Les Rita Mitsouko is a French pop rock group formed in 1979 led by guitaris… Read Full Bio ↴Les Rita Mitsouko is a French pop rock group formed in 1979 led by guitarist Fred Chichin and singer Catherine Ringer known for their live performances. The husband and wife duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1980's in France.

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

L'Ami Ennemi
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

De l'avenue Trudaine
Aux grands boulevards
Passant par Barbès Rochechouart
L'après-midi
Allant sans but précis

On s'est retrouvé
Juste nez à nez

Comme par hasard
Mon vieil ennemi
Ami de mes nuits
De mes brouillards

Ses quelques paroles
Et son regard
Direct une impression bizarre
Le temps s'enfuit
Les faux amis aussi

C'était comme plonger
Au fond du passé
Comme par hasard mon vieil ennemi
Ami de mes nuits
De mes brouillards

J'ai tourné les pieds
D'un autre côté
Comme par hasard
Mon vieil ennemi

Ami de mes nuits
De mes brouillards

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Les Rita Mitsouko's song L'Ami Ennemi describe a chance encounter between the singer and their old enemy, who has now become a friend of their nights and fogs. The song details their aimless afternoon walk through the streets of Paris, passing through different locations such as Trudaine Avenue, Grand Boulevards, Barbès, and Rochechouart. They both see each other "just as if by coincidence," which leads to a conversation between them. As they talk, the singer is struck by how direct their old enemy's words and stare are, which creates some strange feeling within them.

As they recall memories of their past, the singer feels like they have been transported back to another time, plunging deep into the past, and experiencing all those old feelings again. In the end, the singer is torn between turning their feet and leaving or facing their old enemy as they feel an odd sense of connection to him. Overall, the song speaks about nostalgia, reminiscence of the past, and how the past and present collide in unexpected ways.

Line by Line Meaning

De l'avenue Trudaine
From Trudaine Avenue

Aux grands boulevards
To the grand boulevards

Passant par Barbès Rochechouart
Passing through Barbès Rochechouart

L'après-midi
In the afternoon

Allant sans but précis
Going without a specific purpose

On s'est retrouvé
We found ourselves

Juste nez à nez
Just face to face

Comme par hasard
As luck would have it

Mon vieil ennemi
My old enemy

Ami de mes nuits
Friend of my nights

De mes brouillards
Of my fogs