Zazie's mother was an architect and her father a music teacher. Her songs range from upbeat rock or pop songs to languid downtempo tunes and are characterised by the wit of their lyrics based on puns, alliterations, homophones and double-entendres.
Zazie debuted in 1992 with the album "Je Tu Ils" and the single "Sucré salé".
In 1995, she released her sophomore album Zen, which was co-written and co-produced with Vincent-Marie Bouvot. It included the singles "Zen" and "Homme Sweet Homme". Her 1996 single "Un point c'est toi" from the same album was discussed on Canada's MuchMusic TV program Too Much 4 Much due to its controversial content. Ultimately, the discussion panel deemed the video okay for audiences. In the video, a group of four smitten women, including Zazie, follow a pair of men down to a lake. There, the two men strip off their clothes and swim in the water. Zazie fantasizes about undressing one of the men and kissing him. To shock of the women, however, the two men kiss each other.
In 1997, Pascal Obispo and Zazie released the single "Les Meilleurs Ennemis".
Her 1998 album Made in Love was co-produced by Ali Staton, Pierre Jaconelli, and herself. The album photos were taken by fashion designer Jean-Baptiste Mondino. The songs "Ça Fait Mal Et Ça Fait Rien", "Tous des anges", and "Tout Le Monde" were released as singles. This album was followed by a live album, Made in Live, the next year. In 1999 she also wrote a song for Jane Birkin in Jane Birkin's album .
In 2001, Zazie dueted with Axel Bauer on the single "A Ma Place". It was her most successful single in France, reaching number four on the French charts.
Zazie once again addressed gay content on her 2002 single "Adam et Yves" from her 2001 album La Zizanie. This album was produced solely by Pierre Jaconelli. Other singles included "Rue de la paix" and "Danse avec les loops". In 2003, she released another live album, Ze Live.
Her 2004 album Rodéo was co-produced and co-written with Jean-Pierre Pilot and Philippe Paradis. A short film "Rodéo indien" was made using songs from the album as a soundtrack. Zazie played the role of an Indian woman who leaves her cheating husband. She followed this album up with a live album, Rodéo Tour in 2006.
In 2007 her sixth studio album "Totem" was released and debuted at number 1. The second single (but first commercially released) was "Je Suis Un Homme" which became Zazie's first solo top ten hit in France. In Winter 2008 a best of album "Zest of Zazie" was released which as well as past hits contained two new songs "Fm Air" and "Un peu beaucoup" and live recordings.
Une Souris Verte
Zazie Lyrics
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Appris par cœur la louve et l'agneau
Puis j'ai blanchi mes plumes
Pour sortir de ton chapeau
La pro de l'amour in vitro
Je souris quand tu me sonnes
Mais que peuvent les souris
Contre les hommes
Une souris verte
Qui courait les hommes
Tire le diable par la queue
C'est la faute à ces messieurs
Ces messieurs me disent
Tellement de bêtises
Que je souris jaune
Et me transforme en escargot, tout chaud
Prends en de la graine
Ou prends le de haut
Moi ça me gène
Qu'on porte ma fourrure en manteau
Tu me mets tout sur le dos
Ne suis je donc, Roméo
Qu'une souris de labo
Et je devrais baisser les bras
Contre les scélérats
Une souris verte
Qui courait les hommes
Tire le diable par la queue
C'est la faute à ces messieurs
Ces messieurs me disent
Tellement de bêtises
Je n'ai pas de pot
Car ceux-là ne sont que de beaux, salauds
Une souris verte
Qui courait les hommes
Tire le diable par la queue
C'est la faute à ces messieurs
Ces messieurs me disent
Rien que des bêtises
Moi je souris jaune
Et me transforme en escargot
Tout show
The lyrics to Zazie's song Une Souris Verte tell the story of a mouse who has been trained to be an expert in love experiments, but is facing challenges from "these gentlemen", who are making her life difficult by saying foolish things. The mouse has learned a lot, including memorizing the story of the wolf and the lamb, but in the end, she realizes that she is just a lab mouse who is powerless against these men. Despite being called a "green mouse", implying that she is young and naive, she is actually quite wise and able to transform herself when needed, even if that means becoming a sluggish snail. Throughout the song, she seems to be standing up against the oppressive forces around her.
There are several interpretations of this song, but one likely reading is that it is a commentary on the struggles of women in a male-dominated society. The mouse is a metaphor for women, who have been subjected to testing and experimentation for centuries, and are still being treated unfairly by some men. The song suggests that women are often dismissed or belittled, and that they need to stay strong and fight against the misogyny and inequality that they face.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai fini les graines que t'avais posées sur le plateau
I have finished the seeds you placed on the tray
Appris par cœur la louve et l'agneau
I have memorized the story of the wolf and the lamb
Puis j'ai blanchi mes plumes
Then I whitened my feathers
Pour sortir de ton chapeau
To come out of your hat
La pro de l'amour in vitro
An expert in vitro love
Je souris quand tu me sonnes
I smile when you call me
Mais que peuvent les souris Contre les hommes
But what can mice do against men?
Une souris verte Qui courait les hommes Tire le diable par la queue C'est la faute à ces messieurs
A green mouse who chased men is now in deep trouble because of those gentlemen's doing.
Ces messieurs me disent Tellement de bêtises Que je souris jaune Et me transforme en escargot, tout chaud
Those gentlemen tell me such nonsense that I pretend to smile and transform into a hot snail.
Prends en de la graine Ou prends le de haut Moi ça me gène Qu'on porte ma fourrure en manteau
Learn from my example or ignore me altogether, but it bothers me that someone wears my fur as a coat.
Tu me mets tout sur le dos Ne suis je donc, Roméo Qu'une souris de labo
You blame me for everything, as if I were just a lab mouse named Romeo.
Et je devrais baisser les bras Contre les scélérats
And I should give up against the villains?
Je n'ai pas de pot Car ceux-là ne sont que de beaux, salauds
I'm unlucky because those guys are just good-looking jerks.
Ces messieurs me disent Rien que des bêtises Moi je souris jaune Et me transforme en escargot Tout show
Those gentlemen tell me nothing but nonsense, and I pretend to smile while transforming into a showy snail.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ISABELLE ANNE DE TRUCHIS DE VARENNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind