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".
Des Armes
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Des qu'il faut nettoyer souvent pour le plaisir
Et qu'il faut caresser quand comme un, pour le plaisir
L'autre, celui qui fait rêver les communiantes
Des armes bleues comme la terre
Des qu'il faut se garder au chaud au fond de l'âme
Dans les yeux, dans le cœur, dans les bras d'une femme
Des armes au secret des jours
Sous l'herbe, dans le ciel et puis dans l'écriture
Des qui vous font rêver très tard dans les lectures
Et qui mettent la poésie dans les discours
Des armes, des armes, des armes
Et des poètes de service à la gâchette
Pour mettre le feu aux dernières cigarettes
Au bout d'un vers français
Brillant comme une larme
(Des armes, des armes, des armes)
The song "Des Armes" by Noir Désir is an exploration of the different types of weapons that exist in the world. The title itself translates to "weapons," and throughout the song, the band describes various types of arms - some that need to be cleaned often, some that are kept secret, and some that are worn like a mystery by the bearer. The lyrics also delve into the allure of these weapons, and how they can inspire and captivate people's imaginations.
The band also juxtaposes the idea of weapons with that of poetry in the song. They talk about "poètes de service à la gâchette," or poets with their fingers on the trigger, who use their words and ideas to light the last cigarettes. This line implies that words can be just as powerful as physical weapons and can be used to make a profound impact on people's lives.
Overall, "Des Armes" is about the different types of power that exist in the world, and how the allure of weapons and poetry can be equally captivating.
Line by Line Meaning
Des armes, des chouettes, des brillantes
Weapons, owls, brilliant things
Des qu'il faut nettoyer souvent pour le plaisir
Ones that must be frequently cleaned for pleasure's sake
Et qu'il faut caresser quand comme un, pour le plaisir
And ones that must be caressed as if they were one's lover, for the sake of pleasure
L'autre, celui qui fait rêver les communiantes
The other kind, the one that makes the young virgins dream
Des armes bleues comme la terre
Weapons as blue as the earth
Des qu'il faut se garder au chaud au fond de l'âme
Ones that must be kept warm deep down in one's soul
Dans les yeux, dans le cœur, dans les bras d'une femme
In the eyes, heart, and arms of a woman
Qu'on garde au fond de soi comme on garde un mystère
That one keeps deep inside as if it were a mystery
Des armes au secret des jours
Weapons whose secrets lie in the passing days
Sous l'herbe, dans le ciel et puis dans l'écriture
Under the grass, in the sky, and then in writing
Des qui vous font rêver très tard dans les lectures
Ones that make you dream late into reading sessions
Et qui mettent la poésie dans les discours
And that inject poetry into speeches
Des armes, des armes, des armes
Weapons, weapons, weapons
Et des poètes de service à la gâchette
And poets serving as shooters
Pour mettre le feu aux dernières cigarettes
To light the final cigarettes
Au bout d'un vers français
At the end of a French verse
Brillant comme une larme
Shining like a tear
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bertrand Lucien Cantat, Denis Guy Marc Barthe, Gay Serge Marius Pierre Teyssot, Jean-Paul Roy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GeraldViredazgrekosuisse
Des armes :
Des armes, des chouettes, des brillantes
Des qu'il faut nettoyer souvent pour le plaisir
Et qu'il faut caresser comme pour le plaisir
L'autre, celui qui fait rêver les communiantes
Des armes bleues comme la terre
Des qu'il faut se garder au chaud au fond de l'âme
Dans les yeux, dans le coeur, dans les bras d'une femme
Qu'on garde au fond de soi comme on garde un mystère
Des armes, au secret des jours
Sous l'herbe, dans le ciel et puis dans l'écriture
Des qui vous font rêver très tard dans les lectures
Et qui mettent la poésie dans les discours
Des armes, des armes, des armes
Et des poètes de service à la gâchette
Pour mettre le feu aux dernières cigarettes
Au bout d'un vers français brillant comme une larme
@albertberal2882
Weapons, some cool, some shiny
Some that must be cleaned often for the pleasure
Some that must be caressed often like for the pleasure
The other one, the one that makes communicants dream
Weapons, blue like Earth
Some that must be kept warm inside our soul
In the eyes, in the Heart, in the arms of a woman
We keep inside oneself as we keep a mistery
Weapons, at day's secret
Under the grass in the sky and in the writing
Some that make you dream very late in the readings
And that put poetry in the speeches
Weapons, weapons, weapons
And duty poets at the trigger
To set fire to the last cigarettes
At the end of a french verse
Shiny like a tear
Traduction by Albert Béral
@Specoups
Lyrics translation, based on the version of another comment down here.
Weapons, some cool, some shiny
Some that have to be cleaned often for pleasure
And have to be caressed as for pleasure
The other one, the one that makes communants dream
Weapons, blue like Earth
Some that must be kept warm within our soul
In the eyes, in the heart, in the arms of a woman
Some we keep within oneself as we keep a mistery
Weapons, at day's secret
Under the grass, in the sky as well in writing
Some that make you dream very late when reading
And put poetry inside speeches
Weapons, weapons, weapons
With trigger-ready on-duty poets
To set on fire the last cigarettes
At the end of a french verse
Shiny like a teardrop
@bofurnesbitt42
Approximate english lyrics:
Some weapons, nice ones, shiny ones
Ones you have to clean often for the pleasure
& you have to caress as for the pleasure
The other, the one that makes dream the communicants
Some weapons blue like the earth
Some you have to keep warm deep in the soul
In the eyes, in the heart, in the arms of a woman
You keep deep in yourself like you keep a mystery
Some you have to keep warm deep in the soul
In the eyes, in the heart, in the arms of a woman
You keep deep in yourself like you keep a mystery
Weapons, at secret of the days
Under the grass, in the sky & in the writing
Some that make you dream very late in the readings
& put poetry into the speeches
Weapons, weapons, weapons
& some poets on the trigger
To light the fire on the last cigarettes
At the end of a French vers, shinning like a tear
@eliseg4678
Ce soir envie d'écouter du noir désir... je redécouvre ce titre, une pépite... j'ai beaucoup écouté cet album... magnifique interprétation... noir des me manque
@slaym22
Je cherche à comprendre pourquoi cette chanson depuis toujours, m'a à chaque fois faite verser des larmes à son écoute ... Je commence à 42 ans à comprendre pourquoi ....
@lederniermot7230
👍🏻 C’est pareil pour moi. Très bien exprimé.
@PapaBoyerchezBobson
Peut-être parce que le texte est de Léo ferré?
@guillaumegambiez2375
51. Battu
@ekOPeckinpah
Et voila j'avais envie de réécouter du noir désirs la maintenant tout d'suite...puis je repense avec tristesse et mépris au passé tumultueux de ce grand artiste...Frustration quand tu nous tiens...
@Rob_Mike_Litterst
Tu l'aimes ou le déteste ? De toute manière ; qu'importe le parfum, pourvu qu'on aît l'ivresse
@ansoredon3563
Tu l'aimes ou tu le quitte !
@ludo9014
Tu l'aime en tant qu'artiste le reste partira dans l'histoire
@denissimon4862
Du noir désir ? Reprise de leo ferre.