The group made itself known in 2004 with the release of its first album, "Le Compte Complet." Critics welcomed the disc with positive reviews, which allowed the group to become instantly famous in the Québécois music scene. Several of its songs, such as "Le Métronome" and "La Valérie," were prominent mainstays on several Québec radio stations. For the production of the album, the group turned to Martin Pelland from fellow Montreal band The Dears.
In the months that followed the release of their first album, Malajube launched a tour across Québec, participating in several major festivals, such as Les FrancoFolies de Montréal.
In February 2006, the quartet released its sophomore album, Trompe-l’œil, which also received a warm welcome on the part of Québec media. Collaborations with singer Pierre Lapointe, Québecois rap group Loco Locass, and the use of a wide variety of instruments has contributed to the album's success. Trompe-l'œil also began to attract attention in English Canada in July, when it was shortlisted for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize, and in the United States in October, when it was a featured review on Pitchfork Media. In 2006, they won three Félix Award at the 28th edition of the Gala de l'ADISQ: two for Trompe-l’œil, "Best alternative album" and "Best cover art" while they were proclaimed "Revelation of the year 2006".
Their third album, Labyrinthes, was released on February 10th 2009.
Their song "Montreal -40° C" was featured in a Rogers Wireless commercial, and Ton Plat Favori was in a Zellers commercial.
Jus de canneberges
Malajube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et le rire jaune sur tes lèvres roses
Tu verses le sang sur mes vers blancs (non-pluricellulaires)
Et n'y voir que du bleu
Et pour tuer le ver tu bois l'armée rouge
The lyrics of Malajube's song Jus de canneberges tell a story of contrasting colors and actions. The first line, "Le mal blanc sur ma main noire" translates to "The white evil on my black hand." This juxtaposes the colors usually associated with good and evil, highlighting the contradictions in life. The next line, "Et le rire jaune sur tes lèvres roses" translates to "And the yellow laughter on your pink lips." This line likens a person's smile to the color yellow, which often symbolizes cowardice or jealousy. It brings forth the idea that even if a person has a beautiful appearance, they may have deceitful intentions.
The next line, "Tu verses le sang sur mes vers blancs (non-pluricellulaires)" translates to "You pour blood on my white (non-pluricellular) verse." This line highlights the violent actions of the person in question. The phrase "n'y voir que du bleu" translates to "To see only blue," implying that the violence is being downplayed or ignored. Finally, the line "Et pour tuer le ver tu bois l'armée rouge" translates to "And to kill the worm, you drink the red army." This line may be interpreted in several ways. It could be a metaphor for the person's attempt to suppress their emotions or pain with alcohol. Or it could be a literal reference to cranberry juice, which is the title of the song, with the red army symbolizing the cranberries.
Overall, the lyrics of Jus de canneberges are thought-provoking, and the metaphorical language involved requires careful interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Le mal blanc sur ma main noire
The stain of guilt on my dark conscience
Et le rire jaune sur tes lèvres roses
And the fake smile on your pretty face
Tu verses le sang sur mes vers blancs (non-pluricellulaires)
You spill your secrets on my blank pages
Et n'y voir que du bleu
And see only what you want to see
Et pour tuer le ver tu bois l'armée rouge
And to kill the truth, you drown it with lies
Contributed by Savannah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.