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
In My Tea
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look at a mirror
In my tea
Watching it in my cup
Change a little my make-up
In my tea
Moving reds and pinks
Fun factory of lipsticks
And this green, it's too much
Turning off my dark blush
I can change the weather
I make a thunder
In my tea
Any place for my hair?
Yes, only in the air
There's not so much place
I get a strange face
But there's no wrong or right
It's a question of lights
Watching through the door
Wanna get some more
With my tea
My mother is coming with my father
They're laughing in my tea
Oh, they're looking so sweet
I drink them
With a strong beat
Oh, in my tea
Drink my tea
And watch over the sea
The lyrics of Les Rita Mitsouko's song "In My Tea" convey a sense of playful introspection and self-expression. The singer seems to be observing herself through a mirror and a cup of tea, experimenting with the colors and tones of her makeup, and even imagining a thunderstorm to change the weather. The tea becomes a metaphor for the singer's mind and creative process, where different elements and ideas blend together, and where she can find a sense of control and power.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of nostalgia and family ties. The singer mentions her mother and father laughing in her tea, and even drinks them with a strong beat. This could be interpreted as a way of honoring her roots and heritage, or as a way of coping with their absence or memory. The tea becomes a symbol of continuity and connection, linking past and present, inner and outer worlds.
Overall, the lyrics of "In My Tea" are rich in imagery, symbolism, and irony, and invite a range of interpretations and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching through the door
Peeking through the door with curiosity
Look at a mirror
Glimpse at a reflection
In my tea
Looking at the tea
Watching it in my cup
Examining the little details inside the cup
Change a little my make-up
Adjusting some facial features slightly
Moving reds and pinks
Mixing different colors in the makeup
Fun factory of lipsticks
Having fun playing around with lipsticks
And this green, it's too much
This green color is overwhelming
Turning off my dark blush
Removing dark shades of makeup from the face
I can change the weather
I have control over the environment
I make a thunder
I have the power to create noise
Any place for my hair?
Is there enough space for my hair?
Yes, only in the air
Yes, only in the surrounding air
There's not so much place
There is not much space available
I get a strange face
The reflection looks unfamiliar
But there's no wrong or right
There is no definite answer
It's a question of lights
It depends on the lighting conditions
Wanna get some more
Wanting to see more
My mother is coming with my father
The mother and father are in the tea
They're laughing in my tea
They appear to be in a joyous mood
Oh, they're looking so sweet
They look adorable
I drink them
Drinking the tea
With a strong beat
In the rhythm of a strong beat
Oh, in my tea
In the tea
Drink my tea
Drinking the tea
And watch over the sea
Observing the sea while drinking tea
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Madame HaDomAdam
Intemporel esprit surréaliste, dans la musique comme dans les textes <3
Chichin/Ringer for ever !!
JakeUK
I love this song and have for years 👍
Domenico Cova
Beautiful !!!
Nice Memories !!
Buscando A Leo
Sans Toit Ni Loi <3
Nicolas Robin
Ce tube c'était dans les années 1984