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.
UNIVERSE
Sébastien Tellier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lion stares high
And all the universe cries
For your memory
I hate I
Oh, could you lead my lips to sigh
Somehow, I smothered rainbows
Farthest ends of me
I'm in now
Homewards, he dealed with scarecrows
And all the universe knows
Wailing finally
I would roar
Oh, could you fail in me
Sin calls
Goodbye
I've wandered 'round isles
And all the universe cries
For your memory
I warned I
Oh, starry are your spheres, delight
The lyrics to Sébastien Tellier's song "Universe" are very open to interpretation, but one way to understand them is through the lens of grief and loss. The song seems to be addressed to someone who has died or left, and the singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that they are gone. The repeated phrase "Goodbye" underscores this sense of finality, while the image of the lion staring high and the universe crying add a cosmic dimension to the grief--it's not just the singer who is affected, but the entire world.
The second stanza is more opaque, but there are hints of regret and self-blame. The singer seems to be saying that they "smothered rainbows," which could mean that they somehow stifled or suppressed the beauty and joy in their life. They also mention "sin calls," which could refer to some wrongdoing or moral failing that contributed to the loss they are now mourning. However, the language is somewhat abstract, so it's hard to say for sure what these images mean.
The final stanza brings the song back to earth with the image of the singer wandering around "isles" and remembering their loved one. The phrase "oh, starry are your spheres, delight" suggests that the person is remembering the beauty and wonder that their loved one brought into their life. Overall, the song conveys a sense of profound loss and sadness, but also a glimmer of hope that the memories of the loved one can continue to inspire and uplift the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye
Farewell, departure
The lion stares high
Symbol of strength and courage observing from a high point
And all the universe cries
The cosmos grieves
For your memory
Mourning the loss of an individual
I hate I
Self-hatred or regret
Oh, could you lead my lips to sigh
Expressing a desire for emotional release
Somehow, I smothered rainbows
The singer feels responsible for stifling beauty or joy
And all the universe crawls
The entire cosmos is affected by this action
Farthest ends of me
Pervasive or all-consuming feeling
I'm in now
Present in the moment
Homewards, he dealed with scarecrows
Traveling back to a place of familiarity, encountering obstacles
And all the universe knows
Cosmic awareness of the journey
Wailing finally
Expression of anguish or pain
I would roar
Desiring to make a powerful statement
Oh, could you fail in me
Expressing a desire to relinquish control or responsibility
Sin calls
The temptation to engage in unethical behavior
I've wandered 'round isles
Traveling through disparate experiences
And all the universe cries
The cosmos grieves
For your memory
Mourning the loss of an individual
I warned I
Awareness of personal fault or regret
Oh, starry are your spheres, delight
Addressing someone else and admiring their celestial qualities
Contributed by Lily M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@miguelaquino3697
Esta cancion aflora cualquier clase de sentimiento, estupenda
@leblogjetable
j'espère qu'un jour Sébastien Tellier se rappellera qu'il a été un grand compositeur et musicien.
@atlannicolas2872
C'est vrai et c'est dommage de devoir en parler au passé....
@bastr37
La version acoustique sur Universe est aussi vachement bien. Très grand Tellier.
@Le_Chuc
Este album, de verdad siempre me pone muy sentimental
@fetesetvacances
J'aime beaucoup cette chanson, tout l'album est somptueux.
@mattedraummur4295
el refugio de todos los días en uno mismo, uno hace lo que puede para seguir bailando
@Sulfation
beautiful song. brings up intense emotions.
@BoutinRonan
une pure merveille! Merci merci merci!
@BoutinRonan
je sent frisonner mon cœur en écoutant cette chanson!!