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
Tu me manques
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et pourtant tu es là
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
Tu me manques
Et je ne te sens pas
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
Il me parle comme à un pote
C'est propre
Mais pas tellement hot
Ca frotte pas où ça me botte
Je bloque
Il me parle comme à un pote
Et hop
La main à la motte
Ca flottasse sous ma calotte
Fausse note
Il me parle comme à un pote
C'est propre
Mais pas tellement hot
Je poirote, à la culotte
Ca flope
Tu me manques
Et pourtant tu es là
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
Tu me manques
Et je ne te sens pas
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
Quand tu prends ton couteau pour découper la viande
Moi je pense à ce soir quand tu prendras la jambe
Les jours sont bas du front tu ressembles à un mur
Et je pense à de la saumure quand je croise ta figure
Si tu touches à ma tête pour en remettre une mèche
Si tu touches à mon cou pour en sentir le tendre
Ta grosse patte fait poids mort, je hurle sans que tu entendes
Je suis plus qu'un paquet de viande pas encore achevée
Tu me manques
Et pourtant
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
Tu me manques
Et je ne t'entends pas
Tu me manques
Quand on ne s'aime pas
The song "Tu Me Manques" by Les Rita Mitsouko is a reflection on the nature of love and relationships. The song speaks to the complexity of emotions that come with loving someone who doesn't love you back. The lyrics express longing and sadness, as the singer misses their partner even though they are physically present. The repeated phrase "Tu me manques" translates to "I miss you," and serves as a mournful refrain throughout the song.
The lyrics also highlight the awkwardness and discomfort that can come with trying to maintain a relationship that lacks a real spark. The singer describes how her partner speaks to her like a friend rather than a lover, and the lack of chemistry between them is palpable. The verse "Il me parle comme à un pote/C'est propre/Mais pas tellement hot" means "He speaks to me like a friend/Cleanly/But not very hot." This feeling of disconnect is mirrored in the music, which features a detached, electronic sound that never quite builds to an emotional climax.
The song also touches on power dynamics in relationships. The singer expresses discomfort with their partner's touch, describing it as a "grosse patte fait poids mort" (a big paw that feels like dead weight). This suggests a lack of agency and control, and the singer feels reduced to nothing more than "un paquet de viande pas encore achevée" (raw meat not yet complete). It's a powerful commentary on the ways in which we can feel powerless and small in relationships, especially when we don't feel emotionally fulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu me manques
I miss you
Et pourtant tu es là
And yet you are here
Quand on ne s'aime pas
When we don't love each other
Et je ne te sens pas
And I don't feel you
Il me parle comme à un pote
He talks to me like a friend
C'est propre
It's clean
Mais pas tellement hot
But not very hot
Ca frotte pas où ça me botte
It doesn't rub where I like it
Je bloque
I'm stuck
Et hop
And boom
La main à la motte
Hand on the ground
Ca flottasse sous ma calotte
It flutters under my cap
Fausse note
False note
Je poirote, à la culotte
I hesitate, regarding my underwear
Ca flope
It fails
Quand tu prends ton couteau pour découper la viande
When you take your knife to cut the meat
Moi je pense à ce soir quand tu prendras la jambe
I think about tonight when you'll take the leg
Les jours sont bas du front tu ressembles à un mur
The days are bleak, you look like a wall
Et je pense à de la saumure quand je croise ta figure
And I think of brine when I see your face
Si tu touches à ma tête pour en remettre une mèche
If you touch my head to fix a strand
Si tu touches à mon cou pour en sentir le tendre
If you touch my neck to feel its softness
Ta grosse patte fait poids mort, je hurle sans que tu entendes
Your big paw is dead weight, I scream without you hearing
Je suis plus qu'un paquet de viande pas encore achevée
I am more than an unfinished package of meat
Et je ne t'entends pas
And I don't hear you
Contributed by Alyssa P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dalido Cédric
OP! pareille!
Dalido Cédric
si jOlie!