Noir Désir was a French rock band. The band was founded in Bordeaux, France… Read Full Bio ↴Noir Désir was a French rock band. The band was founded in Bordeaux, France, in 1985 by singer Bertrand Cantat, drummer Denis Barthe, guitarist Serge Teyssot-Gay and bassist Frédéric Vidalenc (replaced in 1996 by Jean-Paul Roy). Over the years, they became famous in France, releasing albums every few years.

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".

Lullaby
Noir Désir Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey would you ?
Hey would you ?
Hey would you be mine ?
Sing a little lullaby
You know I need you
You could paint my mind in blue

But I can't see you smiling

You know I'll be there again
To tear out of you old pains
For now it looks like you don't know
The Things you don't wan't to show

But I can't see you smiling

We could go anywhere you want to go
You see those places where the great wind blows
I don't want to hear you calling

Your mother, your father and your ?
But I can't see you smiling.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Noir Désir's song Lullaby seem to convey a sense of longing for the singer's love interest as he beckons her to sing him a lullaby while expressing his need for her company. He acknowledges her ability to bring color to his dull life but laments her inability to smile, which suggests that she's carrying much bottled-up emotions inside. The singer promises to be there for her in her moments of pain and help her get through it all. He encourages her to explore new horizons with him, leaving behind any emotional baggage that she may have with her parents. However, despite his reassurances, the singer is still unable to get her to smile, which perhaps highlights the extent of her emotional turmoil.

The lines "Sing a little lullaby, You know I need you, You could paint my mind in blue" could be interpreted in different ways. On the one hand, they could depict the singer's desire for the comfort that his love interest's company brings to him. On the other hand, it could be his way of acknowledging the lady's ability to spark creativity in him, thereby painting his world in hues of blue. The repetition of "But I can't see you smiling" creates a sense of foreboding and hints at the underlying emotions that run deeper than the surface.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey would you ?
Asking for attention and presence

Hey would you ?
Echoing the need for attention and presence

Hey would you be mine ?
Requesting for emotional connection

Sing a little lullaby
Seeking comfort and soothing

You know I need you
Acknowledging dependency on someone else

You could paint my mind in blue
Describing the potential impact of someone's influence

But I can't see you smiling
Noticing emotional distance and struggle

You know I'll be there again
Promising support and assistance

To tear out of you old pains
Offering to help overcome past traumas

For now it looks like you don't know
Observing confusion or uncertainty

The Things you don't wan't to show
Noticing a reluctance to reveal emotions