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.
La dolce vita
Sébastien Tellier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je traînais sur ma vespa
Dans mon gilet de satin
C’était la dolce vita...
Je cherchais l'aventure
Jusqu’au petit matin
Je me prenais pour ben-hur
En conduisant d'une main
Le piège était facile
Tu es tombée dans mes bras
On se prom'nait en ville
C’était la dolce vita
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Je n’l’ai jamais retrouvé
Dans l'obscurité
Je le revois encore
Elsa... Elsa... je ne t'oublie pas... Elsa...Elsa
J’ai oublié ton sourire
Dans mes rêves glacés
Je le revois encore
J'ai longtemps cherché
La nuit à te remplacer
Et pour quelques heures parfois
C’était la dolce vita...
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Je n'l'ai jamais retrouvé
Dans l’obscurité
Je le revois encore
Elsa... Elsa... comment t’oublier... Elsa...Oh Elsa
J’ai oublié ton sourire
Dans mes rêves glacés
Je le revois encore
Elsa
The song "La Dolce Vita" by Sébastien Tellier is a tribute to the romanticism and glamour of 1960s Italy. The lyrics express nostalgia and longing for a lost love, while the music transports the listener to a bygone era. The singer reminisces about his youth, when he would spend endless nights cruising around on his Vespa, looking for adventure. He felt invincible, like the mythical hero Ben-Hur, speeding through the streets with one hand on the handlebars. It was a time of carefree living and boundless possibility – the Dolce Vita.
Then he met Elsa, and everything changed. She fell into his arms, and they strolled the streets together, caught up in the magic of the moment. Her touch was electric, her presence unforgettable. He was wearing a white tuxedo jacket, and she pressed herself against it, leaving an impression that he still remembers to this day. But their time together was fleeting, and she disappeared from his life as quickly as she had entered it. Now, he can't forget her, even though he's tried. In his dreams, he still sees her smile.
The song captures the bittersweet essence of love and loss, and the wistful yearning for a time that can never be recaptured. It's a timeless song that speaks to the timeless qualities of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Tous les soirs sans fins
Every night with no end
Je traînais sur ma vespa
I cruised on my Vespa
Dans mon gilet de satin
Wearing my satin vest
C’était la dolce vita...
It was the sweet life...
Je cherchais l'aventure
I was searching for adventure
Jusqu’au petit matin
Until dawn
Je me prenais pour ben-hur
I felt like Ben-Hur
En conduisant d'une main
Driving with one hand
Le piège était facile
The trap was easy
Tu es tombée dans mes bras
You fell into my arms
On se prom'nait en ville
We strolled around town
C’était la dolce vita
It was the sweet life
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
And the way you used to hold onto me
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Against the lapel of my off-white smoking jacket
Je n’l’ai jamais retrouvé
I’ve never found it again
Dans l'obscurité
In the darkness
Je le revois encore
I still see it
Elsa... Elsa... je ne t'oublie pas... Elsa...Elsa
Elsa... Elsa... I don't forget you... Elsa... Elsa
J’ai oublié ton sourire
I forgot your smile
Dans mes rêves glacés
In my cold dreams
Je le revois encore
But I still see it
J'ai longtemps cherché
I searched for a long time
La nuit à te remplacer
At night trying to replace you
Et pour quelques heures parfois
And sometimes for a few hours
C’était la dolce vita...
It was the sweet life...
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
And the way you used to hold onto me
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Against the lapel of my off-white smoking jacket
Je n'l'ai jamais retrouvé
I’ve never found it again
Dans l’obscurité
In the darkness
Je le revois encore
I still see it
Elsa... Elsa... comment t’oublier... Elsa...Oh Elsa
Elsa... Elsa... how to forget you... Elsa... Oh Elsa
J’ai oublié ton sourire
I forgot your smile
Dans mes rêves glacés
In my cold dreams
Je le revois encore
But I still see it
Elsa
Elsa
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@clairepotin6212
Tous les soirs sans fins
Je traînais sur ma vespa
Dans mon gilet de satin
C'était la dolce vita
Je cherchais l'aventure
Jusqu'au petit matin
Je me prenais pour Ben-hur
En conduisant d'une main
Mais je t'ai rencontrée!
Et puis tout a changé!
Le piège étais facile
Tu es tombée dans mes bras
On se promenait en ville
C'était la dolce vita
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Ne pouvais pas me blazer
Même dans l'obscurité
Je te revois encore
Elsa, Elsa
Je ne t'oublie pas
Elsa
Pourquoi es-tu partie!
Je n'ai rien compris!
J'ai longtemps cherché
La nuit à te remplacer
Et pour quelques heures parfois
C'était la dolce vita
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Je n'l'ai jamais retrouvée
Mais le soleil décline
Sur ma mémoire en ruine
Tous les soirs sans fins
Je traîne un vieux désarroi
Dans mon gilet de chagrin
Loin de la dolce vita
Et cette façon que tu avais de te serrer
Contre le revers de mon smoking blanc cassé
Je voudrais l'oublier
Mais dans mes rêves glacés
Je te revois encore
Elsa, Elsa
Tu es toujours là!
Elsa, Elsa
@ericvidal493
Every night without end
I was hanging out on my Vespa
In my satin waistcoat
It was la dolce vita
I was looking for adventure
Until the early morning
I thought I was Ben-hur
Driving with one hand
But I met you
And then everything changed
The trap was easy
You fell into my arms
We used to walk around the city
It was la dolce vita
And that way you had to hold on to yourself
Against the lapel of my off-white dinner jacket
Couldn't blame me
Even in the dark
I see you again
Elsa
Elsa
I don't forget you
Elsa
Elsa
Oh
Why did you leave
I didn't understand anything
I've been looking for a long time
The night to replace you
And for a few hours sometimes
It was la dolce vita
And that way you had to hold on to yourself
Against the lapel of my off-white dinner jacket
I never found her
But the sun declines
On my ruined memory
Every night without end
I'm dragging along an old dismay
In my waistcoat of sorrow
Far from the dolce vita
And that way you had to hold on to yourself
Against the lapel of my off-white dinner jacket
I would like to forget him
But in my icy dreams
I still see you again, oh
Oh, Elsa
Elsa
You are always there
Elsa
Elsa, ah
Elsa
@guanacomus1
Magnifique, Sebastien Tellier est un artiste rare. Depuis des années je n'ai pas en memoire d'aussi belles chansons. Cette reprise est sublime.
@laurencecalonnec3555
Magnifique j'écoutais avec Pussy mon chat DCD y a un mois en 15 jours ❤😇
@Piggio75
Grandissimo artista...e lo dice un italiano...fantastico...
@dragondefeu061
Très belle reprise et bel hommage, vraiment !!!
@KostoMtz
Merci Elsa d'avoir permis cette chanson
@TheSeren75
Sébastien, c'est sublime
@MyDiamondStarCar
such a beautiful song, this le long de la riviere tendre, and universe are the best songs on universe i think. sexuality is really good, but i miss these beautiful piano ballads
@Gylfaginning16
This musician is so wide-ranged and so talented, I'm happy that I got to know his music.
@Patrick-fj9sr
quelle reprise sublime
@diagathejosue6008
Tellier démontre à chacun de ses albums que la beauté est complètement irrationnelle ^^