1) Raphaël Haroche, born on 7 November 1975 in Paris, Île-de-France, France, is a French singer who performs under the name Raphael. His father is Russian and his mother is from Argentina.
He began his public career with the song "Cela Nous Aurait Suffi (Dayenou)", featured on his critically-acclaimed debut album Hôtel de l'Univers in 2001. His first major public hit was "Sur La Route", a duet with French long-time rock legend Jean-Louis Aubert. His second album, La Réalité (2003), was met with successes both critical and commercial, and Raphael has been on the road ever since, playing gigs all over France. After the release of super-hit album Caravane, best-selling French LP of 2005 helped by catchy-yet-thought-provoking tunes such as "Caravane," "Ne Partons Pas Fâchés," "Et dans 150 ans," or "Schengen", he went on to win three 'Victoires de la Musique'.
His current partner is Mélanie Thierry (actress and model).
2) Pianist and composer Phil Raphaël was born in New York in 1930 and an active member of the capital of bop’s music scene during the 1950s, occasionally playing with Charlie Parker and saxophonist John Eardley. The only recorded trace of his activities is a session he did with the legendary trumpet player Red Rodney for the Prestige label in 1951. According to the liner notes, Phil Raphael also played in Tommy Dorsey and Stan Kenton’s big bands – although there is no recorded proof of this – and moved to Las Vegas for a while. It is unknown exactly when he appeared on the Belgian scene, nor when he disappeared from the musical life of Brussels, but he did play at the Pol’s club where his wife worked as a cloakroom assistant during the 1970s. The recording session for ‘Stop, Look, Listen’ took place on 3rd June 1972 and although the character and story of the leader remain a mystery, his Belgian accompanists were well-known figures on the Brussels scene. Drummer Robert Pernet, vibraphone player and percussionist Johnny Perret and double bass player Paul Dubois played and recorded with Toots Thielemans, Bobby Jaspar and many others for thirty years or so. Unfortunately, Paul Dubois, the only surviving member of the rhythm section, who played just this once with the pianist, has no memory of Raphael or of the opera singer Rose Thompson, whose voice lights up the arrangements. However, the real mystery surrounding this album - even more than the circumstances in which it came into existence - is the magical nature of the compositions. Raphael manages to create a unique alchemy on every track, a harmonious blend of very different musical styles: be-bop, opera, free jazz, and rock. Many musicians tried their hand at fusion around that time, but this album is unequalled in its lyrical, poetic chemistry. Stop, look, listen…
La meute
Raphaël Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moi le laissé pour compte
De cette meute animale
De ce monde catastrophe
Qui s'emballe qui s'emballe
Et j'ouvre mon cœur à ces balles
À ces tireurs de flèches
Qui m'ont cloués des nues
À l'arrière des maisons
Sous ma lune en goudron
Et j'ai fait le tour de séjours atroces
Sans mal sans mal
Et j'ai fait le tour de cette lune féroce
Sans mal sans mal
In Raphael's song La Meute, he describes himself as the outsider of the animal pack, the one that is left behind. He is living in a world that is falling into chaos, as the pack becomes more aggressive and uncontrollable. He feels the need to show his strength to the other members of the pack, and he does so by opening himself up to the bullets and arrows that they shoot at him. Raphael's lyrics are symbolic of the violence that can occur in relationships and society, and how one can either succumb to the violence or stand up to it.
Raphael talks about the inhumanity of this animal pack and the way they are destroying everything around them. He also mentions the shooters who have wounded and taken him down from the heights he once enjoyed. All of these painful experiences have made him stronger and more resilient. Raphael talks of his journey through the horrors he has witnessed and endured, and how he has come out the other side, physically unscathed but emotionally scarred. The lyrics are evocative of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Je dois à tout prix te montrer ma force
I feel like I have something to prove to you, even though I've always been seen as an outsider.
Moi le laissé pour compte
I'm used to being left out and ignored by others.
De cette meute animale
I feel like I'm part of a pack of wild animals, all trying to survive in a hectic and unpredictable world.
De ce monde catastrophe
The world feels like a disaster and everything seems to be spinning out of control.
Qui s'emballe qui s'emballe
Things are moving too fast and I'm struggling to keep up with everything.
Et j'ouvre mon cœur à ces balles
I've opened myself up to being hurt and vulnerable, willing to take emotional bullets for others.
À ces tireurs de flèches
I'm facing people who are attacking me just because I'm different than them.
Ces visages pales
These people are ghostly and almost lifeless, as if they're not fully human.
Qui m'ont cloués des nues
Their words and actions have left me feeling shocked and elevated, as if I'm floating on clouds.
À l'arrière des maisons
I'm huddled behind buildings, trying to find shelter from the chaos and violence outside.
Sous ma lune en goudron
I'm under a dark, oppressive moon that seems to bring only misery and despair.
Et j'ai fait le tour de séjours atroces
I've been through some truly horrific experiences, but somehow managed to survive them all.
Sans mal sans mal
I've come out relatively unscathed, despite all the trauma and pain I've endured.
Et j'ai fait le tour de cette lune féroce
Even though I've faced so many challenges, I'm still here and I'm still fighting to survive.
Sans mal sans mal
And despite everything, I'm still standing strong and refusing to give up.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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