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
Photographie tendresse
Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taxiphone-de-l'attente-souvenir-coma
Trauma-de-vieillard-géranium-camé
Baisers-Tranxène-coagulés-sur-miroir
Hygiaphone-TV-lunettes-noires-pyjama-rayé
Wo ist das Blut ?
Ich habe Durst ...
The above lyrics from Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine's song Photographie tendresse paint a vivid and surrealistic picture of a person's experience in a state of disorientation and trauma. The use of imagery such as "Cheveux-tilleuls-écartelés-sur-visage" (tilia flower hair spread out on a face) and "Trauma-de-vieillard-géranium-camé" (geranium-shaped trauma of an old man) create an atmosphere of confusion and discomfort. Similarly, the line "Taxiphone-de-l'attente-souvenir-coma" (payphone of waiting souvenir coma) suggests a waiting period in which the person has been left alone with their thoughts, memories, and perhaps a sense of detachment from reality.
The line "Baisers-Tranxène-coagulés-sur-miroir" (kisses and Tranxene coagulated on a mirror) highlights the use of medication or substances to cope with the trauma or the overwhelming emotions. The reference to "Hygiaphone-TV-lunettes-noires-pyjama-rayé" (hygienic screen, TV, black glasses, and striped pajamas) further adds to the unsettling and surrealistic tone of the song. The lines "Wo ist das Blut? Ich habe Durst..." (Where is the blood? I am thirsty...) perhaps suggest an underlying violence or an inner turmoil that has caused the trauma.
Line by Line Meaning
Cheveux-tilleuls-écartelés-sur-visage
Linden tree hair dissecting his face
Taxiphone-de-l'attente-souvenir-coma
Payphone of nostalgia in a comatose wait
Trauma-de-vieillard-géranium-camé
Elderly trauma, white geraniums, and camphor
Baisers-Tranxène-coagulés-sur-miroir
Tranxene-laced kisses coagulated on a mirror
Hygiaphone-TV-lunettes-noires-pyjama-rayé
Hygiene phone, TV, black glasses, striped pajamas
Wo ist das Blut ?
Where is the blood?
Ich habe Durst ...
I am thirsty...
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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