His first album, La Marmaille Nue, was released in 1993 and sold 100,000 copies in the first year. His second album, Les Années Sombres ("The Dark Years"), a somber album that also went gold in its first months was released in 1995. In 1996, he regrouped with part of the Chihuahuas for the album Frères Misère (Brothers in Misery). Its rhythms are closer to punk, and the texts are more topical than his solo albums. With little media attention, the album failed to meet immediate success.
The release of his next album: Je sais pas trop ("I don't really know") was in 1997. Recorded live and featuring, once again, original melodies and sounds, it was a Gold record in France. Two years later, Mano Solo recorded the double album Internationale Shalala, live at the Tourtour, a little theatre where he played regularly since the beginning of his music career. He sings and plays guitar on the album, accompanied only by another guitarist, Jean-Louis Solans. The songs come from earlier Solo albums, except for Shalala, a hymn of "inner revolution" that the artist sang together with his audience at the end of every concert, with a positive and dynamic message.
His second live album, La Marche (The Walk), was released in 2002. It consists mostly of songs from the album Dehors ("Outside"), released earlier (August 2000). With the album comes a DVD featuring photos and videos from concerts, and CG animations from Mano Solo's imagination.
In 2004, Les animals was released. As with other Solo albums the sound was new, the lyrics contained much poetic language, and the songs were performed energetically. Some titles were new recordings of old songs. The song Botzaris, recorded with Les Têtes Raides, was featured on the album. Solo appeared on two tracks on the album Dans le caillou by Karpatt.
Solo had been HIV positive for years secondary to his youthful drug use. He was rushed to hospital after a concert in Paris on 12 November 2009. There he died at the age of 46 on 10 January 2010, due to his illness. He is buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
15 ans du matin
Mano Solo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'ai pris par un drôle de chemin,
Des épines plein les bras,
Je me suis troué la peau mille fois.
A 18 ans du matin,
J'étais dans un sale pétrin,
Je vends du poing, de la chignole,
De la cambriole, du vol des bagnoles.
Inexorablement,
Passe le temps qui tue les enfants.
A 18 ans du soir,
J'ai perdu la mémoire...
A 20 ans du matin,
J'ai vraiment connu l'amour
Qui devait rimer avec toujours,
Il a rimé avec hier.
A 23 ans du matin,
Tout seul comme tout un chacun,
Les yeux grand ouverts de ne rien voir,
J'ai peint des tableaux tout noirs.
Ca fait du temps maintenant,
Inexorablement,
Passe le temps qui tue les enfants.
A 23 ans du soir,
J'ai perdu la mémoire.
A 24 ans du matin,
La mort m'a serré la main
Et en me tapant un coup dans le dos,
Elle m'a dit "Salut et à bientôt !".
A 27 ans du matin,
J'ai chopé ma putain de guitare
Et à grands coups de butoir
J'écrase le cafard.
Ca fait du temps maintenant,
Inexorablement,
Passe le temps qui tue les enfants.
A 29 ans du soir,
J'ai perdu la mémoire.
Je t'abandonne ma mémoire...
The song "15 ans du matin" by Mano Solo is a melancholic reflection on the passing of time and the struggles of youth. The singer of the song reflects on various moments in his life, starting from when he was 15 years old and had already taken a strange, difficult path that left him with countless physical scars. He then skips to age 18, where he had taken to selling drugs, using violence and theft to survive. The chorus "Ca fait du temps maintenant, Inexorablement, Passe le temps qui tue les enfants" (It's been time now, inexorably, time that kills children) is repeated after each verse, highlighting the unstoppable passing of time and the loss of innocence and youth.
At age 20, he experienced love that he thought would last forever but instead ended abruptly, leaving him heartbroken. At 23, he found himself lost and alone, painting dark pictures that echoed his inner turmoil. The theme of time and its destructive nature continues to play out until he reaches 24, where he encounters death and is reminded of its inevitability. However, age 27 marks a turning point as he discovers music and uses it as a way to combat the darkness that has consumed him. The song ends with him surrendering his memory, perhaps a metaphor for leaving the past behind and embracing the present.
Interestingly, Mano Solo was known for his socially conscious music and this song, in particular, stands out as a departure from his usual political commentary. It was released in 1993 as part of his debut album "La Marmaille Nue" which was a critical and commercial success. The song has since become one of his most well-known and highly regarded works.
