The band was founded in the mid-80's by songwriters Eric Fettweis and Pierre Béraud-Sudreau. Although they wrote all of the band's material together, both felt that a band "had to have 3 members" so a third member, Dominique Delaby, was added to the line-up. However, he left the band quickly after the release of their first 7" to pursue a career in advertising. He was briefly replaced by another "third guy", Laurent Letrillard, for the release of their second 7", but things didn't work out with him either, so the band decided to finally stick to their initial two-person lineup.
The band's career began when their first 7", aptly called "Partenaire Particulier", became one of the big hits of the year 1985 in France, going platinum and reaching position 3 in the charts. The track defined the style of the band: upbeat pop, with prominent use of synthesizers and drum machines.
A second single entitled "Je N'Oublierai Jamais" was released in 1986, following the lineup change. It was less suscessful than "Partenaire Particulier" but still did well in the charts and reinforced the band's fame.
Later that year, they released their first LP, "Jeux Interdits", which comprised the two hit singles and added 6 more songs, the highlight of the album being certainly the New Order-esque closer "Seul Ce Soir".
To promote this first album, the band chose to release its opening track, "Elle Est Partie", as a 7". As catchy as the previous singles, the song was illustrated by a clip shot in black and white. Incidentally, it was also the last of the band's single to chart in France.
Indeed, their fourth single, "Tiphaine", didn't chart. Still, in 1988, Partenaire Particulier released their second studio album, "Le Chant Des Vautours", but, like its two singles ("L'Armée" and a reworked version of "L'Amour A Trois"), it flopped completely and that lack of success meant the end of Partenaire Particulier.
In the early 90s, Eric Fettweis and Pierre Béraud-Sudreau released a bunch of dance tracks under alternative aliases. In 2003, a project of reunion spawned several new tracks but nothing was officially released.
In 2007, Partenaire Particulier resurfaced thanks to a tour organised by a French radio to "revive" French artists from the 1980s. The band appeared on TV again to perform old songs. Following this reappearance, the band announced that they were going to release a 3-cd set containing their first two albums, as well as an extra CD of rarities and/or new content. The release date has yet to be announced.
Two "best-of" compilations of the band were released, respectively in 1993 and 1999. The CD versions of their albums are hard to find and are sold at a very expensive price on used goods sites.
Despite their disappearance and meteoric success, Partenaire Particulier has remained popular thanks to the renewed success of their first single, which has been featured countless times on various 80s/new wave/synthpop compilations.
Qu'alllons nous devenir
Partenaire Particulier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et tant de murs à détruire,
Il y a tant de pages à écrire,
Et tant de mots à y inscrire !
Trop de choses à reconstruire,
Trop de règles à retenir,
Trop de travail à produire,
A quoi bon se mentir ?
Qu'allons-nous devenir ?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Il y a tant de peuples à conduire,
Et tant de bouches à nourrir,
Tant de visages à faire sourire,
Et tant d'échecs encore à subir !
A quoi bon se mentir ?
Qu'allons-nous devenir ?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Trop de promesses à tenir,
Trop de laideur à recouvrir,
Trop de malades à guérir,
Et tant de cadeaux à leur offrir !
A quoi bon se mentir ?
Qu'allons-nous devenir ?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Tant de mondes à découvrir,
Tant de routes encore à choisir,
Tant de questions sur l'avenir,
Mais tant d'obstacles à franchir !
A quoi bon se mentir ?
Qu'allons-nous devenir ?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
The lyrics of "Qu'allons-nous devenir" by Partenaire Particulier speak to the overwhelming challenges and uncertainties that we face in life. The song expresses the sentiment that there are so many doors to open and walls to break, symbolizing the many opportunities and obstacles we encounter. Likewise, there are countless pages to write and words to inscribe, representing the vast potential for self-expression and communication.
The lyrics also highlight the pressures and demands placed upon us. There's a sense of the burden of having to rebuild and reconstruct things, as well as the need to conform to rules and work tirelessly. Additionally, there is a commentary on the need to impress and win over others ('cons'), suggesting the importance of social approval in our lives.
The recurring question "A quoi bon se mentir?" ("What's the use of lying to oneself?") suggests a reflection on the necessity of honesty and confronting the reality of our situation. It emphasizes the uncertainty of what we will become in the face of these challenges. The song also raises questions about whether we will have the time, strength, and resources (symbolized by gold and silver) to navigate these obstacles and achieve our goals.
The lyrics further touch on the responsibility we have towards others. The mention of leading peoples, feeding mouths, making faces smile, healing the sick, and giving gifts reflects the desire to make a positive impact on the world and help those in need. However, there's also an acknowledgment of the difficulty in fulfilling these obligations.
In the final verses, the lyrics speak to the vastness of the world and the multitude of choices and uncertainties that lie ahead. While there are many worlds to discover and roads to choose, there are also many questions about the future and numerous obstacles to overcome. Again, the question of whether we will have the time, strength, and resources recurs, emphasizing the doubt and apprehension surrounding our future.
Overall, "Qu'allons-nous devenir" is a contemplative song that reflects on the challenges, responsibilities, and uncertainties we encounter in life. It encourages introspection and raises questions about our ability to rise above these obstacles and achieve our aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
On a tant de portes à ouvrir
We have so many doors to open
Et tant de murs à détruire
And so many walls to destroy
Il y a tant de pages à écrire
There are so many pages to write
Et tant de mots à y inscrire !
And so many words to inscribe in them!
Trop de choses à reconstruire
Too many things to rebuild
Trop de règles à retenir
Too many rules to remember
Trop de travail à produire
Too much work to produce
Et tant et tant de cons à séduire !
And so many idiots to seduce!
A quoi bon se mentir ?
What's the point of lying to ourselves?
Qu'allons-nous devenir ?
What will we become?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Will we have the time
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Will we have the strength, the gold and the money?
Il y a tant de peuples à conduire
There are so many peoples to lead
Et tant de bouches à nourrir
And so many mouths to feed
Tant de visages à faire sourire
So many faces to make smile
Et tant d'échecs encore à subir !
And so many failures yet to endure!
Trop de promesses à tenir
Too many promises to keep
Trop de laideur à recouvrir
Too much ugliness to cover
Trop de malades à guérir
Too many sick people to heal
Et tant de cadeaux à leur offrir !
And so many gifts to offer them!
Tant de mondes à découvrir
So many worlds to discover
Tant de routes encore à choisir
So many roads still to choose
Tant de questions sur l'avenir
So many questions about the future
Mais tant d'obstacles à franchir !
But so many obstacles to overcome!
Aurons-nous le temps,
Will we have the time
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Will we have the strength, the gold and the money?
Aurons-nous le temps,
Will we have the time
Aurons-nous la force, l'or et l'argent ?
Will we have the strength, the gold and the money?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eric Fettweis, Chris Music
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Collective Music Charity
Génial le clip !!! Un très grand bravo !!!
Sylvain WILLAIME
Excellent titre comme d'habitude avec ce super groupe que j'adore depuis le début. Pour moi, le troisième meilleur groupe français après Taxi-Girl et Indochine!
THE FLYNITE
Malheureusement complètement etouffes par leur premier hit...je savais meme pas qu ils avaient fais autre chose, surtout récemment...ceci dit pas vraiment de son a eux, la c est on dirait de l indochine clairement..
Pierre S
10/10 , Great 👍
COLLECTION SOUNDS
JUST GREAT
Alrex
Pourquoi c'est pas connu
THE FLYNITE
Etouffés par leur premier tube....moi meme je savais pas qu ils avaient fais autre chose, surtout récemment
Olivier Vaes
Je suis unatre particulier