[see Jacques Offenbach for the French classical composer]

Offenbach… Read Full Bio ↴[see Jacques Offenbach for the French classical composer]

Offenbach is a Canadian blues rock band formed in Quebec in 1969 by Gerry Boulet, Michael Lamonthe, Jr., and Wezo. The band signed with the independent Barclay label in 1972 and released the French album Offenbach Soap Opera. Four years later, A&M provided a record deal and released the band's self-titled album in 1977. Also released that year was Never Too Tender and another self-titled LP. Lamonthe and Wezo left around that time and were replaced by Pierre Lavoie and Norman Kerr (though Kerr left soon after). In 1979, Offenbach recorded Traversion and added more new members, Breen LeBoeuf and John McVale. Four more studio albums followed — En Fusion (1980), Tonnedebrick (1983), Live a Fond D'Train (1984) and Rockorama (1985) — before the band split up in 1986. Recorded live in Montreal, the Offenbach album, Le Dernier Show, appeared in 1986. Gerry Boulet recorded two solo albums, Presque 40s in 1984 and Rendezvous Doux in 1988.

n 1996, McGale, Gravel and Leboeuf reunited as Offenbach Inc. for a reunion tour. Due to Boulet's death, they selected Martin Deschamps, who had recently won Quebec's L'Empire des futures stars competition, as the band's new vocalist. They toured extensively for two years, and released a greatest hits compilation in 1999. A second volume of hits followed in 2002.

In 2005, the band released Nature, which consisted of acoustic versions of their classic hits. It also includes one new song "L'amour est cruel" (Love is cruel). The music was written by Gravel in the 1980s and the words were later added by Deschamps. A concert at Montrteal's Bell Center on April 1, 2005, marked the 25th anniversary of Offenbach's first Forum show.

In 2018, Offenbach released Renaissance the first disc of new material in 33 years.

Hit and Run
Offenbach Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'ai fait un hit n'run
Un délit d'fuite
On a pris toute not' fun
Un beau trip sans suite
C't'un p'tit souv'nir de rien
Oui, de rien, de rien
Pis là les blues me r'pognent
Les blues du Hit an' Run

Un soir d'étoiles filantes
Pas gelé, même pas saoul
J'ai découvert l'amante
Au creux du mois d'août
C't'un p'tit souv'nir d'été
Qui veut pas s'en aller
Pis là les blues me r'pognent
Les blues du Hit an' Run
Moé, j'ai débarqué
Oui, j'ai déraillé
Solo
Des fois j'la vois dans 'rue
Elle a pas changé
Mais a'me r'connait pu
Comme si c'était pu moé
C't'un p'tit souv'nir d'un soir
Qui m'laisse dans l'noir

Pis là les blues me r'pognent
Les blues du Hit an'

Overall Meaning

Run

In Offenbach's song "Hit and Run," the singer laments about his actions of "hit and run" and the consequences that followed. The lyrics begin with the confession of committing a hit and run, a crime of leaving the scene of an accident, and the result of losing all enjoyment of life without closure. It is a small souvenir of nothing, but the blues of the hit and run have taken hold of the singer's emotions.

The second verse describes a beautiful memory of a summer lover discovered during a night of shooting stars. It is a small souvenir of summer that refuses to go away, and once again, the blues of the hit and run takes hold of the singer's emotions.

The final verse speaks of the aftermath of the hit and run, where the singer sees his lover on the street but is no longer recognized, leaving him with the small souvenir of a memory that leaves him in the dark. The blues of the hit and run once again overtake his emotions, and he is left to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Line by Line Meaning

J'ai fait un hit n'run
I committed a hit and run

Un délit d'fuite
Fled the scene of the crime

On a pris toute not'fun
Our fun was taken away

Un beau trip sans suite
A beautiful trip with no conclusion

C't'un p'tit souv'nir de rien
Just a small, insignificant memory

Oui, de rien, de rien
Yes, of nothing, of nothing

Pis là les blues me r'pognent
Then the blues take hold of me

Les blues du Hit an' Run
The blues of the hit and run

Un soir d'étoiles filantes
A night of shooting stars

Pas gelé, même pas saoul
Not drunk, not even tipsy

J'ai découvert l'amante
I discovered a lover