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.
Tes Yeux Se Moquent
Louise Attaque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ce soir je t'aime à reculons
Demain je pars pour Londres
Demain il faut croire, je vole
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Ce soir sur moi t'as posé les yeux
Ce soir je t'aime amer
Demain je sens mes yeux se brouillent
Demain ne me vient pas très clair
Alors ce soir je vadrouille
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Ce soir sur moi t'as posé les yeux
Ce soir je me raconte une histoire
Demain je te vois pour déjeuner
Demain je me demande si ce soir
Je ne te voudrais pas pour dîner
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
Ce soir sur moi t'as posé les yeux
The song "Tes Yeux Se Moquent" by Louise Attaque is a melancholic ballad about unrequited love and the bittersweet feelings that come with it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is in love with someone who does not reciprocate their feelings, as they express their love with a sense of resignation and detachment. The main character seems to be trying to distance themselves from their emotions by walking around a lot, as if trying to escape their own thoughts. They also seem to be looking to the future, as they mention leaving for London and feeling unsure about what the next day will bring.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé," which translates to "And I don't care that you haven't looked at me." This suggests that the singer is trying to convince themselves that they are okay with not being noticed by the person they love, but the repetition of the phrase suggests that it is something they are still struggling with. The final verse shows the singer pondering the possibility of having dinner with the person they love, further highlighting their conflicted emotions.
Overall, "Tes Yeux Se Moquent" is a poignant portrayal of unrequited love and the feelings of uncertainty and isolation that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce soir je marche beaucoup
Tonight, I am walking a lot
Ce soir je t'aime à reculons
Tonight, I love you backwards
Demain je pars pour Londres
Tomorrow, I leave for London
Demain il faut croire, je vole
Tomorrow, I must believe, I fly
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
And I don't care that you didn't look at me
Et je me moque que tu m'aies pas regardé
And I don't care that you didn't look at me
Ce soir sur moi t'as posé les yeux
Tonight, you laid your eyes on me
Ce soir je t'aime amer
Tonight, I love you bitterly
Demain je sens mes yeux se brouillent
Tomorrow, I feel my eyes getting blurry
Demain ne me vient pas très clair
Tomorrow, it's not very clear to me
Alors ce soir je vadrouille
So tonight I wander
Ce soir je me raconte une histoire
Tonight, I tell myself a story
Demain je te vois pour déjeuner
Tomorrow, I see you for lunch
Demain je me demande si ce soir
Tomorrow, I wonder if tonight
Je ne te voudrais pas pour dîner
I wouldn't want you for dinner
Lyrics © DELABEL EDITIONS
Written by: Alexandre Margraff, Arnaud Samuel, Gaetan Roussel, Robin Feix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind