Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as … Read Full Bio ↴Pierpoljak
Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as the White Rasta, has not always espoused Rastafarism. Far from it, in fact. The singer has followed a fairly tortuous path to fame, with many ups and downs in his personal life, before achieving his current success.
Born in Paris on 7 September 1964, Pierpoljak (whose real name is Pierre) grew up in Colombes in the Paris suburbs. Pierre was a difficult adolescent who got into all sorts of trouble and in the mid-70s he got involved in the punk/skinhead movement. It was around the same time that he took his first steps as a musician, playing bass with a local band called Samu 92. Pierre’s passion for punk eventually led to him moving to London in 1981 where he threw himself into the violent, aggressive sound of the "No future" movement. Living in a squat in Stockwell, in south-west London, Pierre gradually came to discover reggae through his Jamaican-born neighbours, listening to the likes of Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals. This proved to be a big musical revelation for him.
Pierre eventually returned to France and got into trouble with the authorities, ending up serving time in Fleury-Mérogis prison. When he got out of jail, the young adventurer decided to take to the high seas, travelling round the Caribbean. Pierre signed up as a member of the crew of a cargo ship and spent the next few years sailing round the French West Indies and the Dominican Republic (an island he grew particularly fond of).
On his return to France, Pierre took up his old musical activities once again and began to make a name for himself on the Paris underground scene, performing under the pseudonym Brada Peter, then Peter Pan. He managed to get two of his earliest tracks onto the 1994 compilation "Earthquake", an album which also featured up-and-coming reggae stars such as Saï Saï and Tonton David.
Success story
By 1991, Pierre - who, by that point, had changed his stage name to Pierpoljak - was living in the countryside with a wife and child to support. He had started writing and composing his own material in his home studio and his songs soon came to the attention of a major label, Barclay, who offered him a recording contract in 1995.
1996 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s debut album, entirely recorded in the comfort of his own home. One of the songs on it, "La Music", ended up remixed by legendary reggae producer Clive Hunt and this boosted the success of Pierpoljak’s album, giving it a second lease of life. A few months later, a new version of the album was released as "En Jamaïca", featuring a number of Jamaican DJs toasting on several tracks including "Annie" and "Touriste à Babylone." Meanwhile, Pierpoljak threw a great deal of time and energy into the live circuit, performing a hectic round of concerts and appearing at the famous Transmusicales festival in Rennes in 1997.
After the experience he had acquired in the studio and on the live circuit, Pierpoljak decided the time had come to fulfill one of his oldest dreams and he flew out to record a new album in Jamaica with Clive Hunt. Working in the legendary Tuff Gong studios in Kingston Town, the French reggaeman teamed up with some of the hottest names on the local music scene including drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace and guitarist Earl "China" Smith.
Pierpoljak’s second album, "Kingston Karma", released in June 1998, featured fourteen tracks with superbly-crafted lyrics. It also included an extraordinary reworking of John Lennon’s "Instant Karma", characterised by Pierpoljak’s signature vocal drawl. The first single release from the album, the catchy "Je sais pas jouer", set the tone for what was to come, proving that French reggae could finally branch out onto the musical mainstream and follow rap to the top of the charts
Pierpoljak set off on an extensive national tour in 1998, taking his infectious reggae sound up and down the country. He put in a number of appearances at major French music festivals during the tour and appeared at the Printemps de Bourges in April 1999.
After his own personal breakthrough on the French music scene, Pierpoljak embarked upon a collective project in 2000, aimed at demonstrating that Gallic reggae had now emerged in a league of its own. With a helping hand from Jamaican drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Pierpoljak got a number of young up-and-coming reggae stars such as Flamengo, Asher, Dynamik and Mathieu Ruben together with a bunch of reggae veterans including Daddy Yod, Supa John, Daddy Mory (a former member of Raggasonic) and Pablo Master. And the whole crew went into the studio together to record "+2coeur=soleil", a personal homage to Pierpoljak’s favourite sound.
Pierpoljak returned to the studio almost immediately afterwards on his own account to begin work on his next solo album, "Je fais c’que j’veux." Once again, he headed out to Kingston, Jamaica, to work with his old friend, Clive Hunt. But he took a very different approach from his first album, arriving in Jamaica with his songs already written this time. Musically speaking, Pierpoljak’s second album was a pure reggae affair, but in terms of the lyrics "Je fais c’que j’veux" drew heavily on the singer’s own personal experiences with a number of openly autobiographical songs such as "Né dans les rues de Paris" (Born on the streets of Paris) and the first single release, "Dépareillé" (The odd one out).
This second album proved to be a huge hit, earning Pierpoljak a double gold disc in sales. But, unfortunately, the singer fell ill while he was out on the road promoting "Je fais c’que j’veux" and underwent a prolonged stay in hospital. At this point, Pierpoljak began seriously questioning whether he had any kind of future in the music business at all. Beset by doubts, he decided to take to the seas once again, setting sail from the Martinican capital Fort-de-France and stopping off at the Canaries and Cape Verde along the way. It was while enjoying another brief stop in Grenada (the Windward Islands) that Pierpoljak happened to hear a burst of local ragga playing on someone’s radio. The experience rekindled his musical spark and, after not picking up his guitar once in four months, the White Rasta was suddenly motivated to start singing and playing again.
Back in Paris, Pierpoljak surrounded himself with positive vibes and threw himself back into songwriting with a vengeance. This proved to be a highly productive period for the singer. Finally, at the beginning of 2003, Pierpoljak headed out to the Tuff Gong studios once again to begin work on a new album.
Resolutely roots
September 2003 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s fourth album, "Stim Turban." This was intended to be a resolutely authentic ‘roots’ affair with no added effects or embellishments. This time round, Pierpoljak did not work with producer Clive Hunt, but took care of everything himself (from the songwriting and the arrangements to the final mix). In the making of this fourth album, the French reggaeman worked with the ‘crème de la crème’ of Jamaican musicians, forming a band called Stim Turban - after whom this fourth album was named. Following the release of the album, "Général PK" embarked upon an intensive series of concerts and performed at a number of major French and international music festivals.
After a trip to Tahiti, Pierpoljak was invited to perform at the Reggae Donn Sa festival in Mauritius in August 2005. He returned to the Indian Ocean region in November of that year for a concert in La Réunion.
In January 2006, Pierpoljak took part in a special ‘Francophone reggae’ night organised at the Elysée-Montmartre, in Paris. On this occasion Pierpoljak shared the stage with the likes of Tonton David and the Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly. And he teamed up with the latter for a live version of "Si Si", a duet which featured on his album "Je blesserai personne" released in March 2006.
Working with an artistic director for the first time in his career (despite the fact that he had publicly ridiculed the profession of artistic director on his hit "J'sais pas jouer"), Pierpoljak recorded a number of new songs for his new album in France with French musicians. Then he headed off to Jamaica, where he hooked up with producer Clive Hunt once again and worked in a recording studio owned by Shaggy. Pierpoljak’s new album, "Je blesserai personne", was much more musically diverse than his previous work and less obviously formatted Kingston reggae-style. In fact, "Je blesserai personne" seemed to mark a major turning-point in the French reggae singer’s career, its release coinciding with him cutting off his dreadlocks and breaking away from his Jamaican look.
Another Pierpoljak album, entitled "Chéper", was released later that same year and sold exclusively at the singer’s concerts and via his website. Meanwhile, Pierpoljak appeared on the reggae compilation "Il est cinq heures, Kingston s'éveille" (performing his own reggae-fied version of "J'ai encore rêvé d'elle" by the group Il était une fois). He also recorded a duet with the Japanese artist Tomuya which featured on Tomuya’s album "Un Japonais à Paris" (released in March 2007).
July 2007 saw the release of "Tuff Gong Blues", an album distributed in Germany but not in France. In fact, the album was released in Germany not under Pierpoljak’s name, but under the pseudonym Pekah. The songs on the album (almost all of them in English) had been recorded around the time of "Je fais c'que j'veux" and were produced by Clive Hunt. The majority of them were written by Doniki (a singer who appeared on Pierpoljak’s first Jamaican album in 1997). "Tuff Gong Blues" featured seven duets with Jamaican artists such as Horace Andy and Anthony B as well as an interesting reworking of Dennis Brown’s reggae classic "Money In My Pocket." Coinciding with the release of "Tuff Gong Blues" in Germany, Pierpoljak performed a concert in Berlin at the end of July
Je Descends Le Bar
Pierpoljak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Je Descends Le Bar" is a song by Pierpoljak that tells a story of a man who has been dealt a bad hand in life and has turned to alcohol as a means of escape. The lyrics talk about how the man drinks every last drop of alcohol in the bar and then stumbles out onto the sidewalk, where he may need to be taken to the hospital. Pierpoljak sings about how the man is not doing well in his job and has been forced to leave it, and how he is not doing well in his personal life, as evidenced by his weight loss and lack of appetite.
