Guesch Patti is a French singer, dancer, choreographer and actress. To date… Read Full Bio ↴Guesch Patti is a French singer, dancer, choreographer and actress. To date she has recorded five albums. Guesch Patti started her musical career in 1987 with the release of the notorious hit single 'Etienne'.

Guesch Patti was born on 19 March 1946 as Patricia Porasse, she was nicknamed Guesch (a Basque name) as a child, Patti is a pet name for Patricia. Her father, Jean Porasse, worked as an artistic director for the record company HMV-Pathé-Marconi, taking care of Gilbert Bécaud and later as an impresario for people like Eric Charden, Jean-Jacques Debout and Nino Ferrer. Aged 9 she danced the role of the Little Rat at the Paris Opera. When she was 19 she had a brief flirtation with singing as one half of the duo Yves et Patricia, a venture she was talked into by her father. They released 2 singles on the Philips label.

In the seventies she frequently worked for television as a dancer, for example in shows with Nana Mouskouri and Silvie Vartan. Later she moved into contemporary dance and became first dancer in Carolyn Carson's group, Prima Ballerina at the Scala in Milan and guest performer with Roland Petit and Maurice Béjart. She worked on the choreography for performances set to the music of Silvano Bussoti, Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen. She also worked with the German choreographer Pina Bausch, practised Jazz dance with Michael Peter and worked on Robert Hossein's staging of Les Misérables.

In 1984 she teamed up with Lydie Callier and another girl to form the trio DaCapo. Virgin Records released one single, but declined to take it further. 1987 saw her emerge as a solo artist with the release of the single Étienne. It charted in 9 European countries, accompanied by a video that caused some controversy due to its erotic nature. It ended up winning Best Video awards in several countries. The success was remarkable because at that time modern French pop\rock music was rarely successful in non-French speaking territories. The international success of Étienne landed her an album recording contract with EMI, the band Encore was formed around her and together they produced her first album Labyrinthe, released in 1988. A second album Nomades followed in 1990. After an (amicable) split with Encore, a third album Gobe saw the light in 1992. Sales of Gobe were disappointing, Gobe was to be her last album for EMI.

After a period of reflection she met Étienne Daho, this contributed to a renewed interest in creating music. She teamed up with independent French label XIIIBis Records (now defunct) which resulted in the 1995 release of Blonde. Songs from this album were also used for the Peter Greenaway film The Pillow Book. Her most recent album is Dernieres Nouvelles, released in November 2000.

In recent years she has also appeared in film and television productions, most notably a co-starring role in the 1997 movie Elles where she appeared alongside Marthe Keller and Miou - Miou. 2001 saw her re-emerge as a dancer on stage in the production She smiles through tears. , Her latest work is the Dernieres Nouvelles DVD, released in February 2002 it features a video illustration of the music of the CD with the same title.

La chinoise
Guesch Patti Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'aimerais tellement disposer
Sur un parcours imposé
J'aurais envie d'essayer
Je me sens déjà trompée

Le vis-à-vis est tronqué
Avant d'avoir commencé
A l'avance, j'aurais trouvé

Que vous mentez, vous mentez

La chinoise est en exil
La distance reste subtile

Je suis plus malin que ça
M'aurz pas à ce jeu là
Le jeu est vice et versa
C'est pas pour moi, pas pour moi

Mais si c'est mal proposé
Ma patience illimitée
Aurait aimé dévoiler
Que vous mentez, vous mentez

La chinoise est en exil
La distance reste subtile
Son espace est comme une île
Dans un building à Hong Kong

Compte à rebours commencé
Cinquante années surannées
Sans annoncer le passé
Vous mentirez, mentirez

J'aurais aimé disposer
Sur un parcours imposé

D'avoir envie d'essayer
Mais c'est manqué, c'est manqué

Overall Meaning

In the song "La chinoise" by Guesch Patti, the lyrics are imbued with a sense of longing, deception, and a desire for authenticity. The singer expresses a strong desire to have control over their own path and decisions, but they feel trapped in a predetermined course. The idea of wanting to try new experiences is juxtaposed with a feeling of already being misled or deceived, creating a sense of disillusionment.

The mention of a distorted view or a "truncated face" before even starting implies a sense of imbalance or disorientation in a relationship or interaction. The singer seems to anticipate being lied to, showing a skepticism and a lack of trust in the other party. The imagery of the "Chinoise" in exile adds a layer of mystery and distance, suggesting a cultural or emotional separation that is difficult to bridge.

The singer asserts their cleverness and refusal to be manipulated, stating that they will not be drawn into a deceitful game. They see through the duplicity and recognize the manipulative nature of the situation, asserting their independence and unwillingness to play along with the facade. The idea of a game with "vice and versa" highlights the deceptive nature of the dynamics at play.

The repeated reference to lying and deception, along with the theme of exile and distance, creates a poignant sense of isolation and longing. The singer expresses a wish to have control over their own path and the desire to explore new possibilities, but ultimately feels that their efforts are in vain. The closing lines convey a sense of missed opportunities and unfulfilled desires, leaving the listener with a bittersweet mix of introspection and resignation.

Line by Line Meaning

J'aimerais tellement disposer
I would really like to have control

Sur un parcours imposé
Over a predetermined path

J'aurais envie d'essayer
I would like to try

Je me sens déjà trompée
I already feel deceived

Le vis-à-vis est tronqué
The face-to-face is distorted

Avant d'avoir commencé
Before even starting

A l'avance, j'aurais trouvé
In advance, I would have found

Que vous mentez, vous mentez
That you lie, you lie

La chinoise est en exil
The Chinese is in exile

La distance reste subtile
The distance remains subtle

Je suis plus malin que ça
I am smarter than that