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
Compartiment C voiture 293 Edward Hooper 1938
Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
si proche à la fois
dans l'ordre incertain
d'un silence bourgeois
voyageuse solitaire
entourée de mystère
les pages que tu lis
nous cachent ton regard
te cachent-elles aussi
qu'une guerre se prépare
voyageuse solitaire
entourée de mystère
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
quelque amant
qui chercherait à briser ton silence
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
quelque enfant
qui volerait ton indépendance
ton compartiment
reflète sans passion
ton comportement
de femme de salon
voyageuse solitaire
entourée de mystère
le soleil couchant
joue avec l'horizon
& tes sentiments
se cherchent une raison
voyageuse solitaire
entourée de mystère
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
quelque amant
qui chercherait à briser ton silence
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
des serments
prononcés lors d'une dernière danse
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
quelque amant
qui chercherait à briser ton silence
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train
quelque enfant
qui volerait ton indépendance
The lyrics of Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine's "Compartiment C voiture 293 Edward Hooper 1938" paint a vivid image of a mysterious and enigmatic woman traveling alone on a train. The singer observes her from a distance, noting the juxtaposition of her seeming distance and closeness at the same time. She exudes an air of uncertainty and secrecy, surrounded by an aura of mystery. Her solitude and the uncertain order of silence in a bourgeois setting create an intriguing and captivating atmosphere.
As the woman reads her book, her eyes remain hidden, adding to the veil of secrecy that shrouds her intentions. The lyrics suggest that the pages she is engrossed in may be concealing her true thoughts and emotions, perhaps even masking the looming threat of war. The ambiguity surrounding her actions and motives accentuates her solitary and mysterious presence on the train.
The singer speculates on the woman's reasons for fleeing on the train, questioning whether she is escaping from a lover trying to break her silence or a child seeking to encroach upon her independence. Her compartment mirrors her detached demeanor, reflecting a lack of passion or emotional engagement. Despite her outward appearance as a refined salon woman, her enigmatic aura suggests a deeper complexity and inner turmoil.
The imagery of the setting sun playing with the horizon mirrors the woman's own inner conflict and search for meaning amidst her inner turmoil. The lyrics hint at unresolved feelings and emotions swirling within her, as she grapples with finding purpose and understanding in her journey. The repeated question of whether she is fleeing from a lover or a child underscores the theme of independence and self-discovery in the face of external pressures and expectations.
Overall, the lyrics of "Compartiment C voiture 293 Edward Hooper 1938" offer a poignant and thought-provoking portrayal of a woman navigating through a labyrinth of emotions and uncertainties while traveling on a train. The song captures the essence of solitude, mystery, and inner conflict, inviting listeners to ponder the complexities of human nature and the elusive nature of personal motivations and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
tu sembles si loin
You appear so distant
si proche à la fois
yet so close at the same time
dans l'ordre incertain
in the uncertain order
d'un silence bourgeois
of a bourgeois silence
voyageuse solitaire
solitary traveler
entourée de mystère
surrounded by mystery
les pages que tu lis
the pages that you read
nous cachent ton regard
hide your gaze from us
te cachent-elles aussi
do they also hide
qu'une guerre se prépare
that a war is brewing
est-ce que tu fuis dans ce train quelque amant
are you fleeing in this train from a lover
qui chercherait à briser ton silence
trying to break your silence
quelque enfant
some child
qui volerait ton indépendance
who would steal your independence
ton compartiment
your compartment
reflète sans passion
reflects without passion
ton comportement
your behavior
de femme de salon
of a lady of the salon
le soleil couchant
the setting sun
joue avec l'horizon
plays with the horizon
& tes sentiments
and your feelings
se cherchent une raison
search for a reason
des serments
oaths
prononcés lors d'une dernière danse
uttered during a last dance
Lyrics © LILITH EROTICA
Written by: Robert BRIOT, Hubert-Félix THIEFAINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christophe Noue
Thiéfaine fonctionne comme ce peintres, beaucoup de mystères dans leurs oeuvres. Le peintre, son outil est le pinceau. Thiéfaine utilise et joue des mots. Il est d ailleurs maître en la matière ! Je suis un inconditionnel de son oeuvre !
chant.tonnant
Hopper, c'était du pain béni pour lui, ces espaces infiniment mélancoliques, cette paix, cette solitude. Très fort, encore et encore.
Fn Nfnfn
Higelin
LOUISIANE
la peinture et la musique, magnifique duo.....
Reynald HFT
Belle chanson, les mystères de la solitude ⭐
Martin TheGhost
J'adore !!!!!!
Dominique Léonard
magnifique....
sweet amanite
comment faire d'une peinture une des plus belles chansons du monde
Gabriel Montigny
je veut bien une crème qui donne la sensation d'être dans l'eau comme un poisson je veut bien une troisième paire de dents
NGC 6302
Est ce que tu fuis dans ce train les serments prononcés lors d'une dernière danse ?