She released her first EP in 2006 and her debut album, Izia, was released in June 2009, reaching #31 on the French charts. She has recorded several appearances in French film productions such as Saint-Amour, Samba and Mune: The Keeper of the Moon.
Izïa was born in Paris on 24 September 1990. She is the daughter of Jacques Higelin, a famous French singer-songwriter, and Aziza Zakine, a dancer and chorus girl of Tunisian descent. At an early age she began to show an interest in British pop music. At the age of thirteen she became a fan of rock bands such as Nirvana and Led Zeppelin. By then she had already written her first song, "Hey Bitch", which was included years later on her first album.
A year later he met bassist Antoine Toustou and gave his first live performance in 2004. Six months later she managed to consolidate a more stable line-up. She dropped out of school at the age of fifteen to develop her musical career to the full.
In 2006, Izïa released her first EP and the following year she was already sharing the stage with Iggy & the Stooges at the Printemps de Bourges music festival. She then embarked on a tour of France, performing on nearly thirty stages. On 8 June 2009, his eponymous debut album was released in his home country. In some reviews, the sound of the album was compared to that of Janis Joplin.
Sous les pavés
Izïa Lyrics
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Les envolées sauvages et les nuits éblouissantes?
Je sais, c'est trop facile de dire que c'était mieux avant
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
Et plus les années passent, plus y a tout qui part en couille
Où sont les derniers fous au milieu de la foule?
Mais faut pas qu'j'désespère, non, il reste des choses à faire
Y a tout qui reste à faire
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
S'étend plus loin que l'horizon
J'avance sans savoir ce qui m'attend
Sous les pavés, la plage, sur le sable, je m'étends
Je veux revoir la mer plus bleue que bleue
Sans jamais se dire "adieu"
Où est passée la vraie envie de tout casser?
La liberté au poing, le cœur à deux doigts d'imploser?
Unis dans un même souffle, prêts à tout recommencer
J'ai peur de perdre la main face à ton besoin d'exister
On voit la fin du monde passer sur des photos
On va tous y rester alors autant que ce soit beau
Mais faut pas qu'j'désespère, non, il reste des choses à faire
Y a tout qui reste à faire
(Y a tout qui reste à faire)
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
S'étend plus loin que l'horizon
J'avance sans savoir ce qui m'attend
Sous les pavés, la plage, sur le sable, je m'étends
Je veux revoir la mer plus bleue que bleue
Sans jamais se dire, oh, sans jamais se dire
Sans jamais se dire "adieu"
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
S'étend plus loin que l'horizon
J'avance sans savoir ce qui m'attend
Sous les pavés, la plage, sur le sable, je m'étends
Je veux revoir la mer plus bleue que bleue
Sans jamais se dire, sans jamais se dire
Sans jamais se dire "adieu"
Izïa's song "Sous les pavés" is a nostalgic, reflective piece that poses the question of where the true desire to be alive has gone. The opening line, "Où est passé le vrai désir d'être vivant?", laments the lack of the wild excitement and dazzling nights that may have once defined life. While it may be easy to say that things were better in the past, the song acknowledges that time has passed and now there is cement where there used to be sand, and more things seem to be falling apart as the years go on.
Amidst this sense of loss, the song finds hope in the idea that there are still things to be done, "il reste des choses à faire." The lyrics imply that perhaps it's time to channel that desire to break things down into creating something new - a more beautiful end to the world that is inevitably coming. The imagery of "Sous les pavés, la plage" (under the pavement, the beach) is a nod to the May 1968 protests in Paris, where this graffiti was commonly painted as a symbol of a desire for a better world underneath the oppressive society already in place. The repetition of the phrase reinforces the idea that there is always something more hidden beneath the surface.
The song ultimately concludes with the desire to see the sea "plus bleue que bleue" again without ever having to say goodbye. The nostalgia for something that has been lost is undeniable, but the song's focus on the future and remaining possibilities suggests that the desire for something "vrai" (true) and alive will always be present.
Line by Line Meaning
Où est passé le vrai désir d'être vivant?
Where has the true desire to be alive gone?
Les envolées sauvages et les nuits éblouissantes?
The wild flights and dazzling nights?
Je sais, c'est trop facile de dire que c'était mieux avant
I know, it's too easy to say it was better before
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
Under the pavement, the beach, under the sand, the cement
Et plus les années passent, plus y a tout qui part en couille
And the more years pass, the more everything falls apart
Où sont les derniers fous au milieu de la foule?
Where are the last crazies in the middle of the crowd?
Mais faut pas qu'j'désespère, non, il reste des choses à faire
But I must not despair, no, there are still things to do
Y a tout qui reste à faire
There is everything left to do
S'étend plus loin que l'horizon
Extends farther than the horizon
J'avance sans savoir ce qui m'attend
I move forward without knowing what awaits me
Je veux revoir la mer plus bleue que bleue
I want to see the sea bluer than blue again
Sans jamais se dire "adieu"
Without ever saying goodbye
Où est passée la vraie envie de tout casser?
Where has the true desire to break everything gone?
La liberté au poing, le cœur à deux doigts d'imploser?
Freedom in hand, heart about to burst?
Unis dans un même souffle, prêts à tout recommencer
United in the same breath, ready to start over
J'ai peur de perdre la main face à ton besoin d'exister
I'm afraid of losing control in the face of your need to exist
On voit la fin du monde passer sur des photos
We see the end of the world passing by in photos
On va tous y rester alors autant que ce soit beau
We're all going to stay there, so it might as well be beautiful
Sous les pavés, la plage, sous le sable, le ciment
Under the pavement, the beach, under the sand, the cement
Je veux revoir la mer plus bleue que bleue
I want to see the sea bluer than blue again
Sans jamais se dire, oh, sans jamais se dire
Without ever saying, oh, without ever saying
Sous les pavés, la plage, sur le sable, je m'étends
Under the pavement, the beach, on the sand, I lay
Sans jamais se dire "adieu"
Without ever saying goodbye
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Izia Higelin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind