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.

Nos Sourires
Louise Attaque Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Quelqu'un ici
A-t-il vu nos sourires ?
Sont-ils à terre, en verre
Sont-ils en cire ?
Le monde devait de tous se souvenir
Le monde
Sevait aussi
Savoir tous nous accueillir

Le ciel attendre
Quant au soleil, nous éblouir
Quelqu'un ici
A-t-il en ville, en mer
Ou même pire.

Sha sha haw…
Sha sha haw…

Parfois la mer
Semble vouloir nous dire
Du monde encore
Il reste à découvrir
Alors, rendez-nous nos sourires
Que l'on puisse
Mes esquisser, les offrir

Le monde aura un jour
L'idée de s'ouvrir
Nous laisser libres
Aller ou revenir
Quelqu'un ici a-t-il vu nos sourires ?
Sont-ils en ville, en mer
Sont-ils en cire ?

Sha sha haw…
Sha sha haw…

Le monde
Devrait à tous nous convenir
L'amour espacer
Nos silences de nos soupirs
Quelqu'un ici
A-t-il vu nos sourires ?
Sont-ils en ville, amers
Sont-ils en cire ?
Parfois la terre semble vouloir mourir
Mais du monde encore
Il reste à découvrir
Alors rendons-nous nos sourires
Libre à nous de les esquisser
Les offrir…

Sha sha haw

Sha haw
Sha haw…

Overall Meaning

The song "Nos Sourires" by Louise Attaque opens with a series of questions asking if anyone has seen their smiles. The lyrics ponder if these smiles are on the ground, made of glass, or made of wax. The world should remember all of them and welcome them all. The sky waits for them and the sun dazzles them. The next stanza continues the questions, asking if their smiles are in the city, on the sea, or somewhere worse. Sometimes, the sea seems to want to say that there is still more of the world to discover. They ask for their smiles to be returned so that they can draw them and give them away. The world should be able to accommodate them all, and love should break the silence of their sighs. The song's overall message seems to be about finding and celebrating joy and connection in a world that can often seem dark and uncertain.

The lyrics of "Nos Sourires" have been interpreted in various ways. Some see the song as being about the human condition, how we often lose our smiles as we navigate through life's challenges. Others view the song as a reminder to appreciate the simple things in life, such as our ability to smile and connect with others. The song has also been interpreted as a commentary on the state of the planet and how our collective actions impact the environment.

Line by Line Meaning

Quelqu'un ici
Is there anyone here

A-t-il vu nos sourires ?
Who has seen our smiles?

Sont-ils à terre, en verre
Are they on the ground, made of glass

Sont-ils en cire ?
Are they made of wax?

Le monde devait de tous se souvenir
The world was supposed to remember us all

Le monde
The world

Sevait aussi
Should also know

Savoir tous nous accueillir
How to welcome us all

Le ciel attendre
The sky waits

Quant au soleil, nous éblouir
And the sun dazzles us

A-t-il en ville, en mer
Are they in the city, at sea

Ou même pire.
Or even worse.

Parfois la mer
Sometimes the sea

Semble vouloir nous dire
Seems to want to tell us

Du monde encore
That there is still

Il reste à découvrir
More of the world to discover

Alors, rendez-nous nos sourires
So, give us back our smiles

Que l'on puisse
So that we can

Mes esquisser, les offrir
Sketch them and give them away

Le monde aura un jour
One day, the world will

L'idée de s'ouvrir
Have the idea to open up

Nous laisser libres
And let us be free

Aller ou revenir
To come and go as we please

Le monde
The world

Devrait à tous nous convenir
Should suit us all

L'amour espacer
Love should distance

Nos silences de nos soupirs
Our silences from our sighs

Sont-ils en ville, amers
Are they bitter in the city

Parfois la terre semble vouloir mourir
Sometimes the earth seems to want to die

Mais du monde encore
But there is still

Il reste à découvrir
More of the world to discover

Alors rendons-nous nos sourires
So let's give ourselves back our smiles

Libre à nous de les esquisser
We are free to sketch them

Les offrir…
And offer them…

Sha sha haw…
Sha sha haw…

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALEXANDRE MARGRAFF, ARNAUD SAMUEL, GAETAN ROUSSEL, ROBIN FEIX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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