As a teen, Tété drew his musical inspiration from the pop and rock music of the day. Using the guitar given him by his mother, he assembled small bands with friends and began experimenting with songwriting, composing mainly in English.
In 1998 Tété moved to Paris, playing cafés and busking before forming a successful trio with drummer Alberto Malo and bassist Evy Moon. Thanks to luck and a unique sound the young men were quickly signed to Sony/Epic, releasing their debut record, L'Air de Rien, in 2001.
While working on the record, Tété maintained a busy performing schedule as a solo artist, building a healthy-sized fan base via small Paris clubs and cafés. His polished, infectious live presence was captured on 2003's Par Monts et Vallons, which featured recordings from three different live shows.
A year later Tété's second studio production hit the airwaves with a series of well-liked singles. A la Favuer de l'Automne generated radio hits such as "Emma Stanton" and the title track, "A la Faveur de l'Automne."
Large venue performances and international touring the following summer brought Tété from the underground scene to the mainstream market. His 2006 release Le Sacre des Lemmings et Autres Contes de la Lisiere addressed an array of social themes, his first overtly political project.
Albums to date:
2001 L' Air de Rien
2003 Par Monts et Vallons (Live)
2004 A la Faveur de l'Automne
2004 L' Air de Rien/Par Monts et Vallons
2006 Le Sacre des Lemmings
2007 A La Faveur de l'Automne/Le Sacre des Lemmings
Les Matins De Peu
Tété Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le long de mes jours
Et rien n'en vient dévier le cours
Minute après minute
Imperceptible prison de velours
Quand plus rien ne trouve grâce à mes yeux
Les symptômes, cafard et matins de peu
Le temps coule
L'ami tes beaux discours
N'aident ni ne me sont d'un grand secours
Sans ennui, quel ennui
Alors j'en sollicite le concours
Est-ce un sortilège?
Oh, dites-moi mon Dieu
M'en sortirai-je?
Est-ce les changements de saison
Ou les mauvais offices de quelque démon
Que ce blues?
Quand plus rien ne trouve grâce à mes yeux
Le syndrome des réveils filandreux
Les symptômes, cafard et matins de peu
The lyrics to Tété's song Les Matins De Peu describe the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous routine, where time flows continuously and nothing can deviate its course. The persona of the song finds himself trapped in an imperceptible velvet prison of minute after minute, where everything seems dull and bleak. The repeated use of the expression "Le temps coule" (Time flows) reinforces the idea that time is slipping away from his grasp, and he feels helpless and lost in its unstoppable motion.
The chorus highlights the symptoms that accompany this feeling, manifested in the "syndrome des réveils filandreux" (filamentous wake-up syndrome), where the persona struggles to wake up in the morning and face another day, trapped in a cycle of melancholy and boredom represented by the "cafard et matins de peu" (blues and meager mornings). He tries to seek help or distraction from his friend's beautiful speeches, but they are not enough to lift him from his mood. He wonders if this state is caused by a spell, or if it's just a natural consequence of the changing seasons or the malicious influence of a demon.
Tété's lyrics are poetic and evocative, conveying a feeling of languor and emptiness that many people can relate to. The song's slow tempo and mournful melody add to the overall sense of listlessness, and Tété's distinctive voice delivers the lyrics with a sense of introspection and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Le temps coule
Time flows steadily and ceaselessly, without interruption.
Le long de mes jours
Throughout the entirety of my existence, every day.
Et rien n'en vient dévier le cours
There is nothing that can deviate time's path, it is relentless and unchanging.
Minute après minute
Second by second, time ticks away.
Imperceptible prison de velours
Time's soft touch belies its true nature, it is a prison from which there is no escape.
Quand plus rien ne trouve grâce à mes yeux
When nothing in my life pleases me anymore.
Le syndrome des réveils filandreux
The condition I experience when I wake up, feeling a sense of emptiness and listlessness.
Les symptômes, cafard et matins de peu
The signs of this condition are sadness and a lackluster start to my mornings.
L'ami tes beaux discours
Your kind words, my friend.
N'aident ni ne me sont d'un grand secours
Unfortunately, they do not provide me with much comfort or assistance.
Sans ennui, quel ennui
Without any boredom, what a boring existence!
Alors j'en sollicite le concours
Therefore, I seek out new experiences to fill my life with excitement.
Est-ce un sortilège?
Is this a curse I am under?
Oh, dites-moi mon Dieu
Oh God, please tell me.
M'en sortirai-je?
Will I be able to get out of it?
Est-ce les changements de saison
Perhaps it's the changing of the seasons.
Ou les mauvais offices de quelque démon
Or maybe some malicious demon's doing.
Que ce blues?
The reason behind my sadness and ennui.
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: NIANG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind