Isabelle Geffroy, born 1 May 1980, known by the pseudonym ZAZ, is a singer … Read Full Bio ↴Isabelle Geffroy, born 1 May 1980, known by the pseudonym ZAZ, is a singer from Tours, France, who blends the styles nu jazz, soul and acoustic in her music.

In 2001, she started her singing career in the blues band "Fifty Fingers". She sang in musical groups in Angoulême, especially in a jazz quintet. She became one of the four singers of Izar-Adatz (Shooting Star), a variety band which consisted of sixteen people with whom she toured for two years, especially in the Midi-Pyrenees and the Basque Country. She worked in the studio as a chorister in Toulouse and performed with many singers including Maeso, Art Mengo, Vladimir Max, Jean-Pierre Mader and Serge Guerao.

In May 2010, French magazine Telerama announced: "Rumor has swelled in recent weeks: Zaz is a sacred voice, and she will be the revelation of the summer!". On 10 May 2010, Zaz released her first album. It contains songs written by herself ("Trop sensitible") and co-composed ("Les Passants", "Le Long de la route", "Prends garde à ta langue", "J'aime à nouveau", "Ni Oui Ni Non"). Kerredine Soltani produced the album under Play On label, and wrote and composed the hit single "Je veux". The pop singer Raphaël Haroche wrote her songs "Éblouie par la nuit", "Port Coton" and "La Fée". In 2010, she signed a contract for her tours with Caramba and publisher Sony ATV. She was invited to many TV shows (such as Taratata or Chabada) and was featured in several programs on the radio.

Zaz then toured France (Paris, La Rochelle, Montauban, Saint-Ouen, Chateauroux, Landerneau, Fécamp...), performed at the Francofolies of Montreal (Canada), Monthey (Switzerland), Brussels, Berlin, and Milan... In autumn Zaz topped the charts in Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. Matthieu Baligand, her manager and producer at Caramba Entertainment, explained to Liberation: "We talk a lot of her right now and people are waiting her at the turn... Despite the demand, it seems preferable to do her first tour in fifty small places which will render her credible. Zaz is a popular, intuitive artist, who is familiar with music, who can sing, but doing a quality show is something else (...)." In November 2010, the debut album Zaz became double platinum, and she was awarded "Revelation Song" by the Academy Charles Cros. Zaz also won the European Border Breaker Awards: she was named the French artist most played abroad in 2010. According to a survey published by L'Internaute, Zaz was the most favorite singer of the French in the 2010 ranking.

Discography:

2010: Zaz
2011: Sans Tsu-Tsou
2013: Recto Verso
2014: Paris
2016: Sur La Route
2018: Effet Miroir
2021: Isa
2022: Isa (Nouvelle édition)

Déterre
Zaz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tape du pied
Vas-y, vas-y
Tape du pied
Y'a que comme ça que tu peux remonter
Tape du pied
Vas-y, vas-y
Tape du pied
Ça fait trop longtemps que tu te fais discret

Tape du pied
Vas-y, vas-y
Tape du pied
N'aie pas peur il faudra les réveiller

Fais du bruit
Vas-y, vas-y
Fais du bruit
Tu vas voir que c'est là que tu te sens en vie
Fais du bruit
Vas-y, vas-y
Fais du bruit
Fais trembler les murs et réveille les nuits
Fais du bruit
Vas-y, vas-y
Fais du bruit
Relâche, crache tout ce qui te pourrie

Ce qu'il y'a sur la terre m'effraie au tant que toi
Les catacombes, les ombres aux murs de nos cavernes d'Ali baba
Secret taillé dans les rochers
Trésor enfoui, très englouti
On prend la pelle comme on prend le large
J'entend l'appel

Déterre
Déterre-les
Déterre-toi

Comme tu veux
Vas-y, vas-y
Comme tu veux
Laisse monter le trop plein à la lisière des yeux
Comme tu veux
Vas-y, vas-y
Comme tu veux
Fais jaillir le ras-le-bol à ras-bord qui prend feu
Comme tu veux
Vas-y, vas-y
Comme tu veux
Sens tu le sol se fendre en deux?

Abandonne
Vas-y, vas-y
Abandonne
Pour qu'à nouveau chaque seconde déconne
Abandonne
Vas-y, vas-y
Abandonne
Tu pèses plus rien toi qui pesais des tonnes
Abandonne
Vas-y, vas-y
Abandonne

Tape des pieds pour que la terre sous tes pieds résonne
Résonne, résonne

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Zaz's "Déterre" (Unearth) is a passionate call to action, urging listeners to make noise, to stomp their feet, and to make themselves heard. The opening lines of the song set the tone for this call to action, "Tape du pied / Vas-y, vas-y / Tape du pied / Y'a que comme ça que tu peux remonter" ("Stomp your feet / Go ahead, go ahead / Stomp your feet / That's the only way you can rise up"). The lyrics encourage the listener to be bold, to break free from the chains of silence, and to unleash the powerful force of their voice.

Throughout the song, Zaz emphasizes the importance of breaking free from the constraints of fear, of societal expectations, and of holding back one's true self. The lyrics urge listeners to "Fais du bruit / Vas-y, vas-y / Fais du bruit" ("Make noise / Go ahead, go ahead / Make noise"), encouraging them to let go of their worries, their fears, and to shake off any doubts. Zaz contends that true liberation and empowerment can only come from breaking free from these confines and making oneself heard.

The final verse of the song is particularly powerful, "Abandonne / Vas-y, vas-y / Abandonne / Pour qu'à nouveau chaque seconde déconne" ("Abandon / Go ahead, go ahead / Abandon / So that every second can mess up again"). Through this language, Zaz suggests that true freedom comes from letting go of the past and seizing the present moment, taking advantage of the chance to start anew.

Overall, "Déterre" is a passionate call to action imbued with a sense of urgency, encouraging listeners to break free of fear and societal expectations, and to seize the power of their voice to create positive change.

Line by Line Meaning

Tape du pied
Start moving, take action

Vas-y, vas-y
Go on, keep going

Y'a que comme ça que tu peux remonter
That's the only way you can rise up

Ça fait trop longtemps que tu te fais discret
You've been hiding for too long

N'aie pas peur il faudra les réveiller
Don't be afraid, you need to wake them up

Fais du bruit
Make some noise

Tu vas voir que c'est là que tu te sens en vie
You will see that's where you feel truly alive

Fais trembler les murs et réveille les nuits
Shake the walls and wake up the nights

Relâche, crache tout ce qui te pourrie
Let go, spit out all that poisons you

Ce qu'il y'a sur la terre m'effraie au tant que toi
What's on this Earth frightens me as much as you do

Les catacombes, les ombres aux murs de nos cavernes d'Ali baba
The catacombs, the shadows on the walls of our Ali Baba caves