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
Minuit Dansant
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Midnite dancing chacun tape des mains
Midnite dancing on se sourit
Cause it's midnite
Cause it's... midnite
Cause... it's midnite!
Midnite dancing les gens... les gens discutent...
Midnite dancing on attend...
Cause it's midnite
Cause it's... midnite
Cause... it's midnite!
Il est minuit
Il est... minuit
Il est minuit!
Midnite dancing chacun s'observe
Midnite dancing tout le monde... tout le monde rigole
Midnite dancing les gens dansent
Cause it's midnite dansent
Cause it's midnite dansent
Cause... it's midnite! il est minuit!
Midnite dancing, midnight dance...
The lyrics to Les Rita Mitsouko's song "Minuit Dansant" describe the atmosphere and energy of a late night party or club scene. The repetition of "midnite dancing" and "cause it's midnite" create a catchy and insistent rhythm, emphasizing the excitement of the moment. The song paints a picture of people drinking, talking, observing each other, and dancing. The lines "Midnite dancing tout le monde... tout le monde rigole" suggest a sense of communal joy, where everyone is laughing and enjoying themselves together.
The use of "minuit" (midnight) adds a sense of darkness and mystery to the scene, as the night is at its darkest and people are free to let loose and be themselves. The repetition of "il est minuit" at the end emphasizes the finality of the moment, as if time has stopped and everyone is caught up in the magic of the night. Overall, the lyrics celebrate the joy and freedom of letting loose at a late night party, and the communal spirit of shared laughter and dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnite dancing oh! tout le monde danse!
Everyone dances while it's midnight and the atmosphere is festive.
Midnite dancing chacun tape des mains
Everyone claps their hands while dancing at midnight.
Midnite dancing on se sourit
People smile at each other while dancing at midnight.
Cause it's midnite
The reason for the dancing and excitement is solely because it is midnight.
Cause it's... midnite
The reason for the current festivities is because of the current time, midnight.
Cause... it's midnite!
The reason for the joyful dance party is due to the fact that it is midnight!
Midnite dancing les gens boivent...
As people dance at midnight, they also drink and socialize.
Midnite dancing les gens... les gens discutent...
People discuss and talk to each other while dancing at midnight.
Midnite dancing on attend...
While dancing at midnight, people wait for something to happen or for someone to arrive.
Il est minuit
The time is currently midnight.
Il est... minuit
The current time is precisely midnight.
Il est minuit!
It is currently midnight!
Midnite dancing chacun s'observe
People observe and watch each other while dancing at midnight.
Midnite dancing tout le monde... tout le monde rigole
Everyone laughs and has a good time while dancing at midnight.
Midnite dancing les gens dansent
People dance while it is midnight and the party is in full swing.
Cause it's midnite dansent
The dancing that is happening currently can be attributed to the fact that it is midnight.
Cause it's midnite dansent
The ongoing dance party is because of the current time, midnight.
Cause... it's midnite! il est minuit!
The reason behind the joyful dancing is the fact that the clock has struck midnight!
Midnite dancing, midnight dance...
The music and festivities currently happening are associated with the time of midnight.
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zunino Pascal
l'un des premiers single des rita mitsouko sorti en 1982 qui n'a pas eu un gros succés
IttsEnzo Alati
Oui c’est vrai