Several of the group's albums were produced by Gordon Gano, lead singer of Violent Femmes, a band which Louise Attaque often cite as an influence and for whom their own band is named: "Louise" is a feminine name, taken from Louise Michel –a french anarchist militant in France in the nineteenth century– and "attaque" connotates violence, it literally means "attack" in French –in reference of the Violent Femmes.
History
Climb to the top (1990-2001)
Caravage (1990-1994)
Lead singer and guitarist Gaëtan Roussel and bassist Robin Feix met in high school in Montargis. They moved to Paris after graduation where they met drummer Alexandre Margraff and formed a rock band : Caravage (named after the famous Italian painter Caravaggio). After briefly hiring a lead guitarist, the band met violinist Arnaud Samuel while recording in a Parisian studio.
Louise Attaque's phenomenal success (1997-2001)
Louise Attaque was formed in 1994. The name means "Louise Attacks" in French and is in reference of Louise Michel, a 19th century anarchist, and of the American rock band The Violent Femmes (which means "violent women" in French). The Violent Femmes leader, Gordon Gano, has agreed to produce Louise Attaque's debut self-titled album.
Louise Attaque was released in april 1997, receiving a strong positive critical response. Despite low initial radio airplay, the reputation of the group spread rapidly, garnering particular praise for its innovative violin-based folk/rock compositions and witty lyrics. By the end of the year, Louise Attaque had already become a phenomenon, and with the help of a highly successful tour throughout France, the band had sold more than 400 000 units. Louise Attaque eventually went on to sale an impressive 2.5 million copies in France, a record for any French rock album (even outselling Noir Désir's highly popular 666667 Club album, released in 1996).
It took almost three years until Louise Attaque 's sophomore album Comme On A Dit was released (in january 2000), still produced by Gordon Gano. The album met expectations of fans and critics alike, a complex and daring effort that still evoked Louise Attaque 's now famous trademark. It was noted, however, that Comme On A Dit was darker than the debut album, and consequently less radio friendly. It still sold 700 000 copies in France. Yet in 2001, after touring for five months and appearing in various rock festivals, the band split up, explaining that they were temporarily out of inspiration and tired of the hype and pressure surrounding them.
From separation to reunion (2001-2005)
Tarmac & Ali Dragon
Louise Attaque actually broke in two different groups. Singer Gaëtan Roussel and violinist Arnaud Samuel formed Tarmac, while bassist Robin Feix and drummer Alexandre Margraff formed Ali Dragon. Tarmac is the name of a building products company, whose name is often used to refer to asphalt (bitume in French). The group aims to explore the starker sounds of acoustic instruments, while Ali Dragon has turned towards underground experimental music featuring jam sessions (mostly electro and hip-hop).
À Plus Tard Crocodile
The four members of the group reunited in 2003 to pen a few songs, though at this point they didn't know whether they would release their material. After recording for a few weeks in the Electric Ladyland studios in New York, Louise Attaque finally decided to release a (highly anticipated) third album. À Plus Tard Crocodile was released in september 2005. The title is in reference of the rock and roll song See You Later Alligator (funnily enough, "à plus tard crocodile" is a calque of the American catchphrase, which gives an unidiomatic expression in French).
À Plus Tard Crocodile was said to be quite a departure from Louise Attaque 's previous work, a lighter and more varied album. Still, the group met with critical and chart success once again.
Arrache-moi
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que je ne puisse plus voir
Arrache-moi les mains
Que je ne puisse toucher
Arrache-moi les ongles
La douleur jusqu'au bout des doigts
Arrache-moi le cœur
Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur
Arrache-moi la tête
Que je ne puisse savoir
Arrache-moi les oreilles
Que je ne puisse t'entendre
Arrache-moi les-
La douleur jusqu'au bout de moi
Arrache-moi le cœur
Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur
In Louise Attaque's song "Arrache-moi," the lyrics describe a desire to be rid of all senses and emotions in order to escape fear and pain. The singer longs to have their eyes, hands, and ears torn away so that they can no longer see, touch, or hear anything that may cause them harm or distress. The repetition of the phrase "Arrache-moi" (tear me apart) emphasizes the intensity of this desire.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of hopelessness and despair. The singer is willing to endure physical pain (such as the pain of having their nails torn away) in order to escape their emotional suffering. The line "Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur" (so that I can no longer be afraid) is particularly striking, indicating that the singer's fear is so overwhelming that they are willing to undergo extreme measures to be rid of it.
Overall, "Arrache-moi" is a poignant expression of the human desire to escape pain and suffering. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who is so consumed by fear and anguish that they are willing to sacrifice everything, including their physical senses, in order to find some semblance of peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Arrache-moi les yeux
Remove my eyes from me, so that I cannot see anything anymore.
Que je ne puisse plus voir
So that I am incapable of sight.
Arrache-moi les mains
Do the same to my hands, as well.
Que je ne puisse toucher
So that I cannot touch or feel anything else anymore.
Arrache-moi les ongles
Rip all my nails off, causing me extreme pain that I will feel until the tips of my fingers.
La douleur jusqu'au bout des doigts
To feel the pain until reaching the end of my fingers.
Arrache-moi le cœur
Tear my heart from my chest.
Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur
So that I am no longer capable of feeling fear.
Arrache-moi la tête
Rip my head off my body.
Que je ne puisse savoir
So that I cannot know or perceive anything anymore.
Arrache-moi les oreilles
Take my ears away from me.
Que je ne puisse t'entendre
So that I cannot hear anyone, especially you, anymore.
Arrache-moi les-
Just as before, causing the same pain.
La douleur jusqu'au bout de moi
Pain that I will feel until the end of me.
Arrache-moi le cœur
Repeat the same process with my heart.
Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur
So that I am no longer capable of feeling fear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robin Feix, Alexandre Margraff, Gaetan Roussel, Arnaud Samuel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind