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…
Locomotive
Raphaël Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La locomotive va fort
A chaque virage elle évite
Un contrefort
Les attelages la suivent
Les attelages l'escortent
Et quand le rail dérive l
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais fendu cette crevasse
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais lancé les planètes
La locomotive va vite
La locomotive va fort
Terre acide, véhémente
Serre humide de belles plantes
Quadrupèdes grands stupides
Hominoïdes cupides
Qui n'a pas eu peur à la vue d'une lame à la tête d'une lance?
Qui n'a pas eu peur?
Et si les jours se déroulaient en paix comme jamais
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais fendu cette crevasse
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais lancé les planètes
Qui n'as pas eu peur de la vitesse des locomotives
La locomotive va vite
La locomotive va fort
De quel fléau sommes nous dupes ?
Qui n'a pas eu peur de la vitesse des locomotives ?
In Raphaël's song "Locomotive", the singer reflects on the power and speed of locomotives and draws connections to the human experience. The lyrics describe the locomotive moving quickly and strongly, navigating twists and turns while the rest of the world sleeps. The imagery of the locomotive is used to represent human achievement and determination. The singer suggests that we all have the power to create change and affect the world around us, just as it feels as though we have launched the planets or caused a crevasse to form.
The lyrics also touch on themes of fear and conflict, referencing the historical use of weapons like lances and the potentially destructive power of technology. The singer asks who hasn't been afraid when facing a deadly weapon or the speed of a locomotive. He implies that progress and advancement come with a cost, and questions what we may be sacrificing for the benefits of modern technology.
Overall, "Locomotive" is a thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to consider the impact of their actions and appreciate the power of human achievement.
Line by Line Meaning
La locomotive va vite
The locomotive is moving rapidly
La locomotive va fort
The locomotive is moving with great strength
A chaque virage elle évite / Un contrefort
At every turn, it avoids hitting any obstacle
Les attelages la suivent / Les attelages l'escortent
The wagons follow and accompany it
Et quand le rail dérive l / Le monde dort
And when the rail shifts, the world is sleeping
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais fendu cette crevasse
It feels like I have split open this crevasse
C'est comme si c'était moi qui avais lancé les planètes
It feels like I have launched the planets
Terre acide, véhémente / Serre humide de belles plantes / Quadrupèdes grands stupides / Hominoïdes cupides
Harsh earth and lush greenhouse, giant silly quadrupeds and greedy humanoid beings
Qui n'a pas eu peur à la vue d'une lame à la tête d'une lance? / Qui n'a pas eu peur?
Who hasn't been scared at the sight of a blade at the head of a spear? / Who hasn't been afraid?
Et si les jours se déroulaient en paix comme jamais
What if the days passed in peace like never before
De quel fléau sommes nous dupes? / Qui n'a pas eu peur de la vitesse des locomotives?
What curse are we falling under? / Who hasn't been scared of the speed of locomotives?
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nick Brepøls
Très original pour son époque, à un tel niveau de médiatisation... Je veux dire que peu d'artistes dits de variété française lui ressemble. Il y a bien moins de détours et de concessions dans les oeuvres de Raphael que dans ceux de n'importe quel autre chanteur pop de sa génération.
Prismonic
Love the sound of the wheels chuckchuckchucking along. Great!
Magdabluesable
e foarte frumos cantecu! <3
effen ram
@emmeline49 Je confirme super en concert ^^
Simon Philippe
@Ducavonslap Le mec qui en porte sur sa photo de profil u_u' , c'est juste un style , comme les lunettes de soleil de Dylan , c'est pareil ..
ducavonslap
Les lunettes à soleil attention... Mais quel bobo
Nick Brepøls
@ducavonslap on dit de soleil eh banane
Nick Brepøls
@captainrog *lui ressemblent