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".
L'Enfant Roi
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ma joie, ma peine entre tes mains
Tu es le souffle, le lien
Mon enfant roi, mon magicien
Rien ne m'appartient
(Mais) au sud je reviens
Noyé dans le cœur des foules
C'est dans ton fleuve que je m'écoule
Quand tous les ponts d'or s'ecroulent
C'est de ton air que je me saoule
Rien ne m'appartient
(Mais) au sud je reviens
Les territoires inconnus
Je les parcours, je les inclus
Mon pays, mon sang, ma rue
Sont dans tes yeux, je les ai vus
These lyrics are taken from Noir Désir's song L'Enfant Roi, which translates to "The Child King". The song is a beautiful ode to a relationship between a parent and a child. The opening lines "Je ne sais qu'une chose tu tiens, Ma joie, ma peine entre tes mains" (I only know one thing, you hold my joy, my pain in your hands) convey the depth of the parent's love for their child. The child is referred to as "mon enfant roi" (my child king) and "mon magicien" (my magician), emphasizing the importance of the child to the parent's life.
The next verse "Rien ne m'appartient (Mais) au sud je reviens" (Nothing belongs to me, but I return to the south), suggests that the parent has surrendered everything to the child, highlighting their devotion to their child. The lines "Noyé dans le cœur des foules, C'est dans ton fleuve que je m'écoule" (Drowned in the heart of the crowds, it is in your river that I flow) expresses the feeling of being lost in the world, but finding refuge and a sense of belonging with the child.
The chorus "Quand tous les ponts d'or s'écroulent, C'est de ton air que je me saoule, Rien ne m'appartient (Mais) au sud je reviens" (When all the golden bridges collapse, I get drunk on your air, nothing belongs to me but I return to the south) conveys the unbreakable bond between the parent and child, and how the child is the parent's anchor in times of crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne sais qu'une chose tu tiens
I only know one thing: you hold
Ma joie, ma peine entre tes mains
My joy, my sorrow in your hands
Tu es le souffle, le lien
You are the breath, the connection
Mon enfant roi, mon magicien
My child king, my magician
Rien ne m'appartient
Nothing belongs to me
(Mais) au sud je reviens
(But) I return to the south
Noyé dans le cœur des foules
Drowned in the heart of crowds
C'est dans ton fleuve que je m'écoule
It is in your river that I flow
Quand tous les ponts d'or s'ecroulent
When all the golden bridges collapse
C'est de ton air que je me saoule
It is from your air that I get drunk
Les territoires inconnus
Unknown territories
Je les parcours, je les inclus
I travel through them, I include them
Mon pays, mon sang, ma rue
My country, my blood, my street
Sont dans tes yeux, je les ai vus
Are in your eyes, I have seen them
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