. Like Drawing Blood has been certified Platinum.
In September 2006, Gotye was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Music Award (ARIA award) for best independent release for his album Like Drawing Blood, and won 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards.
In 2007, Gotye won the ARIA for best male artist. As a result of the publicity of the nomination, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA album chart and was named iTunes UK Album of the Year in 2008.
In 2009, Heart's A Mess came in at #77 in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time, voted by the Australian public.
Amidst the lead-up to Gotye's third album, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid 2011, peaking at its highest ever position of 13.
After the success of Like Drawing Blood, De Backer was able to establish a permanent home, still in Melbourne's South East. In 2010, De Backer set up a recording studio in a barn at his parents' farm and set about recording tracks for his third album. He released a new single, Eyes Wide Open, in mid-October 2010, online and on 10" vinyl. The single received generally positive reviews and reached number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010. It was also shortlisted for the 2011 APRA Music Awards in the Song of the Year category.
In late March 2011, De Backer revealed the album's title to be Making Mirrors. This title was inspired by an artwork, painted by De Backer's father in the 1980s, discovered by De Backer amongst old bills and newspapers in his parents' barn, which was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."
On 19 May, it was announced that the album would be released on 19 August 2011, with the album launch the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival which will feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance. De Backer also released a follow-up single to Eyes Wide Open titled Somebody That I Used to Know, which was released 6 July 2011, and debuted at #27 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. The single became something of a sensation, quickly moving up the ARIA singles chart despite comparatively low airplay to many other charting singles at the time. The track was further boosted by endorsements from well-known celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen via Twitter, exposing Gotye's music to their millions of followers. The single has gone on to reach 6× Platinum (420,000 units sold) status.
On 15 July 2011, it was announced that Gotye's single Somebody That I Used to Know had come third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. As part of the prize, Gotye won a spot to perform at Song Summit 2012 at Darling Harbour, 26–28 May 2012.
On its first week of release, Making Mirrors came in at number one on the ARIA Australian album chart, making Gotye the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the number one single and album since Silverchair, who achieved the same feat in 2007.
On 11 October 2011, it was announced that Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards. Due to the release date restrictions of the eligibility period, Making Mirrors could not be nominated, and the seven nominations all related to the single Somebody That I Used to Know. Gotye was nominated for Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and three awards in the ARIA Artisan category: Best Video (Natasha Pincus), Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wally De Backer). On the same day the nominations were revealed, the winners of the Artisan categories were announced, with Gotye and the album personnel winning all three. On 27 November 2011, Gotye took out three of the four remaining ARIA Award nominations. Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release.
"Somebody That I Used To Know" has become an international hit, reaching #1 in Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany, and also reached #1 on the alternative radio airplay charts in The United States and Canada (on the pop charts in those countries, the song has reached #5 and #11, respectively).
Noir Excursion
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave me a ride
He had a suitcase full of lies
That he sold me
I sensed no danger
When I was there right by his side
He said I compelled him to confide
Take this car
And drive downstate
Then take off the licence plates
And wait for me
I could have argued
But he said for my trouble I could keep
Half the money in the bag on the back seat
At least, that's what he told me
And he said he thought I looked trustworthy
And I must admit that the thrill of it all got the better of me
So I drove down the highway with great speed
Until they resounded behind me
Sirens! The police
They pull me over to the side of the road
And tell me that the car was stolen, that's why I was followed
I try to tell them I was only doing what I was told
But no, they won't listen to me
They cuff my hands and say
'Now girl, the money, where did you hide it?'
Then I know without even checking the bag
That there's no money inside it
But when they read my rights
I know that it's no use
Saying, 'I'm not lying'
No, please let me go
Please listen to me
I am not guilty
A handsome stranger tricked me
Why did he have to hand-pick me?
He told me to take this car
And drive downstate
Then to take off the licence plates
And wait there for him
But of course they don't believe me
So from there they drive me back to the station
And after I've been booked they began a three-day interrogation
I barely ate, I only slept an hour
But somehow I stayed patient and calm
They did me no harm
But the bag was the key to this mystery
He bought it the very same day that he
Robbed that bank upstate and then picked me
To be his fall guy patsy
Five years later
When I'd almost forgotten that nightmarish day
I was struck by the handsome features of a stranger across the way
As he got out of a car, with a girl behind the wheel, and I heard him say
Take this car
And drive downstate
Then take off the licence plates
And wait for me
The song "Noir Excursion" by Gotye tells the story of a young woman who is tricked by a handsome stranger into becoming an accomplice to a crime. The stranger gives her a ride and asks her to drive a stolen car downstate and take off the license plates. He promises her half the money in a bag on the back seat, and she agrees. However, she is stopped by the police and arrested for stealing the car and robbing a bank. She is interrogated for three days and realizes that the stranger had used her as a "fall guy" to take the blame for the crime. Five years later, she sees the stranger again with another woman, giving the same instructions he gave her years ago.
