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 Visages Des Figures
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dévisagent, défigurent
Des figurants à effacer
Des faces A, des faces B
Appâts feutrés
Attrait des formes
Déforment, altèrent
Malentendu entre les tours
Qui était pour
Premier abord
Homme à la mer
Hommage à la mer
Un chat viré par dessus bord
Désert, des grands airs
Doute entier, doute entier
Auquel peuvent s'ajouter
Des oiseaux mazoutés
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
Des corps, des esprits me reviennent
Des décors, des scènes, des arènes
Hantez, hantez, faites comme chez vous, restez
Si tout devient opaque
Ma reine, ma reine
J'ai bien aimé ta paire de claques
Et surtout ton dernier baiser
Des visages, des figures
Dévisagent, défigurent
Des figurants à effacer
Des faces A, des faces B
Des faces A, des faces B
Des faces A, des faces B
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
Du don des nues
"Des visages, des figures" is a song by the French rock band Noir Désir. The title translates to "Faces, Figures" in English, and the lyrics explore themes of identity, disillusionment, and societal issues. The first verse speaks of faces and figures that are being scrutinized and distorted, perhaps by forces beyond their control. The faces A and B might reference the different sides of a person or a societal hierarchy, and the "appâts feutrés" (soft baits) suggest hidden agendas and manipulation.
The second verse starts with a reference to a man overboard, which could be a metaphor for feeling lost or helpless. The lines "doute entier, doute entier / auquel peuvent s'ajouter / des oiseaux mazoutés" (complete doubt, complete doubt / to which can be added / oiled birds) evoke a sense of despair and environmental disaster. The chorus repeats the title and ends with the phrase "du don des nues" (the gift of the skies), which could be interpreted as a hopeful or ironic expression.
Overall, "Des visages, des figures" is a complex and poetic song that invites multiple interpretations. It showcases the band's musical and lyrical prowess and has become a classic of French rock.
Line by Line Meaning
Des visages, des figures
People, masks
Dévisagent, défigurent
Stare and distort
Des figurants à effacer
Extras to erase
Des faces A, des faces B
Type A, type B faces
Appâts feutrés
Soft lures
Attrait des formes
Allure of shapes
Déforment, altèrent
Deform and alter
Malentendu entre les tours
Misunderstanding between the towers
Et c'est le fou
And it's the fool
Qui était pour
Who was in favor
Premier abord
At first glance
Homme à la mer
Man overboard
Hommage à la mer
Homage to the sea
Un chat viré par dessus bord
A cat thrown overboard
Désert, des grands airs
Desert, wide-open spaces
Doute entier, doute entier
Complete doubt, complete doubt
Auquel peuvent s'ajouter
To which can be added
Des oiseaux mazoutés
Oil-covered birds
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
I doubted the details, but never the gift of the heavens
Des corps, des esprits me reviennent
Bodies, spirits come back to me
Des décors, des scènes, des arènes
Decorations, scenes, arenas
Hantez, hantez, faites comme chez vous, restez
Haunt, haunt, make yourself at home, stay
Si tout devient opaque
If everything becomes opaque
Ma reine, ma reine
My queen, my queen
J'ai bien aimé ta paire de claques
I really liked your slap in the face
Et surtout ton dernier baiser
And especially your last kiss
Des faces A, des faces B
Type A, type B faces
Des faces A, des faces B
Type A, type B faces
Des faces A, des faces B
Type A, type B faces
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
I doubted the details, but never the gift of the heavens
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
I doubted the details, but never the gift of the heavens
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
I doubted the details, but never the gift of the heavens
J'ai douté des détails, jamais du don des nues
I doubted the details, but never the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
Du don des nues
Of the gift of the heavens
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
@candy6262
noir désir merci encore pour toutes vos belles chansons, elles resteront dans la mémoire
@vinkabanyuls363
merci pour le partage... j'ai acheté ce bijou de noir désir à sa sortie, je l'ai sur ma tour débranchée mais pas sur le portable...
bref, une sacrée chanson où on décroche toujours parce qu'elle nous emmène !
@marccharpentier9313
Ce morceau est parfait... Autant d'un point de vue musical que des paroles.... Tout est d'une habilité tout bonnement incroyable, du très haut niveau! Quel dommage...
@polinavie
une magie cette chanson
@marcosamia9906
Stupenda
@athenahognon4364
Majestueux..........
@francisvasseur553
Magnifique
@hervecedric4922
superbe
@zubaydi
trop beau
@Dieslrae
Quel bonheur .. Merci Mr Cantat