Their cover of Claude François' Alexandrie Alexandra gets a little success, a success too predictable to the band taste that chooses to focus on their own (funny) songs and release a first album in 1989. Their lyrics reflect their state of mind, rather crazy. No political content, Les VRP are not serious (except maybe about French language with which they love to play with).
Les VRP are then absorbed in the rising French alternative rock scene (Mano Negra, Wampas, Satellites, etc…) and end up working with other bands from this scene on some of their songs (Stellamentable with the belgian duet Sttellla, La misère des voix vulgaires with Gina et les Pires, Sidney with the Babylon Fighters). the year 1990 sees the release of their 2nd album. Les VRP play in the famous concert hall L'Olympia and then go traveling with their one of a kind show in Europe, Japan, Canada or Senegal. Their success is growqing fast, most of their concerts are sold out and they play in many festival sharing the bill with more serious but equally successfull acts such as Mano Negra or Noir Désir.
Their third and final album is Vacances Prolongées (Prolounged Holidays released in 1992) and tells what the band has decided to do : split up at the peak of their fame! They decide to do so by fear of becoming another gimmick band and not having fun doing so. In 1993, playing at the Zenith in Montpellier, they say their farewell in a concert at the end of which their throw their instruments into the audience. They never came back since.
MUSIC
Two acoustic guitars are the only classical instruments Les VRP used. The other are all made up of various objects : contre-bassine for Stéphane (broom stick, rope and a plastic bucket make a sort of double bass), a brush to wash dishes, a suitcase, some spoons for the percussionist Marc, a toy piano for Gilbert and a little more whenever needed (cans, etc...).
Their music is quite hard to define, it mixes classic French chanson with humour both on musical an lyrical sides of it.
Above all, Les VRP were a live band though they often said being even more at ease in small bars or even on the street. They loved to improvise, play with the audience, etc... Each concert was a new experience for the band and those watching it. Nevertheless each of their three albums remain a quite enjoyable experience (even more if you understand French).
Line-up:
Stéphane (dit « Néry ») : chant, contrebassine, instruments divers...
Gilbert : chant, ukulélé, xylophone, instruments divers...
Gilberd : chant, piano d'enfant (« Michelsonne »), accordéon, instruments divers...
Marc : chant, harmonica, percussions, instruments divers...
Fabrice : chant, guitare, banjo, instruments divers...
Le Nain
Les VRP Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le cœoeur,
Comme une fleur fanée,
Qui meurt dans notre jardin secret,
C'est la tristesse,
De n'avoir jamais pu être...
Aimé.
Pour avoir une grosse bite.
Je voudrais être un nain,
Pour avoir une belle trique.
Je voudrais être un nain,
Pour avoir une belle bite,
Mais je ne suis qu'un géant,
Et la mienne est petite !
In the spoken intro, the singer talks about the sadness of not being loved, and compares it to a withered flower dying in a secret garden. The song then takes on a comedic tone as the singer expresses his desire to be a dwarf, believing that dwarfs have larger penises than he does as a giant with a small one. He repeats this desire three times, with slight variations in the phrases he uses to describe his ideal endowment.
On the surface, this song may seem like a crass joke, but it is actually a commentary on societal stereotypes and expectations around masculinity and sexuality. The singer feels inadequate because he doesn't live up to the stereotype of the well-endowed male. The themes of insecurity and self-doubt are further emphasized by the comparison to a dying flower in the intro. The use of humor in addressing such deep-seated issues can be seen as a coping mechanism or a way to start a conversation about these difficult topics.
Line by Line Meaning
Le cœur, comme une fleur fanée, qui meurt dans notre jardin secret
The heart, like a faded flower, dies in our secret garden.
C'est la tristesse, de n'avoir jamais pu être... aimé.
It's the sadness of never having been loved.
Je voudrais être un nain, pour avoir une grosse bite.
I wish I were a dwarf, to have a big one.
Je voudrais être un nain, pour avoir une belle trique.
I wish I were a dwarf, to have a beautiful erection.
Je voudrais être un nain, pour avoir une belle bite, mais je ne suis qu'un géant et la mienne est petite !
I wish I were a dwarf, to have a beautiful penis, but I'm just a giant and mine's small!
Contributed by Violet J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.