They began performing in the early 1980's in alternative spaces such as the Pali-Kao, a squatted factory building in Belleville, Paris. Their first hit single was Marcia Baila off the Rita Mitsouko album, a song about the Argentinian choreographer and dancer Marcia Moretto who had died of cancer in 1981 and with whom they had performed on several occasions. This album was creative and eccentric (produced by Conny Plank, sound engineer and producer of Neu! and Kraftwerk) combining elements of punk, rock, cold electro pop and jazz, and coupled with their colorful, wild, over-the-top image caught the interest of some important anglophone listeners.
American record producer and musician Tony Visconti produced the following two albums, The No Comprendo and Marc et Robert, while polishing and perfecting their sound. The American band Sparks collaborated with them on the latter record and Russell Mael sings lead vocals with Ringer on three tracks, Singing in the Shower, Live in Las Vegas and Hip Kit. These two albums feature both French and English lyrics. The most successful singles were C'est comme ça and Andy.
Jean-Baptiste Mondino directed most of their music videos in the 1980's and Jean-Luc Godard filmed a short documentary Soigne ta droite about the group during the recording of The No Comprendo in 1986.
On Wednesday November 28th 2007, Fred Chichin died from cancer while the band had just cancelled their previous concert dates in Paris. He was only diagnosed with the disease two months before.
Mais c'est la mort qui t'a assassinée, Marcia
C'est la mort qui t'a consumée, Marcia
C"est le cancer que tu as pris sous ton bras
Maintenant, tu es en cendres, cendres
La mort, c'est comme une chose impossible
Et même à toi, qui est la vie même, Marcia
Et même à toi qui est forte comme une fusée
C'est la mort qui t'a emmenée
Amnésie
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lorsque je mens, non
Personne n'entend
Mon sentiment
Ma robe est décolletée
Mon col est enlevé
Les couleurs sont trépassées
J'ai tout oublié
Tout oublié
Personne ne sait
Ce que j'ai fait, non
Personne ne sait
Ce que j'étais
Ma mère a disparu
Au coin d'une rue
Mon père s'en est allé
D'un autre côté
Et personne ne sait
Non, personne ne sait
Ne sait ce que j'ai fait
Non, non, non, non, non
Personne ne sent
Lorsque je mens
Personne ne sait
Mon imparfait
J'ai tout oublié
Tout oublié
In Les Rita Mitsouko's song Amnésie, the lyrics talk about the inability to remember things and to be truthful, even with one's own self. The first stanza says that no one can tell when the singer is lying or keep track of their emotions. The singer's appearance is described as disheveled and in a state of neglect. Their clothing is described as having a low neckline and missing a collar, while the colors have faded. All this signifies a feeling of confusion and disorientation, so much so that the singer claims to have forgotten everything.
The second stanza talks about a broken family. The singer's mother disappeared at the corner of the street, while their father left the other way. The repetition of "personne ne sait" or "no one knows" emphasizes the sense of solitude, as if no one cares about the singer's life. The refrain mentions that no one can tell when the singer lies, and they have forgotten everything. The word "amnésie" means amnesia, which implies a loss of memory, but it can also mean forgetfulness or selective memory.
The overall mood of the song is one of sadness, confusion, and loneliness. The music's mix of pop and rock balances the gloom of the lyrics, and the combination works magnificently. The song is a commentary on how the past can shape one's present and future, and how one can become lost in the present, unable to recollect the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Personne ne sent
Nobody can sense
Lorsque je mens, non
When I am lying
Personne n'entend
Nobody can hear
Mon sentiment
My feelings
Ma robe est décolletée
My dress is revealing
Mon col est enlevé
My collar is off
Les couleurs sont trépassées
The colors have faded
J'ai tout oublié
I have forgotten everything
Tout oublié
I have forgotten everything
Personne ne sait
Nobody knows
Ce que j'ai fait, non
What I have done
Ce que j'étais
What I used to be
Ma mère a disparu
My mother disappeared
Au coin d'une rue
At the corner of a street
Mon père s'en est allé
My father has gone away
D'un autre côté
To the other side
Non, personne ne sait
No, nobody knows
Ne sait ce que j'ai fait
What I have done
Personne ne sent
Nobody can sense
Mon sentiment
My feelings
Mon imparfait
My imperfection
J'ai tout oublié
I have forgotten everything
Tout oublié
I have forgotten everything
Contributed by Taylor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RoisinElektra
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