Mostly shunned by television and radio, he has built through word of mouth and frequent touring a considerable following over the years, which allowed him to fill the 17,000-seater Palais Omnisport de Bercy for an anniversary concert in 1998. In recent years he has been increasingly name-dropped as an influence by the latest generation of performers in France, and was the subject of a tribute album of covers in 2002. He has been performing since the late 1960s and releasing records since 1978.
His parents sent him to a catholic boarding school. He spent few years there, where being singled out by his schoolmates started to be interested in great poets (such as Rimbaud) and writers. The catholic education he received will leave its mark on him. He became nonconformist; he wrote blasphemous lyrics, such as "Au nom du Pere, au nom du vice, au nom des rades et des mégots" (In the name of the Father, in the name of vice, in the name of the cafés and the (cigarette) butts), made biblical and latin references in "Femme de Loth" and many others. Musically, H-FT draws mostly from classic rock, with rare nods to the latest musical trends, and generally leaves the arranging to a collaborator. But his songs are most notable for instantly recognisable lyrics, with their trademarks streams of consciousness, surreal and often extreme or dark imagery, often tinged with comedy, cynicism, literary references, neologisms and liberal use of scientific, long or foreign words. The lyrical mayhem sometimes spreads into comically long song titles, such as Enfermé dans les cabinets (avec la fille mineure des 80 chasseurs), or Exercice de simple provocation avec 33 fois le mot « coupable ».
His avowed influences include Léo Ferré, Lou Reed, and many French, Anglo-saxon and German novelists and poets, with a preference for romantic litterature.
Discography
* 1978 - Tout corps vivant branché sur le secteur étant appelé à s'émouvoir
* 1979 - Autorisation de délirer
* 1980 - De l'amour, de l'art ou du cochon
* 1981 - Dernières balises (avant mutation)
* 1982 - Soleil cherche futur
* 1983 - En concert - live (double album)
* 1984 - Alambic/sortie-sud
* 1986 - En concert vol.2 - live
* 1986 - Météo für nada
* 1988 - Eros über alles
* 1988 - 1978-1983 - compilation
* 1988 - Routes 88 - live
* 1989 - 1984-1988 - compilation
* 1990 - Chroniques bluesymentales
* 1993 - Fragments d'hébétude
* 1995 - Paris-Zénith - live (double album)
* 1996 - La tentation du bonheur
* 1998 - Le bonheur de la tentation
* 1998 - 1978-1998 - compilation
* 1999 - En Concert A Bercy - live (double album)
* 2001 - Défloration 13
* 2002 - Au Bataclan - live
* 2005 - Scandale mélancolique
Animal en quarantaine
Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine's song "Animal en quarantaine" describe the feeling of being lost and adrift in the vastness of the universe. The singer is tormented and tortured, imagining themselves as a vaporous and anonymous shadow, wandering silently through space. They are demanding immortality, unwilling to return to the hidden face of the night, which symbolizes death and oblivion. The mention of the "last taxi" and the news broadcasts indicate that the world around the singer is in chaos, and time itself is becoming more uncertain.
The repetition of "Oh! Oh!" throughout the song adds to its sense of urgency, emphasizing the singer's desperation to escape their current state. The use of space-related imagery, such as "galaxies" and "infini," highlights the isolation and insignificance of the singer in relation to the universe. The line "exigeons l'immortalité / et refusons de retourner / peu à peu vers la face cachée / de la nuit" (demanding immortality / refusing to gradually return / to the hidden face / of the night) is particularly powerful, as it encapsulates the singer's fear of death and desire for eternal life.
Overall, "Animal en quarantaine" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that explores universal themes of mortality, identity, and the search for meaning. Its dreamlike quality and poetic language make it a compelling piece of music that invites reflection on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh ! Le vent se lève
The wind is blowing, indicating a change or a new beginning.
Au large des galaxies
This change may be on a universal scale or in a larger context beyond the singer's immediate experience.
Et je dérêve
The singer is in a state of daydreaming or desires to escape reality.
Dérive à l'infini
The artist is searching for purpose or direction and drifting aimlessly towards infinity.
Oh ! Oh ! tourmenté
The artist is experiencing anguish and torment.
Oh ! Oh ! torturé
The singer is overwhelmed by inner turmoil and pain.
Je m'imagine
The singer is envisioning a different reality or an alternative self.
En ombre vaporeuse
The alternative self is ephemeral and insubstantial.
Ame anonyme
The artist feels lost and anonymous, without an identity or purpose.
Errante et silencieuse
The alternative self is wandering aimlessly and in silence.
Oh ! Oh ! tourmenté
The singer's inner turmoil persists.
Oh ! Oh ! dépouillé
The artist feels stripped of purpose and identity.
Exigeant l'immortalité
The singer longs for immortality, desiring to transcend the limitations of time and death.
Et refusant de retourner
The singer refuses to return to a state of anonymity and insignificance.
Peu à peu vers la face cachée
The singer is slowly approaching the hidden, unknown side of reality.
De la nuit
This hidden side may be a symbol of death or the unknown beyond life.
Vers l'autre monde
The artist is approaching a new reality or dimension beyond this world.
Dans le dernier taxi
The singer is on a final journey or transition to a new stage of life.
Les infos grondent
The news or events of the world are loud and overwhelming.
Et le temps s'obscurcit
The future is uncertain and darkens or becomes more ominous.
Exigeons l'immortalité
The artist reiterates their longing for immortality.
Et refusons de retourner
The artist again refuses to return to anonymity or insignificance.
Peu à peu vers la face cachée
The singer's approach to the unknown and hidden becomes more gradual and inevitable.
De la nuit
The unknown and hidden may represent a greater reality beyond this world or death.
Exigeons l'immortalité
The singer's longing for immortality is repeated once more.
Et refusons de retourner
The singer refuses to go back to a state of insignificance and anonymity.
Peu à peu vers la face cachée
The singer's approach to the unknown and hidden becomes more gradual and inevitable.
De la nuit
The unknown and hidden may represent a greater reality beyond this world or death.
Contributed by Nora H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.