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 Chameleon
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
The song She's A Chameleon by Les Rita Mitsouko is a musical portrait of a woman who has lived many lives and worn many masks. The lyrics portray her as a kaleidoscope, ever-changing and full of color, soul, and sound. The girl she once was is nowhere to be found, and her past loves and sins are only reflections of the many people she has been. The song speaks to the idea of identity, how it is fluid and always in motion, and how we are shaped by our experiences.
The woman in the song is described as a chameleon who has worn a hundred masks and will wear a hundred more. She is constantly questioning what she does it all for and longs to feel at home. The song acknowledges that even something as beautiful as a rose can get the blues, and that no matter how many masks she wears, she is still searching for her true identity. The other night she had a dream that showed her how to fight and reminded her of the innocence and light that were taken from her long ago.
The lyrics are full of metaphors and vivid imagery that create a picture of a woman who is complex and layered. The song speaks to the human experience of trying to find oneself in a world that is constantly changing. Ultimately, the message of the song is one of hope, that even in the midst of uncertainty and change, we can still find our way home.
Line by Line Meaning
She is a kaleidoscope
She possesses a wide range of colours, emotions and noises
Of colour, soul and sound
Her kaleidoscope consists of a mix of vibrant hues, profound personality and various sounds
The girl she was when she was young
The innocent girl from her childhood is now a distant memory
Is nowhere to be found
Her former self cannot be found within her present persona
Every time she ever loved
Her past experiences of love
And every time she ever sinned
Her previous wrongdoings
They're nothing but reflexions
They are mere reflections
Of the people she's been
Of the numerous personalities she has adopted
She has worn a hundred masks
She has put on several facades
She'll wear a hundred more
She will continue to take on different personas
Many days she's got to ask
She often wonders why she does this
What she does it for
The reason behind her behaviour
Call her a chameleon
She can be called a chameleon
Call her what you choose
You can refer to her however you please
Even a rose can get the blues
Even something beautiful can feel sad
She is nowhere
She feels lost
She longs for home
She yearns for a place where she can truly belong
The other night she had a dream
She recently had a dream
Her innocence and light
Her purity and radiance
Were taken from her long ago
She lost these qualities a while back
But it showed her how to fight
The dream taught her how to be strong and combat hardships
Hey you two dimensional
You who have a limited perspective
Running from your hopes
You who are afraid of aiming for your aspirations
You tell yourself it means that you are free
You try to convince yourself that your avoidance means you are liberated
Writer(s): Catherine Charlotte Ringer, Frederic Alexis Alphonse Chichin, Randy Wooten
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.