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.
Savoir
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Savoir que la plus belle, de moi
Elle est amoureuse, et savoir
Savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
Et savoir que la plus belle de moi
Elle est amoureuse, savoir
Mais là, j'en perds la mémoire
Savoir lequel de moi, étant deux
Est amoureux de toi, la plus belle des deux
Savoir si la plus belle de vous deux
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire
Savoir être capable de toi sur moi
Capable de quoi sur toi
Savoir si après tout tu m'aimeras
Mais là, j'en perds la mémoire
Tout l'temps gentil, tu dis que j'suis
Tout l'temps gentil, tu disparais, réapparais
Putain, faudrait savoir
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire
Et savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
Savoir que la plus belle, de moi
Elle est amoureuse, savoir
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire
Et savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
Savoir que la plus belle, de moi
Elle est amoureuse, savoir
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire
The lyrics of Louise Attaque's song "Savoir" explore the confusion and uncertainty in a love triangle. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the person he or she loves is also loved by someone else, and this realization causes him or her to question everything - his or her own feelings, the other person's feelings, and the nature of their relationship. The repeated phrases "Savoir que la plus belle de vous deux / Savoir que la plus belle de moi / Elle est amoureuse" ("To know that the most beautiful of the two of you / To know that the most beautiful of me / Is in love") suggest a sense of envy and longing, as the singer is forced to accept that someone else has captured the heart of the person he or she desires.
The lyrics also touch on themes of self-doubt and insecurity. The line "Savoir lequel de moi étant deux / Est amoureux de toi / La plus belle des deux" ("To know which of me, being two / Is in love with you / The most beautiful of the two") suggests a split or division within the singer's own identity, as if he or she is wrestling with conflicting emotions and desires. Likewise, the refrain "Et tout l'temps gentil, tu disparais, réapparais / Putain faudrait savoir" ("And all the time you're nice, you disappear, reappear / Damn, you should make up your mind") hints at a frustration with the other person's behavior, and a sense of being toyed with or led on.
Overall, "Savoir" is a song about the painful process of discovering that love is not always straightforward or easy to understand. The lyrics capture the confusion, jealousy, and vulnerability that can arise when we find ourselves caught up in complex emotional relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
To know which one of you two is the most beautiful
Savoir que la plus belle de moi
To know which one of me is the most beautiful
Elle est amoureuse,
She is in love
Savoir…
To know
Savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
To know which one of you two is the most beautiful
Savoir que la plus belle de moi
To know which one of me is the most beautiful
Elle est amoureuse,
She is in love
Savoir, mais là, j'en perds la mémoire.
To know, but then I lose my memory
Savoir lequel de moi étant deux
To know which one of me, being two,
Est amoureux de toi
Is in love with you
La plus belle des deux
The most beautiful of the two
Savoir si la plus belle de vous deux
To know if the most beautiful of you two
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire.
And then I lose my memory
Savoir être capable de toi sur moi
To know how to be capable of you on me
Capable de quoi sur toi
Capable of what on you
Savoir si après tout tu m'aimeras
To know if after all you will love me
Mais là, j'en perds la mémoire.
But then I lose my memory
Tout l'temps gentil, tu dis que j'suis
You always say that I'm kind
Et tout l'temps gentil, tu disparais, réapparais
And yet you always disappear, reappear
Putain faudrait savoir
Damn, you should know
Et là, j'en perds la mémoire.
And then I lose my memory
Et savoir que la plus belle de vous deux
And to know that the most beautiful of you two
Savoir que la plus belle de moi
To know which one of me is the most beautiful
Elle est amoureuse,
She is in love
Savoir, et là, j'en perds la mémoire.
To know, and then I lose my memory
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robin Feix, Alexandre Margraff, Gaetan Roussel, Arnaud Samuel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind