Noir Désir was a French rock band. The band was founded in Bordeaux, France… Read Full Bio ↴Noir Désir was a French rock band. The band was founded in Bordeaux, France, in 1985 by singer Bertrand Cantat, drummer Denis Barthe, guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay and bassist Frédéric Vidalenc (replaced in 1996 by Jean-Paul Roy). Over the years, they became famous in France, releasing albums every few years.

Theo Hakola from Passion Fodder produced their first LP in 1987 Où veux-tu qu'je r'garde ?. This 6 tracks album shows what would become a Noir Désir trademark: finely crafted lyrics with powerful rock sound.

Noir Désir's second album, Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient), released in 1990, introduced punk rock elements to their sound. This continued with their next album, Tostaky, which contained the successful song Tostaky.

One of the most popular rock groups in France, their success continued with the release of the dance-influenced 666.667 Club, and the remix album One Trip One Noise. Their last album, 2001's Des visages des figures, was a slower, more ambitious affair. This album also contained a collaboration with a fellow francophone Manu Chao. "Des visages, des figures" was the album of the consecration for the group which won the music award (Victoire de la Musique) of the best rock album of year 2002, as well as the award of best clip for "Le Vent nous portera". Although their last album seemed to be the slowest one, the following gigs were huge rock shows where thousands of fans came to see the group.

In 2003, allegedly on a drug binge, Bertrand Cantat slapped his girlfriend, Marie Trintignant during an argument in a hotel room in Lithuania. As she fell, her head hit the bed, and she consequently bled to death. Marie Trintignant was a popular French actress and was working on a movie. A Lithuanian judge sentenced Cantat to 8 years in prison after a jury convicted him of manslaughter. He was sentenced in Lithuania and served his sentence in a prison near Toulouse in France.

In September 2005, an album, En public, which contains highlights of their last tour. They also released a DVD set, Noir Désir en images, which contains various live performances, footage and videos. Special permission was obtained in order to allow the imprisoned Cantat to participate in the development of those.

Noir Désir members have not ruled out the possibility of re-forming once Cantat is released from jail. Cantat was released early on account of good behaviour on October 16th, 2007, but immediately retreated to his house near Bordeaux. At the time, he would not speak to the press regarding his musical future.

In November 2008, two free tracks were released. The band wished to show, with this release, that productive and cathartic, works from Noir Désir still impregnate the French scene with intellectual and emotional abuse.

Teyssot-Gay has stated that the group is currently in the process of composing and recording a new album which he feels should be finished in 2009. However according to a May 14, 2009 article in Le Parisien the album will not be ready until January 2010.

On November 29, 2010 it was announced that guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay was leaving the band citing "emotional, human and musical differences" with lead singer Cantat.

On November 30, 2010 band's drummer Denis Barthe announced that Noir Désir is disbanded for good and that is useless to let the band live with "artificial respiration".

Apprends A Dormir
Noir Désir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Il se passe des heures ici
Sans que rien ne troue l'ennui
Comme le temps qui coule essaie
De nous assassiner

A genoux sous la lune
Ou quand le soleil enclume
Comment se retendent les nerfs

Des révolutionnaires ?

Et comme les illusions croûlent
Je pouvais pleurer tout mon soul
Attendons seulement le soir
Personne ne peut nous voir

Apprends à dormir
Glisse lentement
Sans réfléchir
Mais n'me demande pas comment

Oh, ton âme est lasse
Elle a dû trop revoir hélas...
Les mêmes choses et les mêmes gens
Et toujours comme avant

Ici quelque part en France
En attendant l'échéance
Certains n'éprouvent ni fierté
Ni honte à être nés

Apprends à dormir
Glisse lentement

Sans réfléchir
Mais n'me demande pas comment.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Noir Désir's song "Apprends à dormir" describe a state of monotony, where everything seems to be passing by without any sense of purpose. It depicts how time seems to be an enemy, slowly trying to kill us without us noticing it. The first verse encapsulates this sentiment, describing how nothing exciting is happening even though hours are passing by. The reference to time trying to assassinate us adds to the intensity of the idea.

The second verse changes the focus onto the revolutionaries, how being on their knees during the night, or when hammering the metal during the day, their nerves are stretched. It's a portrayal of how the excitement of revolution, the adrenaline of fighting for a cause, can keep them going. But as the illusions start to crumble, the excitement fades, and emotions start to take over.

The chorus "Apprends à dormir" can be loosely translated to "learn to sleep" and it encapsulates the entire sentiment of the song. It's a plea to someone, probably the singer, to stop thinking too much and just let time pass by without any thought, to fall asleep without worrying about the how. It's a sense of resignation and acceptance of life's monotony. The final verse talks about how some people in France, where the song is presumably set, are not bothered by their existence, neither proud nor ashamed of their lives.

Overall, the lyrics of "Apprends à dormir" convey a sense of ennui, resignation and monotony, describing life as a monotonous cycle, where time slowly kills us.

Line by Line Meaning

Il se passe des heures ici
Time goes by slowly and boringly in this place.

Sans que rien ne troue l'ennui
Nothing happens to break the monotony.

Comme le temps qui coule essaie
The passing of time seems to be attempting to kill us.

De nous assassiner
Time is slowly killing us.

A genoux sous la lune
We are powerless in the face of societal oppression and must submit.

Ou quand le soleil enclume
Our spirits are crushed under the heavy weight of oppressive systems.

Comment se retendent les nerfs
How do revolutionaries maintain their resolve?

Des révolutionnaires ?
Despite the constant pressure of an oppressive system, how do activists keep going?

Et comme les illusions croûlent
As illusions fade away and the truth of the situation grows more apparent.

Je pouvais pleurer tout mon soul
It's overwhelming and could lead to deep sadness.

Attendons seulement le soir
We must wait for the cover of darkness to carry on with our struggles.

Personne ne peut nous voir
To avoid being caught by oppressors.

Apprends à dormir
Learn to rest and recuperate.

Glisse lentement
Relax in your transition to sleep.

Sans réfléchir
Don't think too hard about your problems.

Mais n'me demande pas comment
Just don't ask me how to do it.

Oh, ton âme est lasse
Your soul is tired from dealing with the ongoing struggles.

Elle a dû trop revoir hélas...
It has seen too much of the same things, with no end in sight.

Les mêmes choses et les mêmes gens
Repeated struggles and repetitive figures in our lives.

Et toujours comme avant
And it always seems to stay the same.

Ici quelque part en France
This is happening in some part of France.

En attendant l'échéance
Awaiting the resolution of the struggle.

Certains n'éprouvent ni fierté
Some don't feel proud of their country or their current situation.

Ni honte à être nés
Nor do they feel ashamed of their existences in this space.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERTRAND LUCIEN CANTAT, DENIS GUY MARC BARTHE, FREDERIC VINCEN VIDALENC, GAY SERGE MARIUS PIERRE TEYSSOT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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