Very early on, Stéphane was fascinated by different kinds of music, listening to pop, rock and new wave. The real trigger happened in the late 80s, when he discovered house. One day in 1997 in Paris, when he was already a fairly famous DJ, he met up with Jean-Louis Costes, who asked him to mix music at his hotel restaurant. Very soon they had the idea of a compilation which could spread worldwide the spirit of the Hôtel Costes, this mythic glamorous place. The first compilation quickly became an undeniable reference. Over a dozen more successful and intense compilations followed.
Then he was asked to deejay everywhere in the world by haute couture designers such as Gucci, actresses like Cameron Diaz, and eventually remixed "What It Feels Like for a Girl" for Madonna… Yet Stéphane Pompougnac is not only a DJ - he is also an accomplished musician, composing and producing his own songs, which he proved in 2003 with the release of his first album Living On The Edge that featured several talented artists, notably Michael Stipe from REM. Today, Stéphane Pompougnac remains one of the most recognized DJs in the world.
Pompougnac released his second album Hello Mademoiselle in early 2006 after his eighth Hôtel Costes compilation.
The Hôtel Costes series of compilations:
Hôtel Costes, Volume 1: France et Choiseul - (16 tracks) (FR, 1999)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 2: La Suite - (15 tracks) (FR, 1999)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 3: Etage 3 - (15 tracks) (FR, 2000.10.23)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 4 - (14 tracks) (FR, 2001.11.12)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 5 - (15 tracks) (FR, 2002.10.22)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 6 - (14 tracks) (FR, 2003.09.29)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 7 - (16 tracks) (FR, 2004.09.27)
Best of Costes - (16 tracks) (FR, 2004.12)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 8 - (16 tracks) (FR, 2005.09.26; US 2005.09.27)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 9 - (16 tracks) (FR, 2006.09.25)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 10 - (14 tracks) (FR, 2007.09.24)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 11 - (17 tracks) (FR, 2008.09)
Hôtel Costes, Volume 12 - (16 tracks) (FR, 2009.09.21)
Hôtel Costes: A Decade 1999-2009 - (2 CDs, 28 tracks) (FR, 2009.11.16)
- Hôtel Costes: A Decade 1999-2009 (disc 1) - (14 tracks)
- Hôtel Costes: A Decade 1999-2009 (disc 2: Bonus Mix) - (14 tracks)
How Many Loves
Stéphane Pompougnac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You maybe right, perfection this is not
But what's the perfect love like, a flower or a flame?
You got something you want everything and never what you got
'Cause how many times how many times how many times
Can you fall in love?
Make a life?
Sweet happiness they say comes in doses
Are they numbered and what's left of my stock?
Thinking three am thoughts, in the three am dark
Am I listening to my heartbeat or the ticking of the clock?
How many times how many times how many times
Can you fall in love?
And how many loves how many loves how many loves
Make a life?
Tell me how many times how many times how many times
Can you fall in love?
And how many loves how many loves how many loves
Make a life?
The girl behind the counter made his heart throb
He paid and got his change and turned to go
Thinks, he'll ask her out tomorrow
But tomorrow she'll be gone
It will take three weeks 'till he won't dream about her anymore
Thinking how many times how many times how many times
Can you fall in love?
And how many loves how many loves how many loves
Make a life?
How many times how many times how many times
Can you fall in love?
And how many loves how many loves how many loves
In How Many Loves, Stéphane Pompougnac captures the bittersweet essence of love, the struggle between the desire for love and the fear of not finding the perfect one. The song opens with the singer acknowledging that a relationship has run its course, but it’s not because it’s inherently bad or unstable. Rather, it’s because perfection is unattainable, and what’s perfect for one person is not for another. The chorus is a rhetorical question, asking how many times can one fall in love, and how many loves make a life. The question implies a longing for love but also a sense of futility in searching for the perfect one.
The second verse focuses on the fleeting nature of happiness and the limitations of time. It opens with the question of whether happiness comes in limited, measured doses. The singer then contemplates his mortality, wondering how much time he has left to experience love and whether he’s making the most of it. He concludes the verse with symbolism, likening his racing heart to the ticking of the clock as he contemplates his romantic prospects.
The final verse is a short story of unrequited love, depicting a chance encounter with a woman that the singer could ask out tomorrow. But by the time he plucks up the courage, she’ll be gone, and he’ll spend three weeks dreaming of what could have been. The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, driving home the themes of limited time and the fleeting nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
You said this isn't working, got to move on
You said our relationship is not working and we have to move forward without each other
You maybe right, perfection this is not
You might be correct that our love is not flawless
But what's the perfect love like, a flower or a flame?
But what does true love look like? Is it just beautiful and sweet like a flower, or can it also be intense and passionate like a flame?
You got something you want everything and never what you got
You always want more and never appreciate what you have
'Cause how many times how many times how many times / Can you fall in love?
How many times can you truly fall in love?
And how many loves how many loves how many loves / Make a life?
How many loves does it take to make a fulfilling life?
Sweet happiness they say comes in doses / Are they numbered and what's left of my stock?
People say that happiness comes in small amounts, but I wonder how many doses I have left
Thinking three am thoughts, in the three am dark / Am I listening to my heartbeat or the ticking of the clock?
Late at night, I often wonder if I am listening to my own thoughts or just the sound of my surroundings
Tell me how many times how many times how many times / Can you fall in love?
Please, can you tell me how often someone can truly fall in love?
The girl behind the counter made his heart throb / He paid and got his change and turned to go / Thinks, he'll ask her out tomorrow / But tomorrow she'll be gone / It will take three weeks 'till he won't dream about her anymore
The girl at the counter caused his heart to beat faster. He planned to ask her out tomorrow, but she will be long gone by then. It will take him three weeks to finally get over her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.
Written by: BERND LECHLER, NICO WIRTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind