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.
Du Nord Au Sud
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parcourir en accord
Chaque ville, chaque port
Sans cesse et sans effort
Du nord au sud
Naviguer même à tort
Naviguer vers le nord
Partager mes trésors
Al cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Del norte al sur sin pararse
Cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Norte al sur
Sin pararme
Du nord au sud
Le long d'un méridien
L'élégance du voisin
Son tarmac est le mien
Du nord au sud
Je vais loin
Je rêve en plein
Et si je veux je reviens
Al cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Del norte al sur sin pararse
Cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Norte al sur
Sin pararme
Al cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Del norte al sur sin pararse
Cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo
Norte al sur
Sin pararme
The song "Du Nord Au Sud" by Louise Attaque, translated to "From North to South," is a contemplative ode to traveling and exploring, with a focus on the seamless navigation from one destination to another. The lyrics evoke a sense of fluidity and ease, as the singer describes traveling effortlessly from one place to the next, seemingly without any obstacles or hindrances. The opening lines, "Du nord au sud, parcourir en accord, chaque ville, chaque port, sans cesse et sans effort," translate to "From North to South, journeying in harmony, through every city, every port, endlessly and effortlessly."
The song continues with the idea of exploring both physically and mentally, with the singer dreaming and imagining while on the move. Yet, they also acknowledge the importance of returning home, the idea of "if I want to, I can go back." The last lines of the song, "al cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo, del norte al sur sin pararse, cuatro vientos sin esfuerzo, norte al sur sin pararme," which means "to the four winds without effort, from north to south without stopping, to the four winds without effort, from north to south without stopping," emphasizes the idea of constant movement and fluidity.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a celebration of exploring new places and experiences, while also acknowledging the importance of returning home and feeling grounded. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of remaining in harmony with oneself and one's surroundings, no matter where they may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Du nord au sud
Travel from the north to the south
Parcourir en accord
Travel in harmony
Chaque ville, chaque port
Visit every city and every port
Sans cesse et sans effort
Without stopping or effort
Naviguer même à tort
Navigate even if it's wrong
Naviguer vers le nord
Navigate towards the north
Partager mes trésors
Share my treasures
Le long d'un méridien
Along a meridian
L'élégance du voisin
The elegance of the neighbor
Son tarmac est le mien
Their runway is mine
Je vais loin
I go far
Je rêve en plein
I dream in full
Et si je veux je reviens
And if I want to, I can return
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arnaud Samuel, Gaetan Roussel, Alexandre Margraff, Robin Feix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vesper3850
Vesoul de Louise attaque! Après le grand Jacques, ce qu'on peut faire de mieux! Merci les gars de remettre le couvert! On vous attendais avec impatience, vous nous manqué!!
@swamifakkananda4043
Haunting music.
@zelihaetoz5369
trés bien! écoutez tout de suit!
@swamifakkananda4043
Santa cruz de la sierra 10 jan., 2023, 8:48 pm.
@japicic
we need more music like this instead of "noise."
@perdida0575
!!!
@yasminelaib7639
Je dois l'apprendre pour lécol moi même
@barcarambar
Djembe basse guitare violon
@yasminelaib7639
mais bon je l'ais comme même aimé
@swamifakkananda4043
Same to you.🤣🤣🤣