The song makes reference to the rat race that many people feel trapped in, with Pierpoljak singing about how the man wants to break free from the system and the machinations of daily life. The song emphasizes the idea of living life to the fullest, even if it means drinking and partying until one is physically unable to continue. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation, with the man seeking a way out of his current existence.
One interesting fact about "Je Descends Le Bar" is that it is a track on Pierpoljak's 1998 album "Je Fais C'que J'veux," which means "I Do What I Want" in English. The album features a mix of reggae, ska, and rock influences, and "Je Descends Le Bar" is one of the album's standout tracks. Another interesting fact is that Pierpoljak is a French musician who is known for his socially conscious lyrics and his commitment to activism.
Line by Line Meaning
Je bois tout le bar
I am drinking everything at the bar
Je descends tout le bar
I am emptying everything at the bar
Je bois tout le bar
I am drinking everything at the bar
Je descends tout le bar
I am emptying everything at the bar
Vous pourrez me voir évanoui sur le trottoir
You may see me unconscious on the sidewalk
Vous pourrez appeler l'ambulance pour un blessé
You may call an ambulance for a wounded person
C'est vrai qu'en ce moment j'ai pas beaucoup de chance
It's true that I don't have much luck lately
Les supers moments ne pèsent pas lourds dans la balance
The great moments do not weigh much in the balance
Au bureau du Taff j'vais pas trop en faire
I will not work too much at the Taff office
J'me suis fait dégraiss-man à cause du nerf de la guerre
I got laid off because of the nerve of war
Je vais pas rentrer chez moi pour jouer la comédie
I am not going back home to play a comedy
Salut les enfants tiens tu es là chérie
Hello children, oh there you are, darling
Non je vais plutôt me trouver une bonne bouteille
No, I'll rather find a good bottle
Remarque si elle est mauvaise ça sera pareil
However, if it's bad, it'll be the same
J'ai besoin de me déchirer pour ne plus cogiter
I need to get wasted to stop thinking
Laisse-moi s'il te plaît me reposer
Please, let me rest
Ce soir c'est bar après bar après bar
Tonight, it's bar after bar after bar
Vous pourrez me voir évanoui sur le trottoir
You may see me unconscious on the sidewalk
Vous pourrez appeler l'ambulance pour un blessé
You may call an ambulance for a wounded person
C'est vrai que ces temps-ci j'ai beaucoup maigri
It's true that I have lost a lot of weight lately
Je le vois dans les yeux des femmes et dans ceux des amis
I see it in women's and friends' eyes
C'est pas que je sois malade mais je ne mange presque pas
It's not that I'm sick, I just don't eat much
La nourriture en boîte d'où vient-elle je ne sais pas
I don't know where canned food comes from
J'veux sortir des rouages de la grande machine
I want to get out of the great machine's gears
Mes idoles sont Jack Herer et Jacques Mesrine
My idols are Jack Herer and Jacques Mesrine
Et puis la vie me saoule avec tout son vacarme
Life bores me with all its noise
Tu baises tu bouffes tu chies tu fais la queue et tu carmes
You fuck, you eat, you shit, you wait in line, and you die
Coincé dans bagnoles je commençais à suffoquer
Stuck in cars, I started to suffocate
Quand j'ouvre la portière d'un grand coup de pied
When I kick open the door
J'ai laissé ma Vago sous les yeux médusés des blaireaux
I left my Vago in front of amazed idiots
J'me suis dirigé d'un pas tranquille vers le métro
I walked calmly towards the metro
J'appellerai pas ma femme j'appellerai personne
I won't call my wife, I won't call anyone
J'entends déjà les voix des enfants qui résonnent
I already hear the voices of children echoing
Rien ne pourrait me stopper rien ne pourrait m'arrêter
Nothing could stop me, nothing could hold me back
La ville est assez grande pour y vivre caché
The city is big enough to live hidden
Oh oui ce soir pour moi la vie moi va commencer
Oh yes, tonight, life will begin for me
Bois tout le bar Je descends le bar
Drink everything at the bar, I empty the bar
Bois tout le bar Je descends le bar
Drink everything at the bar, I empty the bar
Descends le bar Je bois tout le bar
Empty the bar, I drink everything at the bar
Je descends le bar Je bois tout le bar
I empty the bar, I drink everything at the bar
Ce soir c'est bar après bar après bar
Tonight, it's bar after bar after bar
Ce soir c'est bar après bar après bar
Tonight, it's bar after bar after bar
Vous pourrez me voir évanoui sur le trottoir
You may see me unconscious on the sidewalk
Vous pourrez appeler l'ambulance pour un blessé
You may call an ambulance for a wounded person
Contributed by Alyssa B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dylan Saumureau
Je bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Je bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Vous pourrez me voir
Evanoui sur le trotoir
Vous pourrez appellez
L'ambulance pour un blesser
C'est vrai qu'en ce moment j'ai pas beaucoup de chance
Les super moment pèsent pas lourd dans la balance
Au bureau du taf je vais trop en faire
Je m'suis fait des graisse man
A cause du nerf de la guerre
Je vais pas rentré chez moi pour jouer la comédie
Salut les enfants, tiens tu es la chérie
Non je vais plutôt me trouver une bonne bouteille
Remarque si elle est mauvaise ca sera pareille
J'ai besoin de me déchiré pour ne plus cogiter
Laisse moi s'il te plaît me reposer
Je bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Je bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Ce soir c'est bar, après bar, après bar (x2)
Vous pourrez me voir
Evanoui sur le trotoir
Vous pourrez appellez
L'ambulance pour un blesser
C'est vrai que c'est temps-ci j'ai beaucoup maigris
Je le vois dans les yeux des femmes et ceux des amis
C'est pas que je sois malade mais je ne mange presque pas
La nourriture en boit d'où vient-elle, je ne sais pas
Je veux sortir des rouages de la grande machine
Mes idols sont Jack Herer et Jacques Mesrine
Je veux sortir des rouages de la grande machine
Mes idols sont Jack Herer et Jacques Mesrine
Et puis la ville me soul avec tout son vacarme
Tu baises tu bouffes tu chies tu fais la queue et tu carmes
Coincés dans les bagnoles je commencé à suffoqué
Quand j'ouvre la portière d'un grand coup de pied
J'ai laissé ma Vago sous les yeux médusés des blaireaux
J'me suis dirigé d'un pas tranquille vers le métro
J'appelerai pas ma femme j'appelerai personne
J'entends déjà les voix des enfants qui résonnent
Rien ne pourrait me stopper rien ne pourrait m'arrêter
La ville est assez grande pour y vivre caché
Oui ce soir pour moi la vie moi va commencer
Ce soir pour moi la vie moi va commencer
Bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Descends le bar
Je bois tout le bar
Je descends le bar
Je bois tout le bar
Ce soir c'est bar après bar après bar (x2)
Ce soi je cash, je quitte tout le bar (x2)
Vous pourrez me voir
Evanoui sur le trotoir
Vous pourrez appellez
L'ambulance pour un blesser
Je descends le bar
Je bois tout le bar
Tommy Mienee
J'adore encore 2021 cest indémodable ce titre, j'écoute sa avec mon papa depuis que je suis petit jai 22 ans maintenant.
Merci Pierpoljak pour ces merveille 😍
Nynjah
Elle donne grave le smile cette song
geremdu85
2022!!!👍👍👍👍
Adam K
Ça s’ecoute toujours aussi bien 🍾✌️
Momobin29
Tjrs 😉
H2o
La plume, la voix, la musique......le combo parfait 💚💛🖤
Patrick Chablin
Une tuerie comme toujours merci à toi Pierre Paul Jacques tu as bercé mon enfance et encore maintenant 20 ans après
dylan gillet
Toujours la en 2022 et j'en ai descendu depuis 1998 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺👌👍😉😉
dylan gillet
Yeah ta mis le feu au nomade j'en ai perdus ma voix pendant 4jours big up pierpoljak
Lionel Wakula
On descend toujours le bar hein !!