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".
La Rage
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Toucher du bout des doigts les rythmes sensuels assagis
Sans rien se dire les futilités d'usage
Et au dehors
Les chiens se frottent aux herbes sages
Sweet honey sugar
Où en est l'art Edgart? Je n'l'ai pas vu depuis longtemps
D'attraper la rage...
Et les filles à l'âme romantique et ensorcelée
Les lèvres refermées sur les pages de leurs cahiers
Ah pouvoir partir et mourir avec
El Desdichado
Et oublier les mots des salons gris
Sweet honey suger
Où en l'art Edgar?
Je n'l'ai pas vu depuis longtemps
Je n'ai pas l'temps, le temps, le temps
D'attraper la rage...
Dans les salons bleus de la classe supérieure, on sourit toucher du bout
des doigts les rythmes sensuels assagis sans rien se dire les futilités
d'usage et au dehors les chiens se frottent aux herbes sages des jardins
où les filles à l'âme romantique et ensorcelée les lèvres refermées sur
les pages de leurs cahiers ahh pouvoir partir et mourir avec El Desdichado
et oublier les mots des salons gris où la classe supérieure danse encore
du bout des...
Sweet honey sugar
Sweet honey sugar
The lyrics of Noir Désir's song La Rage paints a picture of the upper class society, where people hide their emotions behind a facade of superficiality. The first stanza talks about the gatherings in the blue salons of the upper class, where people touch the sensual rhythms with their fingertips but don't converse with each other except the usual frivolities. Outside, the dogs rub against the wise herbs, indicating a desire for instinctive, natural experiences, unlike the artificiality within the beautiful but superficial walls.
The second stanza talks about romantic and enchanted girls who keep their lips sealed and their hearts open, lost in the pages of their diaries. They dream of being able to leave everything behind and die with El Desdichado, a romantic figure, to forget the words of the grey salons where the upper class dances, but without feeling the same genuine emotions as the dogs outside. In the chorus, the lines "Où en est l'art Edgart" and "Je n'ai pas l'temps, le temps, le temps" imply a sense of urgency to break free from the tedious and insincere lifestyle of the elites but without having enough time or energy to do so. The repeated lines "Sweet honey sugar" may represent a futile desire for something sweet in a life that feels empty.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans les salons bleus de la classe supérieure, on sourit
The upper-class people smile in the blue rooms
Toucher du bout des doigts les rythmes sensuels assagis
They lightly touch the subdued sensual rhythms
Sans rien se dire les futilités d'usage
They say nothing of importance
Et au dehors Les chiens se frottent aux herbes sages
Meanwhile, the dogs rub against the wise herbs outside
Sweet honey sugar
Sweet and pleasing
Où en est l'art Edgart? Je n'l'ai pas vu depuis longtemps
Where is Edgart's art? I haven't seen it in a long time
Je n'ai pas l'temps, le temps, le temps D'attraper la rage...
I don't have the time to catch the rage
Et les filles à l'âme romantique et ensorcelée Les lèvres refermées sur les pages de leurs cahiers
The girls with romantic and bewitched souls keep their lips closed on their notebooks
Ah pouvoir partir et mourir avec El Desdichado Et oublier les mots des salons gris
Oh, to be able to leave and die with El Desdichado and forget the words of the gray salons
Dans les salons bleus de la classe supérieure, on sourit toucher du bout des doigts les rythmes sensuels assagis sans rien se dire les futilités d'usage et au dehors les chiens se frottent aux herbes sages des jardins où les filles à l'âme romantique et ensorcelée les lèvres refermées sur les pages de leurs cahiers ahh pouvoir partir et mourir avec El Desdichado et oublier les mots des salons gris où la classe supérieure danse encore du bout des...
Repeating the first few lines for added emphasis
Sweet honey sugar
Sweet and pleasing
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheCooterpuppet
My French is terible, but this song is so good, why is only the live version on Spotify
@detenuailleurs7970
Première cassette!!1998,off trop vite ça passe,profitez de la vie et de ce super song.ca ct un artiste de talent..qui nous manque trop.Reviens bertrant..
@elisabethbasileu1791
J adore...
Depuis mes 14 piges.
J en ai 41
@artyzte-9823
Elisabeth Basileu vous avez de la chance d’avoir vécu cette époque .. je vous envie !
@chrisgense430
Tout pareil 😁
@jeremymatho3593
c pas forcément terrible de trainer avec des gens qui aime ce genre de musique... tous des détraqués
@juliengentet7873
Vu à bordeaux dans un troquet énorme ... j’avais 19 ans on descendait de Charente maritime exprès pour la soirée. J’en ai 46 et toujours aussi présents ils me font kiffer rager monter en pression. Nwardez tjrs aussi baleses !!!!
@dejnecki1
Idem. J'en ai 49...😊
@delphinesantoni8990
Love all this album anyway sweet honey sugar thanks
@fablendormi282
premier cd acheter de ma vie.