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".
Les Persiennes
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Où vont ces paires d'yeux
Ouvrez les persiennes
La jalousie des Dieux
Ouvrez, on commémore la foudre
Ouvrez, ouvrez
Où vont ces martiens
Siroter la mer
Se faire devenir vieux
Ouvrez, et déballez ensemble
Ouvrez, ouvrez
Un jour, ils s'effilent, se délitent en sommeil
Des caravanes immenses de guerriers ondoyants qui appellent
Petits vers grouillent, grouillent, grouillent
Nettoient les flûtes des morts, curent les os
Font place nette, et l'esprit peut flotter
Cataleptique, élan cyclopéen
Zone inhospitalière s'en sortira demain
Qu'il est loin le soleil
Reflet dans les piscines aux noyades paisibles et sensuelles
Oh quand même, on aurait pu y arriver
Juste dans les, juste dans les, juste dans les, juste dans les
Délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délais
Délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délai
The song "Les Persiennes" by Noir Désir speaks of a longing for escape, for something beyond the mundane, for something ethereal, and for something transcendental. The song begins with the singer asking the question, "Where are the Persians going?" a metaphor for a sense of escape from reality. Then, the singer implores the listener to "open the shutters" and "commemorate lightning," as if calling on them to awaken their senses to the possibilities of life beyond the mundane.
The second verse speaks of martians and blue dogs running about, sipping on the sea, and growing old in the process, as if highlighting the futility of it all. Then, the singer urges the listener to "unpack together," a call for shared experiences and connections in life.
The third verse speaks of a cataleptic state, of an impending sense of doom, and of the need to clear the mind of all negative thoughts in order to achieve a sense of freedom, and to allow the spirit to roam freely.
Line by Line Meaning
Où vont les persanes
Where are the Persian people going?
Où vont ces paires d'yeux
Where are these pairs of eyes going?
Ouvrez les persiennes
Open the shutters
La jalousie des Dieux
Jealousy of the Gods
Ouvrez, on commémore la foudre
Open up, we are commemorating the lightning
Ouvrez, ouvrez
Open up, open up
Où vont ces martiens
Where are these Martians going?
Où courent ces chiens bleus
Where are these blue dogs running?
Siroter la mer
Sipping on the sea
Se faire devenir vieux
Growing old together
Ouvrez, et déballez ensemble
Open up and unpack together
Ouvrez, ouvrez
Open up, open up
Un jour, ils s'effilent, se délitent en sommeil
One day, they unravel, they dissolve into sleep
Des caravanes immenses de guerriers ondoyants qui appellent
Immense caravans of undulating warriors call
Petits vers grouillent, grouillent, grouillent
Little worms wriggle, wriggle, wriggle
Nettoient les flûtes des morts, curent les os
Cleaning the flutes of the dead, curing the bones
Font place nette, et l'esprit peut flotter
Making room for clarity, and allowing the mind to wander
Cataleptique, élan cyclopéen
Cataleptic, cyclopean momentum
Zone inhospitalière s'en sortira demain
The inhospitable area will get through tomorrow
Qu'il est loin le soleil
How far the sun is
Reflet dans les piscines aux noyades paisibles et sensuelles
Reflections in the pools of peaceful and sensual drownings
Oh quand même, on aurait pu y arriver
Oh anyway, we could have made it
Juste dans les, juste dans les, juste dans les, juste dans les
Just in the, just in the, just in the, just in the
Délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délais
Delays, delays, delays, delays, delays, delays, delays
Délais, délais, délais, délais, délais, délai
Delays, delays, delays, delays, delays, delay
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
Bfink
i really really love this song, i just can´t get enough of it
Jmc
texte incroyable.....et musique de ouf....
gazou
Truc de dingues ! Comme si c'était hier !!!
F4BROCK
Masterclass 20 ans encore après
Bertrand Fruscini
Yep, je m'en lasse pas même après 20 ans d'écoute
F4BROCK
@Bertrand Fruscini Ouai super morceau peu trop connu malheureusement
Gilles Lelouche
magnifique!!!!!!
sasha
faut pas oublier cette zik c est bon en tous
Letaillieur Arnaud
a ecouter en boucle
Priscille Froidevaux
démiurge démoniaque tu nous manques alors ne te laisse pas déborder les chutes et lambaux de routes étincellent alors revenons au bitume tu es un ange déchu mais indispensable