Most of their songs are in French.
Members include:
Gary Wicknam (real name Renaud Detressan)
Soldat Louis (real name Serge Danet)
Michel Banuls
Hervé Le Guillou
Jean-Paul Barrière
Christophe Sonnic
Anthony Masselin
http://www.soldatlouis.org/
Distance
Soldat Louis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ses secrets, ses légendes,
Ses rêves d'indépendance,
De la Loire du port de Nantes
Tell'ment loin des couleurs
Du rouge, du bleu de France
Noir et blanc dans le cœur
Elle garde toutes ses chances
De menhirs en églises
Aux guerriers de passage
A jamais insoumise
Le ciel lui rend hommage
D'un soleil de Toscane
La couvrant de nuages
Ou de caresses océanes
Refrain :
Sainte ou simple duchesse
Bien modeste madone
En vos noms toujours se dressent
L'amour la colère des hommes
Face à qui n'aurait de cesse
D'ignorer qu'un royaume
Est fragile et peut, du reste,
Ne plus être un hexagone
Fils de cette terre
Fils de son histoire
Loin des villes de chimères
Il y a ses montagnes noires
Elle garde ses mystères
Sa douceur, sa violence
A cette dame de pierre
Moi je fais ma révérence
Refrain
Elle garde le silence
Ses secrets, ses légendes
Ses rêves d'indépendance
De la Loire du port de Nantes
Tellement loin des couleurs
Du rouge, du bleu de France
Noir et blanc dans le cœur
Elle garde ses distances
The song "Distance" by Soldat Louis expresses a deep admiration for a particular land or region in France, whose secrets and legends are still preserved by the locals. The song's first verse introduces this land as a place of independence, located far from the center of power in Nantes, and despite being a part of France, it keeps its own unique identity. The second verse highlights the land's natural beauty, its wildness, and its rich history, both pagan and Christian, which is symbolized by menhirs and churches. The land is proud of its indivisibility and unyielding spirit, which are celebrated in the chorus. Regardless of its humble origins or its fragility, the land's love and anger will always be the defining features that bind the people together.
The second stanza of the song portrays the land as enigmatic, which the singer recognizes by paying homage to its "dame de pierre," whose mysteries he has come to appreciate. He knows that this land is far from being a dreamy oasis or a futuristic city, but rather it is nestled amidst the enigmatic "montagnes noires," which symbolize both the darkness and purity of the land. The final verse of the song reiterates the importance of keeping one's distance to preserve the secrecy and independence of the land.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle garde le silence
She keeps silent
Ses secrets, ses légendes,
Her secrets, her legends,
Ses rêves d'indépendance,
Her dreams of independence,
De la Loire du port de Nantes
From the Loire River to the port of Nantes
Tell'ment loin des couleurs
So far away from the colors
Du rouge, du bleu de France
Of red, blue of France
Noir et blanc dans le cœur
Black and white in the heart
Elle garde toutes ses chances
She keeps all her chances
Les dieux l'ont faite sauvage
The gods made her wild
De menhirs en églises
From standing stones to churches
Aux guerriers de passage
To passing warriors
A jamais insoumise
Forever rebellious
Le ciel lui rend hommage
The sky pays tribute to her
D'un soleil de Toscane
With a Tuscan sun
La couvrant de nuages
Covering her in clouds
Ou de caresses océanes
Or with oceanic caresses
Refrain : Sainte ou simple duchesse
Chorus: Saint or simple duchess
Bien modeste madone
Very modest Madonna
En vos noms toujours se dressent
In your names, everything stands
L'amour la colère des hommes
Love and the anger of men
Face à qui n'aurait de cesse
Faced with those who would not cease
D'ignorer qu'un royaume
To ignore that a kingdom
Est fragile et peut, du reste,
Is fragile and can, in the end,
Ne plus être un hexagone
No longer be a hexagon
Fils de cette terre
Sons of this land
Fils de son histoire
Sons of her story
Loin des villes de chimères
Far from the cities of chimeras
Il y a ses montagnes noires
There are her black mountains
Elle garde ses mystères
She keeps her mysteries
Sa douceur, sa violence
Her gentleness, her violence
A cette dame de pierre
To this lady of stone
Moi je fais ma révérence
I bow down
Refrain Elle garde le silence
Chorus: She keeps silent
Ses secrets, ses légendes
Her secrets, her legends
Ses rêves d'indépendance
Her dreams of independence
De la Loire du port de Nantes
From the Loire River to the port of Nantes
Tellement loin des couleurs
So far away from the colors
Du rouge, du bleu de France
Of red, blue of France
Noir et blanc dans le cœur
Black and white in the heart
Elle garde ses distances
She keeps her distance
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.