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".
Tostaky
Noir Désir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Des autoroutes en friche
Diagonales perdues
Et des droites au hasard
Des femmes sans visage
À l'atterissage
Soyons désinvoltes
N'ayons l'air de rien
Para la queja mexica
Este sueño de América
Celebremos la aluna
De siempre, ahorita
Et les branleurs trainent
Dans la rue
Et ils envoient ça aux étoiles
Perdues
Encore combien à attendre
Combien à attendre
Combien à attendre
Encore combien à attendre
Encore combien à attendre
Tostaky
Le fond du continent
L'or du nouveau monde
Pyramides jetables
Hommes d'affaires impeccables
Quand la pluie de sagesse
Pourrit sur les trottoirs
Notre mère la terre
Étonné moi
Para la queja mexica
Este sueño de América
Celebremos la aluna
De siempre, ahorita
Pendre les fantômes
Cortez
Et pourrir à l'ombre
Cortez
De l'Amérique vendue
À des gyrophares crus
Pour des nouveaux faisceaux
Pour des nouveaux soleils
Pour des nouveaux rayons
Pour des nouveaux soleils
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Aquí, aquí para nosotros
Aquí para nosotros
Tostaky
Bien reçu
Tous les messages
Ils disent qu'ils ont compris
Qu'il n'y a plus le choix
Que l'esprit qui souffle
Guidera leurs pas
Qu'arrivent les derniers temps ou
Nous pourrons parler
Alors soyons désinvoltes
N'ayons l'air de rien
Soyons désinvoltes
N'ayons l'air de rien
Soyons désinvoltes
N'ayons l'air de rien
Soyons désinvoltes
N'ayons l'air de rien, rien
The first verse of Noir Désir's Tostaky describes flying above cities and abandoned highways, with no particular direction or plan. The imagery of "women without faces" suggests a sense of anonymity and disconnection. The lyrics then shift to a Spanish-language chorus that celebrates the "dream of America" and the beauty of the moon.
The second verse discusses the exploitation and destruction of the American continent and its resources, with disposable pyramids and impeccable businessmen. The reference to "our mother earth" shows a concern for the planet's welfare. The last chorus encourages a nonchalant attitude towards the chaos and uncertainty of the world, with the phrase "let's not look like anything."
Overall, Tostaky is a commentary on the state of the world, with a focus on the exploitation of resources, the loss of direction and purpose, and the need for a more casual attitude towards difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Nous survolons des villes
We fly over cities
Des autoroutes en friche
Abandoned highways
Diagonales perdues
Lost diagonals
Et des droites au hasard
And random straight lines
Des femmes sans visage
Women without faces
À l'atterissage
At landing
Soyons désinvoltes
Let's be carefree
N'ayons l'air de rien
Let's not look like anything
Para la queja mexica
For the Mexican complaint
Este sueño de América
This dream of America
Celebremos la aluna
Let's celebrate the moon
De siempre, ahorita
Forever, and now
Et les branleurs trainent
And the slackers hang out
Dans la rue
In the street
Et ils envoient ça aux étoiles
And they send it to the stars
Perdues
Lost
Encore combien à attendre
How much longer do we have to wait?
Tostaky
Tostaky
Le fond du continent
The bottom of the continent
L'or du nouveau monde
The gold of the new world
Pyramides jetables
Disposable pyramids
Hommes d'affaires impeccables
Impeccable businessmen
Quand la pluie de sagesse
When the rain of wisdom
Pourrit sur les trottoirs
Rots on the sidewalks
Notre mère la terre
Our Mother Earth
Étonné moi
Surprises me
Pendre les fantômes
Hang the ghosts
Cortez
Cortez
Et pourrir à l'ombre
And rot in the shadows
De l'Amérique vendue
Of America sold
À des gyrophares crus
To raw lightbars
Pour des nouveaux faisceaux
For new beams
Pour des nouveaux soleils
For new suns
Pour des nouveaux rayons
For new rays
Aquí para nosotros
Here for us
Ils disent qu'ils ont compris
They say they understood
Qu'il n'y a plus le choix
That there's no longer a choice
Que l'esprit qui souffle
That the spirit that blows
Guidera leurs pas
Will guide their steps
Qu'arrivent les derniers temps ou
When the last times arrive
Nous pourrons parler
We can talk
Alors soyons désinvoltes
So let's be carefree
N'ayons l'air de rien
Let's not look like anything
Soyons désinvoltes
Let's be carefree
N'ayons l'air de rien
Let's not look like anything
Soyons désinvoltes
Let's be carefree
N'ayons l'air de rien
Let's not look like anything
Soyons désinvoltes
Let's be carefree
N'ayons l'air de rien, rien
Let's not look like anything, nothing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bertrand Cantat, Denis Barthe, Frederic Vidalenc, Serge Teyssot Gay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind