Louise Attaque is a French band founded in 1994. Its style could be describ… Read Full Bio ↴Louise Attaque is a French band founded in 1994. Its style could be described as something between chanson and folk-rock, although it has evolved since their first album Louise Attaque, which sold more than 2 million copies without any tv or radio promotion.

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.

Est-Ce Que Tu M'Aimes Encore ?
Louise Attaque Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Dit est ce que tu dors
Si oui est ce que tu rêves aussi
Si non ben pourquoi tu dors
Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Dit est ce que tu mords
Si oui oui est ce que tu embrasses aussi
Si non ben pourquoi tu mords

Nous ça valait de l'or
Dit est ce que c'est oui
Nous ça valait la vie
Oui non ou encore
Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Dit est ce que tu dors
Si oui est ce que tu rêves aussi
Si non ben pourquoi tu dors
Nous ça valait de l'or
Dit est ce que c'est oui
Nous ça valait la vie
Oui non ou encore
Est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Dit est ce que tu dors
Si oui est ce que tu rêves aussi
Si non ben pourquoi tu dors
Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Dit est ce que tu mords
Si oui oui est ce que tu embrasses aussi
Si non ben pourquoi tu mords
Nous ça valait de l'or
Dit est ce que c'est oui

Nous ça valait la vie
Oui non ou encore

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Louise Attaque's song Est-ce que tu m'aimes encore? raise questions about the status of a romantic relationship. The chorus repeats the question "est-ce que tu m'aimes encore?" or "do you still love me?" and asks various other questions about the partner's actions and emotions. The lyrics suggest a relationship that has lost its spark, and the singer is seeking validation from their partner. The repeated line "Nous ça valait de l'or" or "we were worth gold" implies that the relationship was valuable and special at some point, but now the singer is unsure if it still holds the same worth.

The song's instrumentation and melody are relatively upbeat, creating an interesting contrast with the lyrics' themes. The chorus's repetition and catchy melody make it difficult to ignore the song's poignant message. The lyrics shift between different verb tenses, seemingly reflecting the singer's uncertainty about the relationship's current state. The simple phrasing and repetitive structure make it easy for the song to stick in the listener's head, emphasizing the importance of its message.

Line by Line Meaning

Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Are you still in love with me?

Dit est ce que tu dors
Are you sleeping?

Si oui est ce que tu rêves aussi
If so, are you also dreaming?

Si non ben pourquoi tu dors
If not, then why are you sleeping?

Dit est ce que tu m'aimes encore
Do you still love me?

Dit est ce que tu mords
Are you biting?

Si oui oui est ce que tu embrasses aussi
If yes, then are you also kissing?

Si non ben pourquoi tu mords
If not, then why are you biting?

Nous ça valait de l'or
For us, it was worth gold

Dit est ce que c'est oui
Is it yes?

Nous ça valait la vie
For us, it was worth life