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.
Kleptomane
Stereo Total Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arnaqueuse cambrioleuse
Imprudente délinquante
Criminelle occasionnelle
Une manie de chipie
la klepto-kleptomanie
Pickpocket malhonnête
Alors j'ai piqué des cigarettes
des savonnettes
une eau de toilette
Je pique c'est un tic
j'adore ça, ça m'excite
J'ai le cœur qui palpite
bang bang tic tic
Je sais c'est insensé
mais c'est une manie
Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie
Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie
Arnaqueuse cambrioleuse
Imprudente délinquante
Criminelle occasionnelle
Une manie de chipie
la klepto-kleptomanie
Pickpocket malhonnête
elle fait ça en cachette
Alors j'ai piqué du chocolat
un agenda
un pyjama
et plus que ça
Je pique c'est un tic
j'adore ça, ça m'excite
J'ai le cœur qui palpite
bang bang tic tic
Je sais c'est insensé
mais c'est une manie
Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie
Alors j'ai piqué du vernis
un bikini
des bigoudis
et plus que ça
des lunettes de soleil
du fard à paupières
des disques laser
et cétera
une boîte de pralines
du sirop de grenadine
une bouteille de gin
et cétera
un p'tit pull
une boîte à pilules
et d'autres bidules
ridicules
Je pique c'est un tic
j'adore ça, ça m'excite
J'ai le cœur qui palpite
bang bang tic tic
Je sais c'est insensé
mais c'est une manie
Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie
Je pique c'est un tic
j'adore ça, ça m'excite
J'ai le cœur qui palpite
bang bang tic tic
Ça m'amuse ça m'excite
C'est un jeu, c'est un tic
Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie
The song "Kleptomane" by Stereo Total talks about a woman who is a kleptomaniac, someone who has a compulsion to steal things. The lyrics mention that she steals things like cigarettes, soap, perfume, chocolate, pajamas, makeup, sunglasses, gin, and many other things. The woman in the song seems to enjoy stealing, getting a rush from it, with her heart pounding and feeling excited. However, she also knows that it is wrong, referring to it as "imprudente délinquante" and "criminelle occasionnelle." The song paints a picture of a woman who has an uncontrollable urge to steal, even though she is aware that it is not a normal or acceptable behavior.
The song uses catchy phrases like "Klep-, klep-, kleptomanie" and "bang bang tic tic" to create a fun, poppy rhythm that contrasts with the darker subject matter of kleptomania. The lyrics also give a sense of the woman's pleasure and guilt at the same time, showing a complex mix of emotions. The song seems to be commenting on the idea of addiction or compulsion, and how it can sometimes override reason and morality. Overall, "Kleptomane" is a unique song that explores a topic that is not often discussed in popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Klep-, klep-, kleptomane
Repeating the sound of the word 'kleptomane', which means someone with a compulsive tendency to steal
Arnaqueuse cambrioleuse
Describing the singer as a swindling burglar
Imprudente délinquante
Calling the singer a reckless criminal
Criminelle occasionnelle
Referring to the artist as an occasional criminal
Une manie de chipie
Describing the artist's tendency to steal as a mischievous, childish habit
la klepto-kleptomanie
Further emphasizing the singer's compulsive stealing by adding the suffix 'klepto' to 'kleptomanie'
Pickpocket malhonnête
Calling the singer a dishonest pickpocket
Elle fait ça en cachette
Stating that the artist steals secretly
Alors j'ai piqué des cigarettes
Admitting to stealing cigarettes
des savonnettes
Confessing to stealing soap bars
une eau de toilette
Acknowledging taking a bottle of perfume
Je pique c'est un tic
Admitting that stealing is a compulsive habit
j'adore ça, ça m'excite
Confessing to enjoying the act of stealing and feeling excited by it
J'ai le cœur qui palpite
Describing a physical sensation of excitement
bang bang tic tic
Using onomatopoeia to describe the excitement the singer feels
Je sais c'est insensé
Admitting that the behavior is irrational
mais c'est une manie
Justifying the behavior as a compulsive habit
j'ai piqué du chocolat
Admitting to stealing chocolates
un agenda
Confessing to taking an agenda
un pyjama
Acknowledging taking a pair of pajamas
et plus que ça
Stating that the list of items stolen is longer than what has already been mentioned
des lunettes de soleil
Confessing to stealing sunglasses
du fard à paupières
Admitting to taking an eyeshadow
des disques laser
Stating that music CDs were also stolen
et cétera
Adding that the list of items stolen goes on
une boîte de pralines
Confessing to stealing a box of chocolates
du sirop de grenadine
Acknowledging taking a bottle of grenadine syrup
une bouteille de gin
Admitting to stealing a bottle of gin
un p'tit pull
Stating that a small sweater was also stolen
une boîte à pilules
Acknowledging taking a pill box
et d'autres bidules
Adding that more obscure items were also stolen
ridicules
Calling the items stolen trivial and insignificant
Ça m'amuse ça m'excite
Repeating feelings of enjoyment and excitement over stealing
C'est un jeu, c'est un tic
Justifying the behavior as a game or habit
Contributed by Isabelle L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jenny
Played this song at my wedding. We had such a good time. I cried a little while listening to it again. Beautiful song.
AN Soubiran
Do you understand the lyrics at all?