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".
Si Rien Ne Bouge
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand la menace
Du fond de la cour
Grimpe et me glace
Regarde là-bas
Au bout de mon doigt
Si rien ne bouge
Est-ce que je t'ai dis
L'histoire de cet homme
Qui voulait tout
Des femmes, de l'opium
Moralité
Il est mort alité
Tout passe, tout casse
Le joint, le cul lasse
J'te dis encore
Que l'hiver est mort
Rallonge tes tresses
Allez planque tes fesses
Quand les amoureux
S'ramassent à la pelle
Toutes les feuilles mortes
Se marrent entre elles
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Où elle va cet ombre?
Se perdre au loin
Sur qu'un grand nombre
N'y verra rien
Mon petit feu
Je t'embrasse sur les yeux
Je quitte l'enveloppe
Je t'aime plus qu'un peu
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que rien, que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Que rien n'bouge
The lyrics of "Si Rien Ne Bouge" by Noir Désir express a sense of restlessness and uncertainty in the face of a threatening and unstable world. The singer of the song is writing to someone, perhaps a lover or friend, as a way of coping with this anxiety. The threat is metaphorically represented by the image of something climbing up from the courtyard and freezing the singer. The only solace the singer finds is in pointing out the stillness of the sky, which seems to offer a temporary reprieve from the chaos.
The song then turns to an anecdote about a man who wanted everything - women, opium, etc. - and ended up on his deathbed. The moral of the story, according to the singer, is that everything passes and falls apart eventually. This sentiment is reinforced by the imagery of autumn leaves and lovers gathering them up, while the dead leaves laugh at them. The song ends with the singer saying goodbye and offering a kiss on the eyes, but still acknowledging that there is a chance that nothing will change and the anxiety will remain.
Overall, "Si Rien Ne Bouge" is a bleak meditation on the instability of the world and the human condition, tinged with a sense of nostalgia for simpler times and a desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
J't'écris toujours
Quand la menace
Du fond de la cour
Grimpe et me glace
I always write to you when the threat, lurking from the depths of the courtyard, climbs up and freezes me
Regarde là-bas
Au bout de mon doigt
Si rien ne bouge
Le ciel devient rouge
Look over there, at the end of my finger. If nothing moves, the sky turns red
Est-ce que je t'ai dis
L'histoire de cet homme
Qui voulait tout
Des femmes, de l'opium
Did I tell you the story of that man who wanted everything: women, opium?
Moralité
Il est mort alité
Tout passe, tout casse
Le joint, le cul lasse
The moral of the story is that he died in bed. Everything comes and goes, joints and asses eventually get tired
J'te dis encore
Que l'hiver est mort
Rallonge tes tresses
Allez planque tes fesses
I'm telling you again, winter is dead. Let your hair grow longer and hide your butt
Quand les amoureux
S'ramassent à la pelle
Toutes les feuilles mortes
Se marrent entre elles
When lovers pick each other up with a shovel, all the dead leaves laugh together
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
There's a chance that nothing will move, there's a chance that nothing will move
Où elle va cet ombre?
Se perdre au loin
Sur qu'un grand nombre
N'y verra rien
Where is that shadow going? To disappear in the distance where a great number of people won't see it
Mon petit feu
Je t'embrasse sur les yeux
Je quitte l'enveloppe
Je t'aime plus qu'un peu
My little fire, I kiss your eyes. I'm leaving this letter and I love you more than just a little
Il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Et il y a des chances que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que rien, que rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Rien n'bouge
Il y a des chances que
Que rien n'bouge
There's a chance that nothing will move, and there's a chance that nothing will move, and there's a chance that nothing will move, and there's a chance that nothing will move, there's a chance that nothing, nothing will move. There's a chance that nothing will move. There's a chance that nothing will move. There's a chance that nothing will move.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bertrand Cantat, Frederic Vidalenc, Serge Teyssot-Gay, Denis Barthe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind