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.
See You Later Alligator
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dis-moi comment tu t'appelles?
Moi, mon petit nom c'est Louis
Au plafond de ma chambre
J'ai peint des étoiles
Le ciel, la pièce
Ça l'agrandit
J'ai mis la Tour Eiffel
Pourquoi, si tu veux
Je te dis
Chaque fois qu'il quitte mon île
J'entends "à plus tard, crocodile"
Each time she crosses the river
J'entends, "see you later, alligator"
Dis, mademoiselle
Dis-moi comment tu t'appelles?
Moi, mon petit nom c'est Louis
Au plafond de ma chambre
J'ai peint un sous-marin
La mer, le ciel
Ça l'agrandit
Chaque fois qu'il quitte mon île
J'entends "à plus tard, crocodile"
Each time she crosses the river
J'entends, "see you later, alligator"
See you later, alligator
See you later, alligator
See you later, alligator
The lyrics of Louise Attaque's "See You Later Alligator" convey a sense of dreaminess and innocence, as the singer, Louis, speaks to a mysterious mademoiselle and shares details about his room decorations. Through his words, we get a glimpse into his world and his imagination, where he has painted stars on his ceiling and placed the Eiffel Tower and a submarine in different corners of his room. These objects, in his mind, seem to expand and transform his surroundings, creating a bigger and more exciting space.
The refrain of the song, which is repeated several times throughout, adds a layer of nostalgia and longing to the lyrics. It describes the feeling of separation between Louis and the mademoiselle, who crosses a river and leaves his island each time. As she says goodbye, Louis hears "see you later alligator," a playful and catchy phrase that contrasts with the underlying melancholy tone of the song. This repetition of the phrase suggests that Louis might be struggling with feelings of abandonment or distance, but he tries to maintain a positive and lighthearted attitude towards it.
Overall, the lyrics of "See You Later Alligator" showcase Louise Attaque's poetic sensibility and ability to capture complex emotions through simple yet evocative imagery. The song invites us to enter Louis's imaginative world and to reflect on the bittersweet moments of parting and missing someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Dis mademoiselle, dis-moi
The singer asks the girl her name politely.
Comment tu t'appelles ?
The singer wants to know the girl's name.
Moi, mon petit nom c'est Louis
The singer introduces himself as Louis.
Au plafond de ma chambre
There are things painted on the ceiling.
J'ai peint des étoiles
Stars are painted on the ceiling.
Le ciel, la pièce
The ceiling and the room merge, creating an illusion.
Ça l'agrandit…
The illusion makes the room look larger.
Dans un coin de ma chambre
The artist describes another decoration in their room.
J'ai mis la Tour Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower is put in a corner of the room.
Pourquoi, si tu veux.
The artist explains that the reason for the Eiffel Tower is not important.
Je te dis…
The singer is sharing with the girl.
Chaque fois qu'il quitte mon île
Whenever he leaves her island,
J'entends à plus tard crocodile
she says 'see you later, crocodile.'
Each time she crosses the river
When she crosses the river
J'entends, see you later alligator
She hears a reply: 'see you later, alligator.'
See you later alligator
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
See you later alligator
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
See you later alligator…
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
Dis mademoiselle, dis-moi
The singer repeats the first verse.
Comment tu t'appelles ?
The artist repeats the first verse.
Moi, mon petit nom c'est Louis
The artist repeats the first verse.
Au plafond de ma chambre
The artist repeats the second verse.
j'ai peint un sous-marin
The singer painted a submarine on the ceiling.
La mer, le ciel
The merged view on the ceiling includes the ocean.
Ça l'agrandit
The illusion makes the room look larger.
Chaque fois qu'il quitte mon île
Whenever he leaves her island,
J'entends à plus tard crocodile
she says 'see you later, crocodile.'
Each time she crosses the river
When she crosses the river
J'entends, see you later alligator
She hears a reply: 'see you later, alligator.'
See you later alligator
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
See you later alligator
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
See you later alligator…
The phrase is repeated, indicating a farewell.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (FRANCE), BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alexandre Margraff, Gaetan Roussel, Robin Feix, Samuel Arnaud
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind