Tiersen has been honing his musical aesthetic since he could stand on two legs. He started learning piano at the age of four, taking up violin at the age of six and receiving classical training at musical academies in Rennes, Nantes and Boulogne. Then, at the age of 13, he chose to alter his destiny, breaking his violin into pieces, buying a guitar and forming a rock band.
Yann Tiersen has collaborated with vocal artists like Claire Pichet ("Le phare" and "Rue des cascades"), Elizabeth Fraser ("Les retrouvailles") and Shannon Wright ("Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright"). Other musicians he has worked with include The Divine Comedy, Noir Désir, Dominique A., Francoiz Breut, Les Têtes Raides, The Married Monk and Sage Francis
Tiersen got a musical education from the city of Rennes' annual Transmusicales festival, seeing acts like Nirvana, Einstürzende Neubaten, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, The Cramps, Television and Suicide. When his band broke up a few years later, instead of hunting for some new musicians, he bought a cheap mixing desk, an eight-track reel, and started recording music solo with a synth, sampler and drum machine, poring over the grooves of old records on the hunt for loops and orchestral strings to plunder.
As it turned out, though, the key to his new approach lay in his own past. "One day I thought, instead of spending days on research and listening to tons of records to find the nearest sound of what I have in mind, why don't I fix this fucking violin and use it?" Through the summer of 1993, Tiersen stayed in his apartment, recording music alone with guitar, violin and accordion, guided not by the classical canon, but by intuition and his vision of "a musical anarchy".
By the end of the summer of 1993, Tiersen had recorded over 40 tracks, which would form the bulk of his first two albums. 1995's La Valse Des Monstres, inspired by Tod Browning's Freaks and Yukio Mishima's The Damask Drum was the second album to be released on Nancy-based label Ici, d'ailleurs. It would be followed six months later by Rue Des Cascades, a collection of short pieces recorded with toy piano, harpsichord, violin, accordion and mandolin. Six years later, the record would find a much larger audience when several tracks, along with a couple of Tiersen originals, would be used on the soundtrack to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film Amelie (2001).
Tiersen's commercial breakthrough would come earlier, though, and off his own back. 1998's Le Phare (The Light House) was recorded in self-imposed seclusion on the isle of Ouessant, where Tiersen spent two months living in a rented house. At night, he watched the Creach'h, the most powerful lighthouse in Europe, as it illuminated the surrounding scenery. "I was amazed how the rays of lights from the lighthouse revealed some hidden details of the land, how we can rediscover something we have everyday, just in front of us, by a light pointing on it," says Tiersen.
Le Phare went on to sell over 160,000 copies, confirming Tiersen's status as one of the most pioneering and original artists of his generation and commencing a run of successful albums like 2001's L'Absente (featuring orchestral group Synaxis, Lisa Germano and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon) and 2005's Les Retrouvailles (with guests Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, Jane Birkin and Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins). In this period, Tiersen also took his music out around the world, playing shows with a full orchestra and an amplified string quartet – a set-up captured on 2002's electrifying live album C'etait ici. And following the box-office success of Amelie, Tiersen's skills as a soundtracker were much in demand, leading to scores for the likes of Wolfgang Becker's tragicomedy Good Bye Lenin! (2003) and Tabarly (2008), a documentary about the French sailor Éric Tabarly, who ate his final meal on Ouessant Island before he meeting a watery end in the Irish sea.
Discography:
La valse des monstres (1995)
Rue des cascades (1996)
Le phare (1998)
Tout est calme (1999)
Black session (1999, radio concert)
L'absente (2001)
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001, Soundtrack)
C'était ici (2002, Live and Best Of)
Good Bye Lenin! (2003, Soundtrack)
Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright (2004)
Les Retrouvailles (2005)
On Tour (2006, Live)
Tabarly (2008)
Dust Lane (2010)
Till the End
Yann Tiersen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At its surface level, the lyrics of Yann Tiersen’s song “Till the End” may seem simple and repetitive. However, these words carry a profound message about the strength of human connections and the enduring power of love. Throughout the song, the singer promises that they will always be there for the person they love, no matter what life may bring. “We will be there ’til the end” becomes a mantra, a declaration of unwavering loyalty and commitment. This promise is not limited to happy times or easy situations, but extends to the darkest and most difficult moments as well.
When we hear these lyrics, we are reminded of the importance of being present for those we care about, both in good times and in bad. Life is unpredictable, and we never know what challenges or hardships may arise. However, “Till the End” encourages us to hold onto the people we love and to support them through whatever may come. In a world that can sometimes feel chaotic and uncertain, this kind of steadfast love and support is truly invaluable.
Overall, “Till the End” is a powerful affirmation of the strength of human bonds and a reminder of the importance of showing up for the people we care about. This song is a beautiful tribute to love and a touching reminder that, no matter what happens in life, we are never truly alone.
Line by Line Meaning
We will be there 'til the end.
Our presence will remain steadfast until the very conclusion of this chapter of our lives.
Contributed by Sadie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jannah De Maere
I'm almost 20 years old and I'm listening to Yann Tiersen since I was a little girl. You don't have to be ashamed at all, it's not weird. It's beautiful :)
Zeims Andelsing
Have to say.. i still haven't found a song better than this..
Simply incredible..
Le Flâneur
Zeims Andelsing Tiersen makes so many different kinds of pieces, it's hard to keep track. I personally love Sur Le Fil if you've heard it, this is on another level though. Quite a different style in fact.
John Smith
I wish the composer of this song could see this, I just poured my heart out to my girlfriend, I told her what i felt about her and what I was missing in life. this song made me cry, I haven't cried in years. I now know I can feel pain and love. thank you Yann Tiersen, for writing a beautiful and special song.
keran10
I'm at my lowest point right now and have lost all feelings. Listening to this track got me speechless and I almost cried. I hope the otherside would be as comforting as this song, it sounds like it. Yann is such a beautiful soul for having created such lovely music. I wonder where he gets the inspiration to write these beautiful pieces.
Randy Palacios
This song brought flashbacks from the most beautiful moments in my life and all of the people who I have come across. All the experiences just started to collide together and turned into tears. As I kept smiling I felt so alive yet I felt a beautiful sense of death near me. This life are all the experiences you have to learn from in order to go on the next part. Death is the graduation of ones soul, don't waste it.
Milda
i listen to this song more than an year. from the first time i've heard it, i've understood that it's my favourite song and i still feel the same. all the time when i was sad the begining made me cry even more... and at the ending i started smiling. it just gets into your heart so deeply and i just love, love, love this song!! if i knew that i had to die, the last minutes of my life i would spend listening to this song...
MdmaMadnesS
This is such an intense song..The way it builds up is so unique, its so beautiful that it touches the deepest of my heart..Pure magic..thanks Yann..So happy to have your music in my life..! I hope you wont see this as a spam, but I just think that good music needs to be shared. I found a band on youtube called "Nyctalgia" If you've time listen to their song "Lost in timeless horizons" and "Coming home" (Silvio Pfiffner) Breathtaking and powerful songs by such a youn talented guy..
fyiimsuperawesome
I can't stop listening to this song! Especially the last two minutes. I keep hitting the replay button!! pure magic!
ucrono
I swear, listening this music feels like... Actually, no words can explain how beautiful this song is to me. It's just how Yann Tiersen is to me :) Making music so awesome as possible.