The lyrics are a commentary on the power dynamics between men and women and how women are often seen as vulnerable and easy targets. The woman in the song is deceived by the stranger's charm and good looks, and he takes advantage of her naivety and willingness to trust him. The lyrics also touch on themes of crime and punishment, justice and injustice, and the long-term effects of being a victim of a crime.
Overall, the lyrics of "Noir Excursion" are well-crafted and thought-provoking. The narrative structure keeps the listener engaged while the deeper themes provide much to reflect on.
Line by Line Meaning
A handsome stranger
The singer encountered a good-looking stranger
Gave me a ride
The stranger offered a ride to the singer
He had a suitcase full of lies
The stranger was not truthful and had deceitful intentions
That he sold me
The stranger convinced the artist to believe him
I sensed no danger
The artist did not feel unsafe around the stranger
When I was there right by his side
The singer was physically close to the stranger
He said I compelled him to confide
The stranger felt the need to share personal information with the singer
So he told me
The stranger disclosed information to the artist
Take this car
The stranger instructed the artist to take the vehicle
And drive downstate
The stranger directed the artist to travel to a specific location
Then take off the licence plates
The stranger told the singer to remove the vehicle registration plates
And wait for me
The stranger asked the artist to stay and wait for him
I could have argued
The singer had a chance to dispute the stranger's instructions
But he said for my trouble I could keep
The stranger offered the singer some incentive to follow his instructions
Half the money in the bag on the back seat
The stranger claimed there was some cash in the bag that the singer could take half of
At least, that's what he told me
The artist was unsure if the stranger was telling the truth
And he said he thought I looked trustworthy
The stranger claimed he could trust the artist
And I must admit that the thrill of it all got the better of me
The singer gave in to the excitement and temptation of the situation
So I drove down the highway with great speed
The singer drove quickly on the road
Until they resounded behind me
The police used sirens to alert the artist
Sirens! The police
The artist heard sirens indicating the arrival of law enforcement
They pull me over to the side of the road
The police stopped the artist's vehicle
And tell me that the car was stolen, that's why I was followed
The police informed the singer that the car was stolen
I try to tell them I was only doing what I was told
The artist protested that she was only following instructions
But no, they won't listen to me
The police were not willing to believe the singer's story
They cuff my hands and say
The police restrained the singer with handcuffs
'Now girl, the money, where did you hide it?'
The police demanded to know where the money was hidden
Then I know without even checking the bag
The artist realized the bag did not contain any money
That there's no money inside it
The artist confirmed that there was no cash in the bag
But when they read my rights
The police informed the singer of her legal rights
I know that it's no use
The singer understood that her situation was hopeless
Saying, 'I'm not lying'
The artist insisted that she was telling the truth
No, please let me go
The artist begged to be released
Please listen to me
The artist implored the police to believe her
I am not guilty
The singer proclaimed her innocence
A handsome stranger tricked me
The artist claimed that the stranger deceived her
Why did he have to hand-pick me?
The singer wondered why the stranger chose her
But of course they don't believe me
The police did not believe the singer
So from there they drive me back to the station
The police took the singer to the police station
And after I've been booked they began a three-day interrogation
The police questioned the artist for three days after arresting her
I barely ate, I only slept an hour
The artist had very little food and sleep while in police custody
But somehow I stayed patient and calm
The singer managed to remain composed despite the stressful situation
They did me no harm
The police did not physically harm the singer
But the bag was the key to this mystery
The bag played a critical role in solving the crime
He bought it the very same day that he
The stranger purchased the bag on the same day he committed the crime
Robbed that bank upstate and then picked me
The stranger robbed a bank and then chose the artist as his target
To be his fall guy patsy
The stranger used the singer as a scapegoat
Five years later
Five years passed
When I'd almost forgotten that nightmarish day
The singer almost forgot about the traumatic experience
I was struck by the handsome features of a stranger across the way
The singer noticed a good-looking stranger nearby
As he got out of a car, with a girl behind the wheel, and I heard him say
The stranger and a woman exited a car, and the singer overheard him speaking
Take this car
The stranger instructed someone to take the same car as before
And drive downstate
The stranger directed the person to travel to a specific location
Then take off the licence plates
The stranger told the person to remove the vehicle registration plates
And wait for me
The stranger asked the person to stay and wait for him
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ray's Astrophotography
Mysterious!!