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
Passage Brady
Tété Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il s'administre le poison.
Quinze, vingt fois, ça dépend
De son humeur, c'est selon.
« boit-sans-soif, pauvre soulot,
bon à rien, suce-goulot »
Disent les mauvaises langues « bientôt
Il traîne de débit en débit,
Dans l'espoir d'y trouver quelque répit,
Cet homme que personne n'aime ni ne nomme,
Cet homme que personne n'hèle ni ne sonne.
Il connaît tous les lieux,
Il y a ceux où il va faute de mieux.
Ceux qui servent passé minuit,
Les deux ou trois qui font crédit.
« Il gît à même le caniveau
A la manière des animaux »
Disent les mauvaises langues, « ce lot,
Il ne le goûte que trop ! »
Il traîne de débit en débit,
Dans l'espoir d'y trouver quelque répit,
Cet homme que personne n'aime ni ne nomme,
Cet homme que personne n'hèle ni ne sonne.
Il traîne de débit en débit,
S'en va s'aviner
Parce que sa vie ne
Lui inspire plus que du mépris,
Ne lui inspire plus que du mépris.
Dans un café Passage Brady,
Une femme égrène des notes sur une six cordes.
Elle psalmodie son psaume favori,
Où il est beaucoup question de discorde,
D'amour, de haine et de miséricorde.
The song "Passage Brady" by Tété tells the story of a man who is struggling with alcohol addiction. The man is portrayed as someone who drinks to escape his problems, and who has become a regular at local bars, where he is not well-liked or respected. He is the subject of gossip and ridicule from others, who predict his eventual demise. However, the man continues to seek solace in alcohol, wandering from bar to bar in search of some kind of respite. The lyrics suggest a sense of hopelessness and desperation, as the man's addiction seems to have taken over his life completely.
In the second half of the song, the focus shifts to a woman playing guitar in a cafe on Passage Brady. Her music is described as being about conflict, love, hate, and mercy. The juxtaposition of the two stories seems to suggest that while one person is trapped in a cycle of self-destruction, others are finding ways to cope with their own challenges, perhaps through creative expression or the support of community. The overall tone of the song is melancholic, but it seems to hold out the possibility of redemption, even in the face of extreme struggles.
Overall, "Passage Brady" is a powerful and poignant song that speaks to the human condition in all its complexity. It touches on themes of addiction, isolation, and the search for meaning and connection in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving. Through its evocative imagery and vivid storytelling, the song invites listeners to reflect on their own struggles and the struggles of those around them, and to hold out hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Quotidiennement,
Every day,
Il s'administre le poison.
He administers poison to himself.
Quinze, vingt fois, ça dépend
Fifteen, twenty times, it depends
De son humeur, c'est selon.
It depends on his mood.
« boit-sans-soif, pauvre soulot,
Drinks without thirst, poor sap,
bon à rien, suce-goulot »
Good for nothing, chug-a-lug.
Disent les mauvaises langues « bientôt
The gossips say soon
Les croques-morts enduiront ton corps de chaux »
The undertakers will cover your body with lime.
Il traîne de débit en débit,
He hangs out in bar after bar,
Dans l'espoir d'y trouver quelque répit,
Hoping to find some respite,
Cet homme que personne n'aime ni ne nomme,
This man that no one loves or names,
Cet homme que personne n'hèle ni ne sonne.
This man that no one hails or calls.
Il connaît tous les lieux,
He knows all the places,
Il y a ceux où il va faute de mieux.
There are ones he goes to for lack of better ones.
Ceux qui servent passé minuit,
The ones that serve past midnight,
Les deux ou trois qui font crédit.
The two or three that give him credit.
« Il gît à même le caniveau
He lies on the gutter,
A la manière des animaux »
In the way of animals.
Disent les mauvaises langues, « ce lot,
The gossips say, this fate,
Il ne le goûte que trop ! »
He tastes it too much!
Il traîne de débit en débit,
He hangs out in bar after bar,
Dans l'espoir d'y trouver quelque répit,
Hoping to find some respite,
Cet homme que personne n'aime ni ne nomme,
This man that no one loves or names,
Cet homme que personne n'hèle ni ne sonne.
This man that no one hails or calls.
Il traîne de débit en débit,
He hangs out in bar after bar,
S'en va s'aviner
Gets drunk and leaves,
Parce que sa vie ne
Because his life does not
Lui inspire plus que du mépris,
Inspire him anything but contempt,
Ne lui inspire plus que du mépris.
Inspire him anything but contempt.
Dans un café Passage Brady,
In a café in Passage Brady,
Une femme égrène des notes sur une six cordes.
A woman strums notes on a six-string.
Elle psalmodie son psaume favori,
She intones her favorite psalm,
Où il est beaucoup question de discorde,
Where there is much talk of discord,
D'amour, de haine et de miséricorde.
Of love, hate, and mercy.
Contributed by Madelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.