The Berlin duo STEREO TOTAL has created a colourful and fascinating universe. Oscillating between the essential punk rock, disco and electro garage chanson and genious diletantism, the songs dazzle us for an instant (most of them not for longer than two minutes), leaving us stunned by their intensity.
At the beginning of this ever-expanding musical universe (pleasantly enough!): a woman, a man, and an inexhaustible, sparkling imagination. Françoise Cactus, (who was born Van Hove in Burgundy and has chosen Berlin as her home for something like a generation now) a writer, local diva, who has performed, among other things, as drummer and singer of the "Lolitas" in the eighties. Then there is Brezel Göring, an inexplicable mixture of the hyperspeedy "Grand Duduche" and the elegant, unobtrusive crooner, with a soft voice and a lively rhythm. Bent over his synthesizer, happy as a young boy, he reminds one of the hallucinated inventor Géo Trouve-tout.
To sum up STEREO TOTAL's short history, which began with the single "allo j'écoute", let us list the different elements characteristic of their musical art: a minimalistic production (in a positive sense), meaning a home-made-trash-garage-sound crossed with underground, authentic as well as amateurish, ironic as well as effective, pop as well as...political. An untiring creative energy, as if it could never suffice, "Oh, but you haven't heard this one!" and wop! here we go again, hardly leaving time to draw a deep breath. A brilliant sense of composition as well as for covering other's material, whatever the source, combined with an excessive love for French chanson (the main weak spot being an evident admiration for the master Gainsbourg). A mystery of words resulting from the French-German/ male-female bilingualism, words in which accents are merrily blended and become more and more exotic from album to album (Japanese, Turkish, Spanish, English). And finally, an explicit and surprising sensitivity for electronic effects and a thrilling beat. A gift of pop music and its everlasting history.
The unexpected combination of two traditions - French chanson and German electronica (which not only relates to Kraftwerk, but also to the uniquely German sound of "Neue Deutsche Welle", popular in the eighties, and the emergence of electrogroove, a sound which has flourished over the past ten years in numerous clubs in Berlin is again at its best, enchanting its listeners.
Just as the German audience adores Françoise Cactus charming French pronunciation of the German lyrics, her French collection of texts, poetic and playful, solemn and cheeky, anarchistic and light, makes her the most unknown composer and singer of French chansons - and it is high time that she be discovered. Fragile and irresistible, she stands behind her tiny drum kit and hammers the songs to a sequence in a devilish rhythm. In a matter of seconds she passes from a romantic ballad (No! Do not listen! It's a sad song!) to pure and simple rock, animating Brezel Göring (as well as the crowd) to leap. Indefatigable accomplice and perfect entertainer, Brezel Göring is at her side, stepping on the gas, his fingers working the knobs of his machine or the cords of his rectangular guitar.
I Love You Ono
Stereo Total Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Diamond ring, CHA CHA
Holiday sun, OPQ
Planet earth presents you
Big money,
Big system,
Big fame,
I need you, ONO
Silver fox, CHA CHA
Swimming pool, ZAP ZAP
Planet earth presents you
Big money,
Big system,
Big fame,
Big brother
No no no no I don't need it
Perfect system I am fallin'
No no no no I don't need it
Perfect system I am fallin'
I want you, ONO
18 gold, CHA CHA
Wedding march BANG BANG
Planet earth presents you
Big money,
Big system,
Big fame,
Big brother
I love you, ONO
I need you, CHA CHA
I want you, OPQ
Planet earth presents you
Big money,
Big system
Big fame
Big brother
No no no no ...
The song "I Love You Ono" by Stereo Total is an interesting commentary on the cultural phenomenon of idolizing and fixating on celebrities. The song seems to be addressing the idea of pop culture's obsession with fame and fortune and the effect it has on society. The lyrics depict the singer's love and admiration for Yoko Ono, who is herself a cultural icon in her own right. The opening lines "I love you, ONO/Diamond ring, CHA CHA/Holiday sun, OPQ/Planet earth presents you" seem to be a combination of admiration and envy for Ono's fame and success. The repeated refrain "Big Money, Big System, Big Fame, Big Brother" highlights the idea that the current system is built on the worship of money and power, and those who have it are given a platform to influence the world.
The second verse seems to be a bit more critical of the system, with the lyrics "No no no no I don't need it/Perfect system I am fallin'" suggesting that even those who are idolized by society can feel like they are being overwhelmed by the expectations and demands placed on them. The final verse reinforces the singer's obsession and admiration for Ono, but the overall message seems to be about the perils of fame and the societal constructs that allow it to exist.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, ONO
I have strong feelings of affection towards you, Yoko Ono
Diamond ring, CHA CHA
I am willing to use extravagance to express my love for you
Holiday sun, OPQ
I long for relaxed times in exotic and pleasant places with you
Planet earth presents you
The entire world recognises and acknowledges your greatness
Big money,
The acquisition of vast wealth
Big system,
The mechanisms of power that control people’s lives
Big fame,
Achieving widespread recognition and attention
Big brother
A metaphorical authority figure or system with surveillance over people’s behaviour
I need you, ONO
I rely on you for my emotional well-being
Silver fox, CHA CHA
Your age and appearance are attractive to me
Swimming pool, ZAP ZAP
I aspire to a luxurious lifestyle with you
No no no no I don't need it
I reject the idea that perfection or material excess will bring happiness
Perfect system I am fallin'
My perception of the world as ordered and fair is crumbling
I want you, ONO
I have a strong desire to be with you intimately
18 gold, CHA CHA
More extravagance used to win your heart
Wedding march BANG BANG
I am eager to commit to you and formalise our relationship
I love you, ONO
Reiterating the depth of feeling towards Yoko Ono
I need you, CHA CHA
Reiterating the reliance on Yoko Ono for emotional well-being
I want you, OPQ
Reiterating the strong desire to be with Yoko Ono
No no no no ...
Continuing to reject the idea of perfection or material excess as a source of happiness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@VisoniaOfficial
Rest In Peace Françoise Cactus. You did an amazing musical work, with so many layers and versatility...
@trinaharris1312
I just got into stereo total and I regret not getting into them sooner! This is a rare video with literally NO dislikes! That says something.
@anthonycleary4676
YouTube turned off dislikes, but otherwise I agree!
@voiddweller5331
I just got into them about a year ago aren't they just the best band you've ever heard?? Their videos are great their songs are great unfortunately Francois cactus passed away in 2015 but bretzel goehring has posted a couple videos on stereototals YouTube page
@ripwednesdayadams
i remember discovering this band in middle school when i was downloading riot grrrl bands. this was on kazaa so it was like finding another unexpected treasure. back when a mislabeled song could lead you down a rabbit hole. 🖤
@sonofsound
Real Story: I found the Beauty Case 7 inch in an underground record shop in Vietnam just before lockdown. I put it on many mixes and didn't deep-dive into Stereo Total until recently. It wasn't until I saw the comments on this video that I knew that Francoise had passed away. This is so sad. My mom survived breast cancer and my heart hurts. What an enormous talent, thank you FC for your work.
@jamesoffutt2801
I begin listening to stereo total accidentally. On SoundCloud. The song music automatic. I thought it sounded funny. So I started getting into listening to this 60 style indie band. I love it.
@veracity5977
This song has been stuck in my head ever since the dell laptop commercials
@TheFakeyCakeMaker
This got used on an advert years and years ago, I loved it since then, not sure I like much more that the band did but glad they remade this video and are still going..ONO! :-D
@livturner5696
Same, was a designer brand ad, can't remember which one though