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 chanson de la main
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non, j'n'ai pas les doigts qui pendent
Ou comme des tentacules
Ou comme des tentacules
Le poulpe independant court le long du couloir
Avancez, avancez petits doigts
Que je vous considère jusqu'à c'que vous fuyez
Beaucoup plus loin de moi
Beaucoup plus loin de moi
Elle vient, elle vient
De loin la chanson de la main
Elle vient, elle vient
De loin la chanson de la main
Fin
(Il vaut mieux)
The lyrics of Noir Désir's song "La chanson de la main" (The Song of the Hand) are shrouded in metaphor and symbolism, making their interpretation a challenge. The song begins with a repeated line, "Non, j'n'ai pas les doigts qui pendent" (No, my fingers don't hang down), which is a denial of weakness or frailty. The singer instead compares his fingers to tentacles and the independent octopus that runs along the corridor. This implies the idea of strength and independence.
The chorus of the song, "Avancez, avancez petits doigts / Que je vous considère jusqu'à c'que vous fuyez / Beaucoup plus loin de moi" (Move, move little fingers / Let me consider you until you flee / Farther away from me), suggests a struggle between the singer and his hands. The hands may represent actions or choices that he regrets or may be a metaphor for life events or relationships that have left him feeling empty or alone.
The final lines of the song, "Elle vient, elle vient / De loin la chanson de la main" (It comes, it comes / From afar, the song of the hand), add to the song's enigmatic quality. As it is difficult to ascertain what "the song of the hand" represents, it is open to the listener's interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Non, j'n'ai pas les doigts qui pendent
I do not have low-hanging fingers
Ou comme des tentacules
Or like tentacles
Le poulpe independant court le long du couloir
The independent octopus runs along the corridor
Avancez, avancez petits doigts
Advance, advance little fingers
Que je vous considère jusqu'à c'que vous fuyez
Until you flee, let me consider you
Beaucoup plus loin de moi
Much further from me
Elle vient, elle vient
It comes, it comes
De loin la chanson de la main
The song of the hand from afar
Elle vient, elle vient
It comes, it comes
De loin la chanson de la main
The song of the hand from afar
Fin
End
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manue Germain
Le génie créatif côtoie souvent la folie, il a laissé des chefs d’œuvres musicaux, il a massacré les deux femmes de sa vie, que son âme trouve la paix, c'est pas encore le cas.
supertramp bzh
retour vers le passé, finalement c'était bel et bien des tentacules,mais les petits doigts n'avancent plus .
jerome ghettas
O comme des tentacules qui fuissent!!
Nikopol Club
La raison de ce post, est que Youtube ne le proposait pas encore dans les moteurs de recherches. ceci est donc fait... Merci à youtube.