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
She's A Cameleon
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of colour, soul and sound
The girl she was when she was young
Is nowhere to be found
Every time she ever loved
And every time she ever sinned
They're nothing but reflexions
Of the people she's been
She has worn a hundred masks
She'll wear a hundred more
Many days she's got to ask
What she does it for
Call her a chameleon
Call her what you choose
Even a rose can get the blues
She is nowhere
She longs for home
The other night she had a dream
Her innocence and light
Were taken from her long ago
But it showed her how to fight
Hey you two dimensional
Running from your hopes
You tell yourself it means that you are free
She is a kaleidoscope
Of colour, soul and sound
The girl she was when she was young
Is nowhere to be found
Call her a cameleon
Call her what you choose
Even a rose can get the blues
She is nowhere
She longs for home
In "She's A Cameleon," Les Rita Mitsouko sings about a woman who has evolved and changed with time, involving various reflections of the people she's been with, loved, or sinned. The lyrics indicate that the girl she was when she was young is nowhere to be found. The woman wears her masks every single day, but she's not sure about the reason and purpose behind it, which leads her to question why she does it. The song's title "She's A Cameleon" means the woman can adapt and change to her surroundings just like a chameleon. Even though she is perceived as someone who is free, according to the song, she is running away from her hopes and dreams.
It is evident from the song that the woman yearns for her past or home, as she is lost in her kaleidoscope of colours, soul, and sound. The lyrics "even a rose can get the blues" suggest that even the most beautiful and seemingly flawless things can face challenges and emotional struggles. In contrast, the woman's dream awakens her, making her realise that her innocence and light were taken from her a long time ago. But the dream teaches her to fight back.
Line by Line Meaning
She is a kaleidoscope
She is a complex, fascinating, and ever-changing person, just like the constantly shifting images in a kaleidoscope.
Of colour, soul and sound
Her appearance, personality, and voice are all unique and vibrant.
The girl she was when she was young
Her childhood self, with all its innocence and simplicity, is a distant memory.
Is nowhere to be found
She has evolved and changed so much over time that her past self is unrecognizable.
Every time she ever loved
Her past romances and relationships are all reflected in who she is today.
And every time she ever sinned
Her past mistakes and regrets have all played a part in shaping her into who she is now.
They're nothing but reflexions
Her past experiences are like mirrors, reflecting back to her the person she has become.
Of the people she's been
Her personal history is made up of all the different people she has been at various points in her life.
She has worn a hundred masks
She has put on many different personas and played many different roles depending on the situation she is in.
She'll wear a hundred more
She is always adapting and changing, and will continue to do so in the future.
Many days she's got to ask
Sometimes she questions her own motives and wonders why she does the things she does.
What she does it for
She wonders what drives her to keep changing and taking on new personas.
Call her a chameleon
She is like a chameleon, able to blend in and adapt to any environment or situation.
Call her what you choose
Others may label her in different ways based on their perceptions of her, but she remains true to herself.
Even a rose can get the blues
Even someone as beautiful and strong as she is can still experience sadness or depression.
She is nowhere
She feels lost and disconnected, unsure of where she truly belongs.
She longs for home
She yearns for a sense of belonging and emotional security that she has yet to find.
The other night she had a dream
She recently had a meaningful dream that left a powerful impression on her.
Her innocence and light
The dream showed her how she used to be full of purity, goodness, and positivity.
Were taken from her long ago
Something happened in her past that robbed her of these qualities and left her feeling lost and disconnected.
But it showed her how to fight
However, the dream also gave her a path forward and showed her how to overcome these challenges.
Hey you two dimensional
She is addressing someone who is shallow and lacking in depth, compared to herself and others like her.
Running from your hopes
This person is afraid of pursuing their dreams or taking any risks in life.
You tell yourself it means that you are free
This person is trying to convince themselves that their inaction and lack of ambition is actually a form of freedom or liberation.
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.