Miss Modular

Stereolab

Sur la boïte cartonné un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil
Sur la boïte cartonné un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil

Donne l'idée du jeu et du mystère
Un spectacle intime donne l'idée du jeu et de l'humour
Spectacle qui rime, qui suscite dans les yeux un clair
Une découverte, une idée qui peut jouer des tours
Une muse, certes, donne l'idée du jeu et du mystère
Un spectacle intime

Sur la boïte cartonné un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil
Sur la boïte cartonné un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil



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Miss Modular song meanings
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  • 0
    General CommentKnowing Stereolab seems to put their extremely socialistic songs in french, I kind of suspect this is a song about socialism.

    Kudos to them if it is.
    edwarticaon January 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentHere's a not very good half self-translation in English:

    On the cardboard box a trompe loeil
    Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil.
    On the cardboard box a trompe loeil
    Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil,
    It gives off the notion of a game and a mystery,
    A quiet spectacle gives off the notion of a game and humour,
    A Spectacle that rhymes, that arouses on the eyes a flash,
    A discovery, an idea that may play tricks,
    A muse, certainly, that gives off the notion of a game and a mystery,
    An intimate spectacle.

    On the cardboard box a trompe loeil
    Readily confesses that it is trompe loeil.

    On the cardboard box a trompe loeil
    Confesses willingly that it is trompe loeil




    One thing I know is that "trompe l'oeil" literally means "trick the eye", in other words a trick/fool of the eye (later fooling the eye) or something deceptive. Although many of their songs do have socialistic meanings, I don't think this one is really. Having said that, I don't really know what it's talking about...
    Nirgeon September 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentGuy Debord
    badportraiton January 08, 2022   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretationit is simply about the music product --
    Pooeron March 01, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.
    Donny1on January 25, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.
    Donny1on January 25, 2016   Link
  • -1
    General CommentI hate it when artists try to be vauge and arty with their song lyrics. Now a trend is to put ... for left out on purpose lyrics. And the fact that the words aren't universal sucks to me. But if you want to stay poor, break-up and then not get remembered when you show a lot of potential otherwise be my guest. Also in the case of Stereolab I suspect that the French woman in SL couldn't sing and play the keyboards at the same time. And since they are keyboard driven songs- that killed live performances. But when the lyrics make sense they are GREAT to me like the Milkyway song about Andy. I fall in the category of HATING artists burying vocals way in the background although on a sidetone "Brown Sugar" by the Stones is SO racist that they had to do it. How did they get away with that one? But so I love and hate SL at the same time. The New Pornographers are the same range of this live performance problem plus lyrics made so they can't be understood by us. I just think that's like constantly sticking the finger super hard at the fans. Artists reading this- don't be an A-hole like that. Be universal, clear in singing your vocals and artistic as you want to be all the same time. While Barnet Newman can get 45 million + for his Blue with white stripe painting, music doesn't seem to work that way.
    Donny1on January 25, 2016   Link

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