Despite receiving a lukewarm reception in France, they have become one of the most successful French-language musical groups in the U.S. Apart from their two albums, they have also made appearances on songs by the Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli, and Yerba Buena.
Website: http://www.lesnubians.org/
September: Third Album "Nü Revolution" is released!
An unconventional female duo that came out of Bordeaux, France, in the 1990s, Les Nubians offered a jazzy, sophisticated style of R&B that combined French lyrics with the influence of Sade, Soul II Soul, hip-hop, and African pop. The duo consists of sisters Helene and Celia Faussart, who were born in France to a French father and a Cameroonian mother. After living in France as children, the siblings moved with their parents to the African country of Chad in 1985, when Helene (born 1975) was ten and Celia (born 1979) was six. The sisters lived in Chad for seven years before returning to France as teenagers. Helene and Celia had been singing most of their lives, and when they first formed Les Nubians, they were an a cappella group that specialized in covers of R&B, reggae, and African songs. Eventually, they started working with bands and performing original material. Helene and Celia absorbed a variety of music along the way, and they have expressed admiration for artists ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Abbey Lincoln to the Fugees and African icons Miriam Makeba and Fela Kuti. Their promising debut album, Princesses Nubiennes, was released by Virgin worldwide in France, Switzerland, and Belgium in June 1998 before coming out on Omtown/Higher Octave in the U.S. in September of that year. It became America's most successful French-language album in more than a decade, and Les Nubians also graced recordings by Talib Kweli and Black Eyed Peas, as well as a Red Hot tribute to Fela Kuti, Red, Hot & Riot. Sessions for their second album brought the pair to Jamaica, Cameroon, London, and Paris, including a host of intriguing collaborators: top underground rapper Talib Kweli, fellow Cameroonian Manu Dibango, pianist Ray Lema, and broken-beat maestro IG Culture. The results appeared as One Step Forward, released in March 2003 by Higher Octave. In 2004, they recorded the track "Going All the Way" featuring reggae star Beres Hammond for UNITY: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games album. In 2005, Les Nubians issued Nubians Present Echoes, Chapter One, a collection of spoken word pieces by poets and hip-hop artists from the U.S., France, and Africa. The duo also covered "With or Without You," for inclusion on the compilation In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, in 2008. Les Nubians finally re-entered the recording studio in 2010, emerging with the EP Nü Revolution Nubiatic in the latter part of the year and the full-length, Nü Revolution in the spring of 2011. ~ Alex Henderson and Thom Jurek, Rovi
Demain
Les Nubians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'il t'appartient
C'est ta chose, tu en disposes
Sans qu'il n'en reste rien
Avide et gourmand, tu prends
Peu importe demain.
Demain?
S'il reste un lendemain
Demain, demain, demain
Si il reste un lendemain
Demain, demain, demain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens
Demain, demain, demain
Que voleras-tu demain?
Demain, demain, demain
La paix des miens.
Elle pleure
L'aurais-tu caressée un peu trop fort?
Ou bien l'as-tu encore battue à mort?
Tu es trop faible pour souffrir
Trop lâche pour en finir
Disant "J'arrête demain..."
Demain?
S'il reste un lendemain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens.
Demain, demain, demain
Si il reste un lendemain
Demain, demain, demain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens
Demain, demain, demain
Que voleras-tu demain?
Demain, demain, demain
La paix des miens.
Demain, demain, demain
Je rêve d'autres lendemains
Demain, demain, demain
La paix pour le monde et les miens
This song, titled "Demain" by Les Nubians, expresses a powerful message about greed, oppression, and the importance of peace in our lives. The lyrics tell a narrative of a person who believes that the world and its resources are theirs to take and use as they please, regardless of the consequences. This person is described as "avid and gourmand," taking what they want without any regard for the future. The singer speaks of wanting a peaceful tomorrow for themselves and their loved ones, but the actions of this selfish person threaten that peace.
In the second verse, the singer addresses a woman who is crying. It is unclear whether this woman is a metaphor for someone or something else, but the idea is that she is being mistreated. The person causing her harm is described as weak and cowardly, and they say they will stop tomorrow, but the question remains whether there will be a tomorrow for her.
The repeated phrase "demain, demain, demain" adds urgency to the message of the song, emphasizing the need for change and action now in order to ensure a peaceful tomorrow. Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the dangers of greed and violence, and the importance of working towards a peaceful future.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu crois que le monde est à toi
Qu'il t'appartient
C'est ta chose, tu en disposes
Sans qu'il n'en reste rien
Avide et gourmand, tu prends
Peu importe demain.
You believe the world is yours
That it belongs to you
You own it, you dispose of it
Without anything remaining
Greedy and selfish, you take
Regardless of tomorrow.
Demain?
S'il reste un lendemain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens.
Tomorrow?
If there is a tomorrow
I want it to be peaceful for my loved ones.
Elle pleure
L'aurais-tu caressée un peu trop fort?
Ou bien l'as-tu encore battue à mort?
Tu es trop faible pour souffrir
Trop lâche pour en finir
Disant "J'arrête demain..."
Demain?
S'il reste un lendemain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens.
She cries
Did you caress her too hard?
Or did you beat her to death again?
You are too weak to suffer
Too cowardly to end it
Saying "I'll stop tomorrow..."
Tomorrow?
If there is a tomorrow
I want it to be peaceful for my loved ones.
Demain, demain, demain
Si il reste un lendemain
Demain, demain, demain
Je le veux en paix pour les miens
Demain, demain, demain
Que voleras-tu demain?
Demain, demain, demain
La paix des miens.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
If there is a tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
I want it to be peaceful for my loved ones
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
What will you steal tomorrow?
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
The peace of my loved ones.
Demain, demain, demain
Je rêve d'autres lendemains
Demain, demain, demain
La paix pour le monde et les miens
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
I dream of other tomorrows
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Peace for the world and my loved ones.
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Juliana V.
You believe the world is yours
Tu crois que le monde est à toi
That it belongs to you
Qu'il t'appartient
It's your thing, you dispose of it
C'est ta chose, tu en disposes
Without anything left
Sans qu'il n'en reste rien
Greedy and greedy, you take
Avide et gourmand, tu prends
It doesn't matter tomorrow.
Peu importe demain.
Tomorrow?
Demain?
If there is a tomorrow
S'il reste un lendemain
I want it in peace for mine.
Je le veux en paix pour les miens.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
If there is a tomorrow
Si il reste un lendemain
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
I want it in peace for mine
Je le veux en paix pour les miens
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
What will you steal tomorrow?
Que voleras-tu demain?
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
Peace of mine.
La paix des miens.
She's crying
Elle pleure
Would you have caressed her a little too hard?
L'aurais-tu caressée un peu trop fort?
Or did you beat her to death again?
Ou bien l'as-tu encore battue à mort?
You are too weak to suffer
Tu es trop faible pour souffrir
Too cowardly to finish
Trop lâche pour en finir
Saying "I'm going to stop tomorrow ..."
Disant "J'arrête demain..."
Tomorrow?
Demain?
If there is a tomorrow
S'il reste un lendemain
I want it in peace for mine.
Je le veux en paix pour les miens.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
If there is a tomorrow
Si il reste un lendemain
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
I want it in peace for mine
Je le veux en paix pour les miens
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
What will you steal tomorrow?
Que voleras-tu demain?
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
Peace of mine.
La paix des miens.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
I dream of other tomorrows
Je rêve d'autres lendemains
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
Demain, demain, demain
Peace for the world and mine
La paix pour le monde et les miens
Source: Musixmatch
Comanche980
I fell in love with Les Nubians when I heard Princesses Nubiennes. I still listen to their CD.
Lettie Bettie
wow!!!!!!! This brings back memories!!!!!!! I got Les Nubians as soon as I first heard them. I must get the album again.
Danna McQueen
Lettie Bettie 💋💋💋
carnel yve
Love the nubians.... I started learning french after listening to them, because I wanted to know what they are saying.
OAK 🎶 Underground
After 20+ years I’m just learning what they are saying. Felt the soul but am blown away by the powerful lyrics 🤯😍
ryan lamar
Great Job
KingRay Benz Gibson
Love you ladies! Saw you in concert in ATL and you were amazing story tellers ... as well as singers. Would love to see you perform again, and I don't care if you say the exact same things or sing the same songs! LOL You wouldn't believe how I was introduced to your music in 2000 ... right when you were blowing up the scene!
DOUGLAS GILLARD
I saw them in 2003 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas and it is still one of the best concerts I have seen. It was as good as the Weather Report concert I saw in 1977 in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the Rogues Gallery.
Alex Shi
how old r u?
DOUGLAS GILLARD
I turned 60 in January. I think my left knee jumped to 80 however.