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
Terminal Beauty
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where they cultivate an air of death
Big broken baby dolls maybe fucked
And we love them
They are so meager
They're scaring me
They look so sour
Oh it's horrible to see
Bodies of the sick held prisoners
Sunken shoulders and giant pubis
The flesh has disappeared
The bones are almost bare
And yet we love them
They are so meager
They're scaring me
They look so sour
And full of pain
Oh it's horrible to see
I've closed the magazine
Returned it to the lady
I was feeling nauseous, I don't wanna watch them anymore
It's horrible and depressing
It's an insult to their beauty
All those beauties in ruins
They are so meager
They're scaring me
They look so sour
And full of pain
Oh it's horrible to see
All those beauties in ruins
The lyrics of Les Rita Mitsouko's song "Terminal Beauty" featuring Serj Tankian are a commentary on society's obsession with physical appearance and the unrealistic beauty standards that are imposed on women. The song talks about how women are objectified and reduced to mere objects of pleasure, and how their worth is determined solely by their physical appearance. The opening lines of the song talk about how women are presented in various settings, either in natural or sophisticated settings, cultivating an "air of death". The next lines are particularly disturbing, as they talk about how women's bodies are reduced to mere objects, "Big broken baby dolls maybe fucked, and we love them".
The chorus talks about how the women in the song are "meager" and "full of pain", yet society loves them for their appearance and disregards their suffering. The second verse talks about how these women are held captive by their own bodies, suffering from illnesses and reduced to mere skeletons, yet society still loves them for their physical appearance. The singer then closes the magazine she was reading and states that she can no longer watch these women, as it is "horrible and depressing" and an "insult to their beauty". The song ultimately questions the concept of beauty and explores how we deem women beautiful while ignoring their inner beauty and humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
They settled in natural or sophisticated sceneries
They have found a home in various settings, whether raw or refined.
Where they cultivate an air of death
They adorn themselves with a demeanor that resembles that of the deceased.
Big broken baby dolls maybe fucked
They are reminiscent of large, defiled toys that are nonetheless appealing.
And we love them
Despite their unsettling features, we still find them attractive.
They are so meager
Their thin and frail bodies inspire feelings of unease.
They're scaring me
Their appearance is causing fear and discomfort within me.
They look so sour
Their countenances display a bitterness and gloominess.
And full of pain
Their visages reveal signs of suffering and distress.
Oh it's horrible to see
Their appearance is grotesque and repulsive.
Bodies of the sick held prisoners
Their diseased bodies are confined and trapped.
Sunken shoulders and giant pubis
Their shoulders are caved in, and their lower pelvic regions are disproportionately large.
The flesh has disappeared
Their flesh has vanished, leaving only bones and sinew behind.
The bones are almost bare
Their bones are nearly exposed and visible on the surface.
I've closed the magazine
I have shut the publication containing images of these individuals.
Returned it to the lady
I have given the magazine back to the woman who owns it.
I was feeling nauseous, I don't wanna watch them anymore
I experienced sickness and discomfort, and I no longer wish to view them.
It's horrible and depressing
Their images are distressing and disheartening to me.
It's an insult to their beauty
Portraying them in this manner is a disrespectful and derogatory commentary on their appearance and attractiveness.
All those beauties in ruins
These once beautiful people have fallen into a state of decay and deterioration.
Contributed by Josiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ATWAGV13
la voix de catherine se marie tellement bien avec celle de serj que çà en devient magique
Crêteman
Les Rita+Serj = perfect 👌
Sophie vu Micheau
C'est très beau ça balance😍💓
Caleb Jiménez
Por esta canción conocí Les Rita Mitsouko. Por Serj Tankian.
Matthieu Joly
magnifique.
Mimi la Bergère
💟🥂😭;)... Merci
Christophe BODIN
Elle est Steam Punk celle ci