Cantat didn't murder his girlfriend on purpose. No need to look for the evil in the song.

The song's missing...

EEK. Jeez, thanks Jer!

Tamzarian - He certainly hit her on the head on purpose.

WTF?

Unfortunate and pointless comments about Canta's private life when it has obviously nothing to do with his music-making - and much less so since Noir Désir's music was the collective work of 4+ musicians (which Canta was only part of), and that virtually all of it was released *years* before Marie's death.

Do you keep thinking about puke when listening to Jimi Hendrix? About homosexuality when hearing Elton John? About plane crashes with Otis Redding? So what?

Forget about that tabloid crap and just enjoy what those guys had to offer: their (collective) music!

great post, man, love the site

a difficult situation, such as horror films

Love this song.

I was at friends' wedding this week-end (in France) and there was some sort of debate about it, about listening still to Noir Désir or not. Some said it became unethical, as you suggest. And that disturbed me.
I listen all day long to a lot of songs I know nothing about, not a clue about how they were made, who created them, and who these people making music back then became in their future... and it doesn't matter much to me I must admit. I don't care.
Why should this be any different ?
This group was really important for french youth at a time. I know that because of the news. Some kind of special bond was created, an identification of some sorts, and so this tragic event became much, much more than a tragic domestic violence death.
But this is not linked in any way to the music, more : to my appreciation of the music.
If I like a artwork, and then I discover after voicing my appreciation what a monster created it, does that mean I am a monster myself ? Is there a suspicion of contamination of "monstery" through creation ? Is that it ? Or fear of giving money through the buying maybe ?
It's like the debate between Sainte-Beuve and Proust all over again...

Your post raises serious questions about the way music (and art in general) is received. Am i going to listen this song the same way as if I didn't knew this story and people who lived and died through it? This is not a great song and not a bad one, but who said common people can't do evil deeds?

this song should not be judged by what some sad people cause other people later...
nor should we discuss the "evil" here either as I believe that case was complex...and musicians I listen to from the 30's-40's and so on..lord knows, they were not good people all of them..but there songs matter to me...
and this noir desir song...is one of the most beautiful song I've heard in a long, long time.
not sure about the rest of their stuff, though...but this song shines!!
and is manu chao "evil" because he is on this track?
Way before, the tragic incident...
No.

@SEan: ..Eh. To be frank, while I like the song, after reading about what the singer did it really does turn me off his (or their) music, whether or not it was created before he killed his girlfriend. It's a little different from the examples you gave, given that a crime was committed here and people actually died as a result of the man's actions. Calling it 'tabloid crap' seems a wee bit dismissive of that fact.

Whoops, I think I meant the above to be directed at CaptainKaramelo instead.