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.
metro
Mano Solo Lyrics
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Il aurait bien maudit sa vie mais un regard autour de lui
Lui enlevait le droit de geindre devant tous ceux bien plus à plaindre
Leur maison dans un sac Tati qui restent là quand le métro s'en va
Et juste le bagout de trois voyous
Mettais un peu de vie dans ce trou
Sur la figure la meme grimace refusait de le regarder
De toute facon et pour quoi faire
On est tous dans la meme galère
Trop abattus trop mal rasés pour espérer la faire rever
Elle regardait ses escarpins serrant contre elle son sac à main
Elle aurait voulu entendre dans les couloirs le cataclop d'un cheval blanc
Une histoire qu'elle pourrait croire illuminée d'un bel amant
Mais pas de bol on est dans le métro c'est interdit les animaux
Les deux métros sont arrivés dans leur éternel chassé-croisé
Dans leur voiture derrière les glaces ils retrouvèrent leur face à face
Mais le regard qu'ils se sont lancés a vite rebondi sur leurs chaussures
Dans le bruit des portes fermées ils ont repris leur pâme figure
The lyrics of the song "Metro" by Mano Solo depict the daily struggles and hardships of people commuting in the metro. The singer, with the scars of work on his back, is on the metro platform, contemplating his life. He feels like cursing his fate, but then he looks around and realizes that many others have it worse than him. He sees people carrying their entire lives in Tati bags and realizes that he has no right to complain. He finds solace in the boisterous behavior of three young hoodlums who bring some life into the drudgery of the station.
Across the platform, the singer sees a woman who is lost in her own world. She looks beautiful and he is unable to take his eyes off her. He wants to connect with her, but he knows that they are both in the same boat- struggling to make ends meet, and too exhausted to dream. The woman holds tightly to her purse and shoes, longing to hear the sound of hooves on the platform- a romanticized memory of a past that she can never relive. The arrival of their respective trains forces them to go back to their routine lives, with no hope of ever meeting again.
The song's lyrics are poignant, capturing the essence of life in a big city in a very relatable way. It talks about the daily struggles of ordinary people who have to deal with the monotony and exhaustion of life, with little hope of change. It highlights the universal human experience of wanting to find someone to connect with, someone to share our lives with, but being unable to do so due to our circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur le quai du métro avec sur le dos les blessures du boulot
Mano Solo is standing on the platform of a metro station, carrying the burden of his job, which has left him wounded and hurt.
Il aurait bien maudit sa vie mais un regard autour de lui Lui enlevait le droit de geindre devant tous ceux bien plus à plaindre
Mano Solo feels a sense of despair and frustration with his life but looking around him he sees others that are worse off, making him feel that he has no right to complain.
Leur maison dans un sac Tati qui restent là quand le métro s'en va
Mano Solo sees others carrying all their possessions in a Tati bag, left behind as the metro train departs.
Et juste le bagout de trois voyous Mettais un peu de vie dans ce trou
The lively banter of three young delinquents adds some energy and excitement to an otherwise boring and gloomy atmosphere.
Sur le quai d'en face un miroir du sexe opposé Sur la figure la meme grimace refusait de le regarder De toute facon et pour quoi faire
On the opposite platform, Mano Solo sees a woman who looks just as unhappy and despondent as he is, but she refuses to make eye contact with him, making him feel that there is no point in even trying to connect with someone.
On est tous dans la meme galère Trop abattus trop mal rasés pour espérer la faire rever
Mano Solo realizes that they are all in the same boat and too beaten down and exhausted to dream of a better life.
Elle regardait ses escarpins serrant contre elle son sac à main Elle aurait voulu entendre dans les couloirs le cataclop d'un cheval blanc Une histoire qu'elle pourrait croire illuminée d'un bel amant Mais pas de bol on est dans le métro c'est interdit les animaux
The woman on the opposite platform is holding on tightly to her handbag and looking at her high heels, wishing she could hear the sound of a white horse's hooves in the station, and be swept off her feet by a charming lover. But alas, they are in the metro and animals are not allowed.
Les deux métros sont arrivés dans leur éternel chassé-croisé Dans leur voiture derrière les glaces ils retrouvèrent leur face à face Mais le regard qu'ils se sont lancés a vite rebondi sur leurs chaussures Dans le bruit des portes fermées ils ont repris leur pâme figure
As the two trains arrive and pass each other, Mano Solo and the woman make eye contact once more, but their gaze quickly falls to the ground as they retreat back into their respective worlds. The doors close, and each person resumes their mundane routine.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mano Solo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind