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
Un Zéro
Les Rita Mitsouko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et il n’était pas
Il était une fois le 1
Et il était une fois le rien
Il était une fois le 1
Au début il en faut 1
Au moins 1, tout beau
Il était une fois le rien
Rien était là
Mais ne se calculait pas
Rien ne donnait rien
Non, rien de rien
On pouvait additionner
Soustraire ou multiplier
Mais pour les calculs compliqués
Ça ne tournait pas carré
Et puis on a inventé un nombre
Qui changerait la face du monde
Thank the Emptiness
Just say yes to zéro
O thank the emptiness
Just say yes to 0
I thank you Emptiness
With a kind of tenderness
I smile at your Emptiness
I say yes to 0
Un zéro est un vide
Un néant simple et limpide
A-t-il seulement une ride
Une ride de vide
Ondoyant sur la matière
Et finissant la forme des choses
Pour qu’elles s’arrêtent bien
Quelque part
Comme c’est bizarre
Thank the emptiness
Just say yes to zéro
Thank the emptiness
Just say yes to 0
I thank you Emptiness
With a kind of tenderness
I smile at your Emptiness
I say yes to 0
Cause 0 is decimal
Cause 0 is digital
Cause 0 is normal
0 c’est son petit nom américain
Au zéro
Un petit nom qui l’air de rien
A profilé sa rondeur
Au cœur de nos ordinateurs
Grâce à quoi
On pourra s’envoler
On pourra
Visiter les étoiles
Et mettre les voiles
Par le vide intersidéral
Thank the emptiness
Just say yes to zéro
Thank the emptiness
Just say yes to 0
O thank you emptiness
With a kind of tenderness
I say: Smile at your emptiness
I say yes to 0
Thank the Emptiness
Just say yes to the zero
Thank the emptiness
Just say yes to 0
Thank you, Emptiness
With this kind of tenderness
I smile at your Emptiness
I say yes to 0
The song "Un Zéro" by Les Rita Mitsouko can be interpreted as a celebration of the number zero and the concept of emptiness. The lyrics describe the origin of the number one and zero, with the former being necessary at the beginning and the latter being nothingness that couldn't be calculated. The song then highlights the importance of zero in mathematics, particularly in the invention of the decimal system and its use in computers, which allows humanity to explore the stars and sail through the void of space. The repeated phrase "thank the emptiness, just say yes to zero" reinforces the positive sentiment towards emptiness and lack.
One interesting aspect of the song is its use of wordplay and philosophical musings, particularly regarding the nature of zero and emptiness. The lyrics question whether zero has any wrinkles or waves that define its form, and muse on how emptiness shapes the physical world by defining where things end. The song also includes a reference to the Japanese concept of ma, which refers to the negative space between objects and how it contributes to their overall meaning.
Another interesting fact about "Un Zéro" is its unusual musical structure, which features a complex rhythm and shifting time signatures. The song is based around a repeated chord progression, but the tempo changes frequently, adding to its sense of unpredictability and playfulness. The track also features a mix of electronic and acoustic instruments, including a driving bassline, funky guitar riffs, and various synthesizer and percussion sounds.
Overall, "Un Zéro" is a unique and thought-provoking song that plays with language and ideas in a playful, celebratory way. Its joyous celebration of nothingness and zero provides an interesting counterpoint to the usual emphasis on success and progress in popular music.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for "Un Zéro" are not readily available.
Line by Line Meaning
Il était une fois
Once upon a time
Et il n’était pas
And he was not
Il était une fois le 1
Once upon a time, there was the 1
Et il était une fois le rien
And there was once nothing
Au début il en faut 1
In the beginning, there needs to be 1
Au moins 1, tout beau Tout chaud tout plein
At least 1, all beautiful, warm, and full
Rien était là
Nothing was there
Mais ne se calculait pas
But could not be calculated
Rien ne donnait rien Non, rien de rien
Nothing gave anything, no, nothing at all
On pouvait additionner
We could add
Soustraire ou multiplier
Subtract or multiply
Mais pour les calculs compliqués
But for complex calculations
Ça ne tournait pas carré
It didn't add up
Et puis on a inventé un nombre
And then we invented a number
Qui changerait la face du monde
That would change the face of the world
Un zéro est un vide
A zero is an emptiness
Un néant simple et limpide
A simple and clear void
A-t-il seulement une ride
Does it even have a wrinkle
Une ride de vide
A wrinkle of emptiness
Ondoyant sur la matière
Undulating over matter
Et finissant la forme des choses Pour qu’elles s’arrêtent bien
And finishing the form of things so that they stop well
Quelque part Comme c’est bizarre
Somewhere, how strange it is
Cause 0 is decimal
Because 0 is a decimal
Cause 0 is digital
Because 0 is digital
Cause 0 is normal
Because 0 is normal
0 c’est son petit nom américain
0 is its American nickname
Un petit nom qui l’air de rien
A little name that seems unimportant
A profilé sa rondeur
Shaped its roundness
Au cœur de nos ordinateurs
At the heart of our computers
Grâce à quoi
Thanks to which
On pourra s’envoler
We can take off
On pourra Visiter les étoiles
We can visit the stars
Et mettre les voiles
And set sail
Par le vide intersidéral
Through the interstellar vacuum
Thank the Emptiness Just say yes to zéro
Thank the emptiness, just say yes to zero
O thank the emptiness Just say yes to 0
Oh, thank the emptiness, just say yes to 0
I thank you Emptiness With a kind of tenderness
I thank you, emptiness, with a kind of tenderness
I smile at your Emptiness I say yes to 0
I smile at your emptiness, I say yes to 0
Contributed by Kennedy P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
suldrain
Ô grâce a quoi on écoute ta musique j'dirai même plus ta chanson qui se profile au cœur de mon ordinateur !!!
Jérémy GAUER
😀 👍👍
Maud Salley
Un peu de son" <3 <3