We listened to this song today en classe, and the sound of it took me back to when most of you kids were just out of  elementary school. The mid-90s were a lot of fun. That decade was also really, really hard: I discovered a lot about myself, but I think that most of my generation needed to get the 80s out of our system somehow, and when the 90s showed up, we held fast and strong. Those were the days of Pearl Jam and Live and Nirvana; we had Bad Religion and R.E.M. and Ben Folds Five, Better than Ezra and who else? Isn’t this the phase – the secondary “tween” transition from adolescence to adulthood – where music really, really, really means something? Didn’t we want to break loose and dance, or mosh or brood? Weren’t we part of a group that makes “emo” look especially juvenile? My generation was misunderstood and untouchable, just like all those before it, and just like all those that would follow.

This song was part of an album released in 1996. As I stare at the beginning of this paragraph wondering if I should continue with thoughts of my life during that time, I get nervous, and I chicken out. Discretion wins today, as it does most days, and humanity actually benefits more just not knowing certain things.

This song isn’t one of them. This song you should enjoy. The video is a bit gropy, so close your eyes if you have to. Or study the lyrics.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Indochine, “Satellite”

Passer son temps la tête en l’air
à contempler le ciel à l’envers
ailleurs
ailleurs
tourner tout autour de la terre
à rechercher dans quel univers
meilleur
meilleur

Là-haut sur la mer étoilée
sur mon bateau j’observerai
dans l’espace et les galaxies
où poser mon satellite
là-haut sur la mer étoilée
de mon vaisseau je regarderai
dans quel endroit insolite
où placer mon satellie

Quand je vous ai vue la première fois
une ingénue du haut de son toi
ailleurs
ailleurs
et vous m’avez montré du doigt
un peu perdue dans vos émois
en pleurs
en pleurs

là haut sur la mer étoilée
sur mon bateau je te protégerai
je deviendrai pour toi un mythe
je serai ton satellite
là-haut sur la mer étoilée
de mon vaisseau je te défendrai
et tu voudras que je t’invite
à l’intérieur de mon satellite

Là-haut sur la mer étoilée
sur mon bateau j’observerai
dans l’espace et les galaxies
où poser mon satellite
là-haut sur la mer étoilée
de mon vaisseau je regarderai
dans quel endroit insolite
où placer mon satellite.