French rock/R&B star Tété was born July 25, 1975, in Dakar, the capital cit… Read Full Bio ↴French rock/R&B star Tété was born July 25, 1975, in Dakar, the capital city of his father's homeland, Senegal. When his parents divorced, he returned with his mother to northeastern France, to the town of St. Dizier.

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

Montréal
Tété Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sidonie O, dit n'aimer rien autant
Que l'azur à l'orée du couchant
Ça lui plaît
Ooh, ça l'envoûte

Ça fait passer le goût du chiendent
Comme à chaque peine sa fin du jour

L'arrière saison le temps d'une vespérale,
Les flancs du Mont-Royal,
Telles cymbales chantent l'automne à Montréal

L'automne à Montréal
Ou rien

J'ai rendez-vous à sept heures tapantes
Au coin de Rachel et Saint-Laurent
J'y serai
Sans aucun doute

C'est le genre de belles dont on s'éprend
De celles qui disparaissent au petit jour

L'arrière saison le temps d'une vespérale,
Les flancs du Mont-Royal,
Telles cymbales chantent l'automne à Montréal

L'automne à Montréal
Ou rien
Entre l'orange et le
Carmin

L'automne à Montréal
Ou rien

Entre l'orange et le
Carmin

Overall Meaning

In the song "Montréal", Tété lyrically expresses a deep appreciation for the beauty of Montreal during the autumn season. The song speaks about Sidonie O's love for the blue sky at sunset and how it enchants her. The beauty is so overwhelming that it makes the taste of "chiendent" pass away, which is a bitter grass-like plant that one would typically want to get rid of. The song also alludes to a romantic connection as the singer has a rendezvous at a particular street corner, one which they seem confident they will not miss. The presence of the color orange and carmine indicate the season of fall, and the beauty of its leaves is like music to the ears, evocatively described in the lyrics as "Telles cymbales chantent l'automne a Montreal." The song's lyrics are poetic and evoke vivid images of the autumn season in Montreal, which is enhanced with gentle guitar plucking and a soothing melody.

Line by Line Meaning

Sidonie O, dit n'aimer rien autant
Sidonie loves nothing more than the azure sky at sunset.

Que l'azur à l'orée du couchant
She loves the sight of the blue sky at the edge of the sunset.

Ça lui plaît
She enjoys it.

Ooh, ça l'envoûte
It enchants her.

Ça fait passer le goût du chiendent
It makes her forget her troubles.

Comme à chaque peine sa fin du jour
Just like every trouble has its end at the end of the day.

L'arrière saison le temps d'une vespérale,
The Indian summer at the time of the evening.

Les flancs du Mont-Royal,
The sides of Mount Royal,

Telles cymbales chantent l'automne à Montréal
Resounding like cymbals, they sing about the autumn in Montreal.

L'automne à Montréal
Autumn in Montreal.

Ou rien
Or nothing at all.