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".
En Route Pour La Joie
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui a fait sauter l'pont?
Qui avait disposé
Du ciment sous les plaines?
Qui savait au début
Qu'il y aurait une fin?
Qui êtes vous, messieurs-dames
Pour me parler comme ca? Ooh
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
De la gelée encore
Du givre au bord des lèvres
Oh, mais où sont les mots secrets?
Hey
C'est des bornes d'hôpital
C'est des couloirs en vrac
Du néon malicieux
Et de la douche en laque, hey
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
De l'os après la chair
De l'acide au rabais
Jusqu'à en faire pourrir
Les derniers noyaux frais, hey
Qui recréera la base?
Qui reconstruira l'pont?
Qui saura déchirer
Le ciment sous les plaines, ouais?
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Hosanna, Hosanna
Et en route pour la joie
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
The lyrics to Noir Désir's "En Route Pour La Joie" speak to the destruction caused by various forces, and the search for hope and renewal. The first verse asks questions about who caused the destruction of a bridge and the foundation beneath it, hinting at the idea of sabotage and betrayal. The second verse speaks to the harshness of the world, with references to hospital wards and malfunctioning neon lights. The chorus, with its repeated "Hosanna," suggests a yearning for salvation and a turning towards something hopeful.
The final verse returns to the idea of rebuilding, asking who will be able to recreate the foundation and the bridge, and who will be able to tear up the cement that caused so much damage in the first place. Overall, the song seems to suggest a sense of disillusionment with society and a sense of longing for something better.
Interestingly, "En Route Pour La Joie" was released in 1986, a year before the Chernobyl disaster, which caused significant damage to the environment and led to long-term health issues for those in the surrounding areas. Some listeners have made connections between the lyrics of the song and the themes of environmental degradation and human greed that were touched on in the aftermath of Chernobyl.
Line by Line Meaning
Qui a mine la base
Who undermined the foundation
Qui a fait sauter l'pont
Who blew up the bridge
Qui avait disposי
Who had arranged
Du ciment sous les plaines
Concrete beneath the plains
Qui savait au debut
Who knew from the beginning
Qu'il y aurait une fin
That there would be an end
Qui ךtes vous messieurs-dames
Who are you, ladies and gentlemen
Pour me parler comme ca?
To talk to me like that?
Hosanna, Hosanna
Praise the Lord
Et en route pour la joie
And on the road to happiness
De la gelיe encore
Frost still
Du givre au bord des lטvres
Frost on the lips
Ah mais oש sont les mots secrets?
Ah, but where are the secret words?
C'est des bornes d'hopital
These are hospital markers
C'est des couloirs en vrac
These are messy corridors
Du nיon malicieux
Malicious neon
Et de la douche en laque
And the lacquered shower
De l'os aprטs la chair
Bones after the flesh
De l'acide au rabais
Cheap acid
Jusqu'א en faire pourrir
Until it rots
Les derniers noyaux frais
The last fresh kernels
Qui recrיera la base
Who will recreate the foundation
Qui reconstruira l'pont
Who will rebuild the bridge
Qui saura dיchirer
Who will know how to tear apart
Le ciment sous les plaines
The concrete beneath the plains
Hosanna, Hosanna
Praise the Lord
Et en route pour la joie
And on the road to happiness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bertrand Cantat, Denis Barthe, Frederic Vidalenc, Serge Gay-Teyssot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yannick Lam
Jusqu'à Tostaky, ND tournait intensivement dans les petites et moyennes salles, on les croisait souvent dans les festival régionaux, grâce à cette activité scénique leur fan base fut sans cesse exponentielle jusqu'au drame. De cette période bénie ainsi que celle de la scène dite alternative française, les concerts étaient des expériences humaines incroyables, les shows étaient rarement minutés et l'osmose public -artiste pouvait atteindre des sommets d'émotions fortes.
storm_arilaix
❤️
Dan Solo
Bah a l'époque je les connaissaient et j'ai un pote guitariste fan d eux qui m'a fait découvrir des albums ou des 6 titres qui m'ont fait aimer le groupe car en k7 ou cd il y a de la matière
Bryan LEFEBVRE
GRAVE !!!!
Paty Ramos
Luxey.....g mangé à côté d eux CT super....ça c du bonheur....parck c simple,vivant.....nawa47
leragondin furieux
VOUS AVEZ ENTIEREMENT RAISON , CA FAIT BIEN CHIER CETTE MALHEUREUSE AFFAIRE , LE ROCK FRANCAIS A PERDU GROS SUR CE COUP LA 😢😢
David webmestre
Ce qui est étonnant, c'est que la puissance du son n'a pas pris une ride. Sûrement dû à l'intensité (physique, cœur et âme) que tout le groupe y met. Énorme.
Alain Dassie
Des morceaux cultissimes 100% rock français🇨🇵 poésie saturée Charles Baudelaire danse dans les cieux etoiles
petiteombre
Du son rock à l'état pur....une voix sublime...comme vous nous manquez...le rock Français ne ressemble plus à rien sans vous...REVENEZ NOUS...Vos fans n'attendent que ça...Redonnez vie au Rock de NOIR DÉSIR...Nous vous aimons et n'avons jamais cessé de vous aimer...Vous êtes le rock dans toute sa splendeur,et rien ne pourra effacer un tel talent
William Bareth
Cool écoute lofofora redis moi 🤘👌