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.
La maladie
Malajube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui bat trop fort, tout noir, mais
S'il te plait ne dis rien quand je
Serai noire et que tu me verras
Souffrir seule dans mon dortoir
The lyrics of Malajube's "La maladie" talk about the fear of loneliness and being left alone while dealing with a heartache. The first line "J'ai peur du jujube sur mon cœur" can be interpreted as the fear of the dark spot on one's heart caused by a heartache. The phrase "tout noir" emphasizes the darkness that surrounds the singer's heart. The second line "Qui bat trop fort" suggests that the pain is so intense that it causes physical sensations in the chest. The phrase "S'il te plait ne dis rien" means "please don't say anything" which can be interpreted as the singer's plea for a loved one to not make the pain worse.
The last two lines "Serai noire et que tu me verras/Souffrir seule dans mon dortoir" talk about the singer's fear of being alone while dealing with the heartache. The phrase "Serai noire" translates to "black will be" which can be interpreted as the singer's emotional state turning dark due to the pain they are feeling. The phrase "Souffrir seule dans mon dortoir" means "suffer alone in my dormitory" which implies that the singer is expecting to be left alone with their pain.
Overall, the lyrics of "La maladie" can be interpreted as a plea for someone to stay with the singer, to not leave them alone during their times of pain, and to be there for them when they need support.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai peur du jujube sur mon cœur
I am afraid of the dark and intense emotions that are taking hold of me
Qui bat trop fort, tout noir, mais
My heart is beating too fast and it feels like it's surrounded by darkness
S'il te plait ne dis rien quand je
Please don't say anything when I
Serai noire et que tu me verras
Become overwhelmed by my emotions and you see me in a dark place
Souffrir seule dans mon dortoir
Suffer alone in my room
Contributed by Arianna H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.