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.
Snark
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et tes yeux ronds d'espoir, un miroir
J'aime tes longs cheveux noirs
J'aime ton chapeau, tes chaussures
J't'aime, je crois qu'c'est sûr
Il aime ta peau, ton petit air doux
Te suit partout
Moi j'ai pas son regard
J'ai un pressentiment, hum, qui semble bizarre
Si ça continue j'vais perdre le sens de l'histoire
Le sens de l'humour
J'vais perdre mon entrain, j'vais perdre
La mélodie du refrain
Alors viens je t'emmène
On s'en va plus loin
Il râle le ciel de ne pas te soutenir
Pour que tu décides de partir
T'es prévenue
J'te casse la tête, j'te broie les os
Et aucun écart
Toi tu restes là
Toi tu restes là
Tu reste là
Aucun écart entre toi et moi
Aucun écart entre toi et moi
Je perds la tête
J'aime ta bouche, ton regard
Et tes yeux ronds d'espoir, un miroir
J'aime tes longs cheveux noirs
J'aime ton chapeau, tes chaussures
J't'aime, je crois qu'c'est sûr
Si ça continue j'vais perdre le sens de l'histoire
Le sens de l'humour
J'vais perdre mon entrain, j'vais perdre
La mélodie du refrain
Alors viens je t'emmène
On s'en va plus loin
Toi tu reste là, tu reste là
Aucun écart entre toi et moi
Aucun écart entre toi et moi
Je perds la tête
Je perds le rythme
Je perds la tête
Aucun écart entre toi et mo-
Je pers la tête
The lyrics of Louise Attaque's "Snark" are composed of expressions of admiration for a woman's physical appearance, as well as fear and uncertainty about the nature of their relationship. The singer lists what he likes about the woman: her mouth, her gaze, her hopeful eyes that act as a mirror, her long black hair, her hat, and her shoes. He declares his love for her and seems certain about his feelings. However, he also acknowledges the presence of someone else who follows her everywhere and tells her she's beautiful. He describes having a strange feeling about this and fearing that he will lose his sense of humor and the melody of the song if things continue in this way.
In the chorus of "Snark," the singer invites the woman to come with him and go further away. He describes the sky as being disappointed for not supporting her decision to leave, warning her that he will break her head and crush her bones if she deviates from his expectations. The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "no gap between you and me," indicating a desire for closeness, but also an intrusion in the woman's autonomy and the fear of losing his sanity.
Overall, the lyrics of "Snark" depict a complex relationship dynamic, where there is an admiration, love, and possessiveness, as well as a sense of threat and loss of control. The singer seems to be struggling with his emotions and struggles to maintain his sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
J'aime ta bouche, ton regard
I am drawn to your lips and your gaze
Et tes yeux ronds d'espoir, un miroir
And your eyes full of hope, like a mirror
J'aime tes longs cheveux noirs
I love your long black hair
J'aime ton chapeau, tes chaussures
I love your hat and your shoes
J't'aime, je crois qu'c'est sûr
I love you, I think it's certain
Il aime ta peau, ton petit air doux
He loves your skin, your sweet demeanor
Te suit partout
He follows you everywhere
Dans les ruelles, te dit qu't'es belle
In the alleys, he tells you how beautiful you are
Moi j'ai pas son regard
But I don't have his gaze
J'ai un pressentiment, hum, qui semble bizarre
I have a strange premonition
Si ça continue j'vais perdre le sens de l'histoire
If this continues, I'll lose the plot
Le sens de l'humour
My sense of humor
J'vais perdre mon entrain, j'vais perdre
I'll lose my enthusiasm, I'll lose
La mélodie du refrain
The melody of the chorus
Alors viens je t'emmène
So come, I'll take you
On s'en va plus loin
We'll go further away
Il râle le ciel de ne pas te soutenir
The sky laments not being able to support you
Pour que tu décides de partir
So that you decide to leave
T'es prévenue
You've been warned
J'te casse la tête, j'te broie les os
I'll break your head, I'll crush your bones
Et aucun écart
And no escape
Toi tu restes là
You stay there
Tu reste là
You stay there
Aucun écart entre toi et moi
No distance between you and me
Je perds la tête
I'm losing my mind
Je perds le rythme
I'm losing the beat
Je pers la tête
I'm losing my mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBIN FEIX, ALEXANDRE MARGRAFF, GAETAN ROUSSEL, ARNAUD SAMUEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Loic Belotti
Pour moi la meilleure du dernier album... Remarquez y'a que deux nouvelle chansons... mais ça reste la meilleure des deux.... Quoi que... En fait toutes leurs chansons sont au top...
Damien M
Une des meilleures! Elle et parfaite
Assia Baba Ali
le délire du mec est unique, le violon est juste parfait , peu de gens pourront apprécier...
Annick Blas
ben moi j adooore ainsi que tout gaetan roussel qui est genial
Damien M
+RED FISH Pourquoi peu de gens ?
Jefferson Thiago Da Silva Bezerra
Não Paro De Escutar Essa Musica....Muito Boa!!!
star1light23
Love it!
Annick Blas
Magnifique genial!!!
Dartanghan Éluard
Bravo! : )
Cosmin Gurau
On peut ecouter la influence Violent Femmes dans le premieres secondes du chanson (Violent Femmes - Kiss Off) 😊 Chouette Easter Egg!