Line by Line Meaning
A 15 ans du matin,
At the age of 15 in the morning,
J'ai pris par un drôle de chemin,
I took a strange path,
Des épines plein les bras,
With thorns all over my arms,
Je me suis troué la peau mille fois.
I pierced my skin a thousand times.
A 18 ans du matin,
At the age of 18 in the morning,
J'étais dans un sale pétrin,
I was in a bad predicament,
Je vends du poing, de la chignole,
I used my fists, my tools,
De la cambriole, du vol des bagnoles.
For burglary and car theft.
Ca fait du temps maintenant,
It's been a long time now,
Inexorablement,
Inevitably,
Passe le temps qui tue les enfants.
Time passes and kills children.
A 18 ans du soir,
At the age of 18 in the evening,
J'ai perdu la mémoire...
I lost my memory.
A 20 ans du matin,
At the age of 20 in the morning,
J'ai vraiment connu l'amour
I truly experienced love
Qui devait rimer avec toujours,
That was supposed to rhyme with forever,
Il a rimé avec hier.
But it rhymed with yesterday.
A 23 ans du matin,
At the age of 23 in the morning,
Tout seul comme tout un chacun,
Alone like everyone else,
Les yeux grand ouverts de ne rien voir,
With eyes wide open and seeing nothing,
J'ai peint des tableaux tout noirs.
I painted all black paintings.
A 23 ans du soir,
At the age of 23 in the evening,
J'ai perdu la mémoire.
I lost my memory.
A 24 ans du matin,
At the age of 24 in the morning,
La mort m'a serré la main
Death shook my hand,
Et en me tapant un coup dans le dos,
And while giving me a pat on the back,
Elle m'a dit "Salut et à bientôt !".
She said "Hello and see you soon!".
A 27 ans du matin,
At the age of 27 in the morning,
J'ai chopé ma putain de guitare
I picked up my damn guitar,
Et à grands coups de butoir
And with great force,
J'écrase le cafard.
I crushed the cockroach.
A 29 ans du soir,
At the age of 29 in the evening,
J'ai perdu la mémoire.
I lost my memory.
Je t'abandonne ma mémoire...
I leave you with my memory...
Contributed by Juliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tatianaantic7918
A 15 ans du matin j'ai pris par un drôle de chemin des épines
Plein les bras je me suis troué la peau mille fois
A 18 ans du matin j'étais dans un sale pétrin jouant du poing de la chignole
De la cambriole du vol de bagnoles
Çà fait du temps maintenant inexorablement passe le temps
Qui tue les enfants
A 18 ans du soir j'ai perdu la mémoire
A 20 ans du matin j'ai rencontré l'amour qui devait rimer avec toujours
Il a rimé avec hier
A 23 ans du matin tout seul comme tout un chacun les yeux grands ouverts de ne rien voir j'ai peint des tableaux tout noirs
A 23 ans du soir j'ai perdu la mémoire
A 24 ans du matin la mort m'a serré la main et en me tapant un coup dans
Le dos elle m'a dit salut et a bientôt
A 27 ans du matin j'ai chopé ma putain de guitare et a grand coup de butoir j'écrase
Le cafard
Çà fait du temps maintenant inexorablement
Passe le temps qui tue les enfants
A 30 ans du soir je t'abandonne ma mémoire
@fadiafarah7299
Jamais vu Mano Solo sur scène, mais tellement vivant dans ses chansons!
@Shinook666
C'est quand même le seul mec qui est capable de raconter ma vie sans m'avoir demandé la permission...
@mayph8911
Joli...👌
@sambaengaleredepseudodia1079
t pas le seul..20ans kil me parle...rip
@Shinook666
@Samba Engaleredepseudo Dia La vie est courte, les nuits sont longues. ^^ Salut à toi amie shalaliste. :)
@sambaengaleredepseudodia1079
@Shinook slt a toi ... la barre est dure, tiens la bien , tes 2mains lol
@shenoavr6268
Ça fait du temps maintenant...que tu nous manque...😞💦😔
@nlx99
grand bonhomme je l' ai vu en concert il avait trop la ouach malgrès la maladie; parti trop tôt!
@laterredeslouves2921
Tu nous manques...
@anaelledemoury4202
Celle que mon pote Malgash m'avait donné je l'ai donné à mon pote Manouche ( Gîtan Nomade et Evengéliste à la fois...qui préfère Jésus à moi