Lost

even though i only get the "i'm lost but i'm not stranded yet..." part, i'm dying for it. this is music, you know. it's a language by itself. you don't need to understand all the words to like a song. and this song is really great....

I've taken French lessons for about 5 years now, so I understand some of the content (at least the "shallow" parts; I may not get the deeper meaning with this song, if you understand what I'm trying to say), though I agree with you - the passion lies in the music. I have to thank my French teacher for introducing me to Noir Désir with this song after we'd read a text titled "Une tragédie moderne" about what happened with Bertrand and Marie.

I love this song. Noir Desir is - I should say was - an excellent music group, remarkable for the lyrics as well as for the music, which is rare. What happened is tragic but I prefer not to think about it so that I can still appreciate the music. I mean, some people think the man's disgusting, so the music's disgusting, too. That's not my case... It's a good thing that your french teacher did introduce you to Noir Désir ; I have the feeling that french teachers too often focus on "classical" singers like Edith Piaf or Jacques Brel (who were excellent but have nothing to do with what young people listen to...). It's a kind of cliché...

I agree with all the comments. This is music first, words included. I don't say it doesn't mean something but the songwriting is pretty poetic (and cryptic) and based on rhymes and rythm. You understand some things but it's up to everybody. They're considered a political group in France, though their music isn't directly explicit, some songs critizice global economy and capitalism & its excesses. But mainly, the lyrics are very litterary. In this song the accumulation of many nouns make sens with the chorus. You feel overwhelmed and "lost". Hope i was clear, because even if french speaking persons could translate this song (i'm french), the meaning would be up to what it conveys to you. I can translate but it's long and gets complicated at the end. Anyway, I'll try if anyone asks.

I really love this song...it contains an universal meaning. What i love about their songs is the ability to speak to people's soul without explicit words. Everyone of us felt lost once in life. The important thing is to remember its own landmarks (le Nord) and never forget to smile (n'oublie pas ton sourire pour ce soir, si tu sors)