Sébastien Tellier is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Pa… Read Full Bio ↴Sébastien Tellier is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Paris, France. He is currently signed to Record Makers.

Tellier's first album, L'incroyable Vérité (The Incredible Truth), was released in 2001. Tellier went on tour with Air in support of the album. The track " Fantino" off the album was chosen by Sofia Coppola for the soundtrack to her 2003 film "Lost in Translation". Tellier followed L'incroyable Vérité with his second studio album Politics (2005). A particularly popular song from Politics was "La Ritournelle", a string-led tune, which featured Nigerian drummer, Tony Allen of Fela Kuti fame. "La Ritournelle" was remixed by various artists, notably in Britain by Metronomy.

Since the release of Politics, Tellier has also recorded an acoustic album of his more popular songs, Sessions (2006). The album was repackaged for the British market as Universe (2006), to include both highlights from the French CD, as well as compositions from Tellier's score for the film Narco.
His third studio album Sexuality was produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Like his previous album Politics, Tellier used a single term as title and theme of the album.

On 7 March 2008, it was announced by Bruno Berberes, head of EBU delegation in France, that Tellier would represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It was held in Belgrade on 24 May 2008. Tellier sang "Divine". This was the first time in the history of the contest that the nominated French entry was to be performed largely in English, which caused controversy, leading to Tellier pledging to increase the amount of French in the song prior to the competition itself.

Ketchup vs Genocide
Sébastien Tellier Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Steel horse over Navajos
Your gun against our tomahawk
We're the sons of the sacrifice
Kinda savage in the madman's eyes
Ain't no blue sky over red indians
And I know some day I will change it all
I'll build a heaven for my squaw

That's all right we've scalped granpa
Made hairdoes from the old times
Ketchup versus genocide
Kinda savage is the madman's eyes
Ain't no blue sky over dead indians
And I know some day I will change it all
I'll build a heaven for my squaw

You walked on us like on rugs
Dragged our spirit through the dirt
Ketchup versus genocide
Kinda savage in the madman's eyes

My squaw
Indian
Granpa
Indian

Heaven
Too high

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Ketchup vs Genocide" by Sébastien Tellier delve into the complex and problematic history of Native American oppression and the white colonization of America. The opening lines of "Steel horse over Navajos" allude to the arrival of the European settlers on horsebacks who began to take over land from various Native American tribes. The line "Your gun against our tomahawk" highlights the violent nature of this takeover, with the settlers using guns against the Native Americans who were only armed with traditional weapons like tomahawks. The following line, "We're the sons of the sacrifice", references the dispossession of Native American land, resources, and cultures so that the US could expand and Westernize. The lyric "Ain't no blue sky over red Indians" points out the destruction of the Native Americans' traditional lifestyle, with blue sky being a symbol of hope, freedom, and possibility.

The chorus, "That's all right we've scalped granpa, made hairdoes from the old times, ketchup versus genocide, kinda savage is the madman's eyes," shows the grim brutality inflicted on the Native Americans. The line "Scalped grandpa" refers to the way that the settlers would often take ears or scalps as trophies from their slain Native American victims. "Ketchup versus genocide" juxtaposes the frivolity of ketchup, a common condiment, with the word genocide, emphasizing the absurdity of the European's destruction of an entire culture. The "madman's eyes" suggest the twisted and savage perspective of the white colonizers towards the natives, and their complete lack of empathy. The final verse deals with the aftermath of this history and how it still impacts Native American communities today. The lyric "You walked on us like rugs, dragged our spirit through the dirt" highlights how the trauma and legacy of colonization still impacts Native Americans through ongoing discrimination and marginalization. The last line, "Too high," could be interpreted as a statement on how the goal of creating a heaven for Native Americans is out of reach due to the ongoing problems they face.

Line by Line Meaning

Steel horse over Navajos
The arrival of American colonizers' technology has dominated and threatened Navajo people's way of life.

Your gun against our tomahawk
The use of weapons has been a common denominator between colonizers and Native Americans. It only served to perpetuate the cycle of violence and aggression.

We're the sons of the sacrifice
Native Americans' ancestors had to give up their lives and land to the foreign colonizers. They carry this legacy and the hardship that came with it.

Kinda savage in the madman's eyes
The colonial propaganda pictured Native Americans as primitive and uncivilized. This derogatory view degraded the people's humanity and subjected them to violence justified by the colonizer's superiority complex.

Ain't no blue sky over red indians
The arrival of colonizers has not only threatened Native American's lives but also disrupted their relationship with their environment and ancestors' spirituality.

And I know some day I will change it all
The singer is aware of the hardship his people went through and is determined to transform their situation into a better one.

I'll build a heaven for my squaw
The singer's aim is to create a better world for his partner and their descendants.

That's all right we've scalped granpa
The cycle of violence between colonizers and Native Americans continued, with both sides inflicting pain and suffering upon each other.

Made hairdoes from the old times
The colonizer appropriated native culture and traditions, stripping the people of their history and meaning, and further devalued their humanity and suffering.

Ketchup versus genocide
The choice of a condiment, often associated with American fast food, standing for the colonizer's culture, versus the brutal reality of genocide inflicted upon Native American populations highlights the cultural and political divide between the two groups.

You walked on us like on rugs
The colonizers disregarded the native people's dignity and walked all over them as if they were objects, further reducing Native Americans' position to that of nonhumans.

Dragged our spirit through the dirt
The colonizer's brutality was not only physical but also a cultural one that was aimed at stripping away the native people's identity, spirit, and heritage.

My squaw
The singer's partner, the symbol of the singer's family, love, and hope for the future.

Indian
A term used to describe Native Americans, their history, culture, and identity.

Granpa
A reference to the previous generations of Native Americans who went through the hardship and brutality of American colonization.

Heaven
A symbol of hope, love, prosperity, and future, that the singer hopes to create for his loved ones and his community.

Too high
The realization of the difficulty of the task and the heavy burden of the situation, despite the singer's high hopes and determination.

Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS