Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil,

Donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime donne l'idee do jeu et de l'humour,
Spectacle qui rime, qui suscite dans les yeux un eclair,
Une decouverte, une idee qui peut jouer des tours,
Une muse, certes, donne l'idee do jeu et do mystere,
Un spectacle intime.

Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.
Sur la boite cartonnee un trompe-l'oeil
Avoue volontiers qu'il est trompe-l'oeil.

Miss Modular

On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil,

Gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle gives the idea of the game and the humor,
Spectacle that rhymes, that arouses on the eyes a flash,
A discovery, an idea that can play tricks,
A muse, admittedly, gives the idea of the game and the mystery,
An intimate spectacle.

On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.
On the cased box a trompe l'oeil
Confesses willingly that it is trompe l'oeil.


Lyrics submitted by stickista

Miss Modular Lyrics as written by Timothy John Gane Laetitia Sadier

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

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Miss Modular song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment
    Here'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
  • +1
    General Comment
    Dear Donny (and anyone else who thinks like Donny), Art is not obligated to make any sense to you in particular or the audience at large. It’s the abstract (re:”vague”) nature of art that makes it beautiful. If you want something literal, read a newspaper or take a photograph. Art serves a completely different purpose. And Stereolab certainly were not doing it for the money — anyone who knows the first thing about them know they did not like money and capitalism. Stereolab was / is a masterful band and I would not change a single thing about their work to fit some banal expectation of accessibility to the lowest common denominator. That being said, I do not know exactly what the song is about (and that’s okay), but “trompe loeil” means “optical illusion”. Combined with the other translation, the song is about someone pretending to be something it’s not. It’s plain to everyone that the person or thing is not genuine, as it’s plainly written on the box, yet everyone is dazzled by the show regardless and like to pretend it’s real.
    BoiseMusicGeekon February 12, 2023   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Knowing 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
    My Interpretation
    it is simply about the music product --
    Pooeron March 01, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Guy Debord
    badportraiton January 08, 2022   Link
  • -1
    General Comment
    I 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 Comment
    I 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
  • -2
    General Comment
    I 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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