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".
Ce n'est pas moi qui clame
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gare à toi, gare, car le diable est devenu dément,
Fuis au fond des sources pures et profondes,
Plie-toi dans la plaque de verre,
Dérobe-toi derrière la lumière des diamants,
Sous les pierres, parmi les insectes rampants,
Ô cache-toi dans le pain frais,
Mon pauvre, pauvre ami.
C'est en vain que tu plonges son visage en toi-même
Tu ne pourras jamais le laver que dans l'autre.
Sois la lame de la petite herbe,
Et tu seras plus grand que l'axe de l'univers.
Ô machines, oiseaux, feuillages et étoiles !
Notre mère stérile réclame un enfant.
Mon ami, mon amour d'ami,
Que cela soit terrible ou sublime,
Ce n'est pas moi qui clame, c'est la terre qui tonne.
These lyrics of the song Ce n'est pas moi qui crie by Noir Désir may seem abstract but hold a deep message. They talk about the earth and how it loudly expresses itself, demanding attention from humans to take care of it. The opening line "Ce n'est pas moi qui crie, c'est la terre qui tonne" translates to "It's not me who's shouting, it's the earth that's thundering." This line sets the tone for the entire song, emphasizing the urgency of the earth's call for attention.
The subsequent lyrics tell a story of a voice warning someone to be careful because the devil has gone mad. This line may represent the devastation humans have caused the earth, leaving it in a state where even the devil has gone insane. The lyrics then urge the listener to seek refuge in pure and deep sources until it's safe to come out. The lines "Ô cache-toi dans le pain frais, Mon pauvre, pauvre ami. Infiltre-toi dans la terre avec les pluies nouvelles" mean "Hide in fresh bread, My poor, poor friend. Infiltrate the earth with the new rains." This could be interpreted as taking precautions like consuming natural fresh food and being mindful of water usage.
Furthermore, the song talks about the importance of being one with the earth, saying "Sois la lame de la petite herbe, Et tu seras plus grand que l'axe de l'univers." which means "Be the blade of grass, and you will be greater than the axis of the universe." This lyric highlights the need to be humble and appreciate the little things in life. The song's last lines, "Ô machines, oiseaux, feuillages et étoiles! Notre mère stérile réclame un enfant. Mon ami, mon amour d'ami, Que cela soit terrible ou sublime, Ce n'est pas moi qui clame, c'est la terre qui tonne" translate to "Oh machines, birds, foliage, and stars! Our barren mother demands a child. My friend, my dear friend, whether it be terrible or sublime, it's not me who's calling out, it's the earth that's thundering." The closing lines reinforce the message that it's not up to one person alone to fix the earth; it's a collective responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce n'est pas moi qui crie, c'est la terre qui tonne,
I am not the one shouting, it's the earth that is making a loud noise.
Gare à toi, gare, car le diable est devenu dément,
Be careful, because the devil has become insane.
Fuis au fond des sources pures et profondes,
Escape to the depths of pure and deep sources.
Plie-toi dans la plaque de verre,
Bend yourself in the glass plate.
Dérobe-toi derrière la lumière des diamants,
Hide behind the light of diamonds.
Sous les pierres, parmi les insectes rampants,
Under the stones, among the crawling insects.
Ô cache-toi dans le pain frais,
Oh, hide in the fresh bread.
Mon pauvre, pauvre ami.
My poor, poor friend.
Infiltre-toi dans la terre avec les pluies nouvelles —
Infiltrate into the earth with the new rains.
C'est en vain que tu plonges son visage en toi-même
It is in vain that you immerse his face into yourself,
Tu ne pourras jamais le laver que dans l'autre.
You will never be able to wash it except in someone else.
Sois la lame de la petite herbe,
Be the blade of the small grass.
Et tu seras plus grand que l'axe de l'univers.
And you will be greater than the axis of the universe.
Ô machines, oiseaux, feuillages et étoiles !
Oh machines, birds, foliage, and stars!
Notre mère stérile réclame un enfant.
Our sterile mother demands a child.
Mon ami, mon amour d'ami,
My friend, my beloved friend,
Que cela soit terrible ou sublime,
Whether it is terrible or sublime,
Ce n'est pas moi qui clame, c'est la terre qui tonne.
I am not the one shouting, it's the earth that is making a loud noise.
Contributed by Eva T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.