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“L’aventurier” (The Adventurer) is a song by French band Indochine featured in their first album, also called L’aventurier. Released in 1982 and written by singer Nicola Sirkis, it enabled the rock band to launch a career in France and abroad in Europe. Since its formation in 1981, by brothers Nicola and Stephane Sirkis, Indochine have achieved great success. They spent the 90s off the radars, but came back in 2002. In total, they have sold more than 10 million records, becoming one of the most popular French groups of all time.

"Released in 1982 and written by singer Nicola Sirkis, 'L'aventurier' enabled the rock band to launch a career in France and abroad in Europe."

The song is a tribute to Bob Morane, the hero of a comic book series created in 1953 by the Belgian writer Henri Vernes. Morane is an upholder of the law and an adventurer who travels around the world. In the song, Indochine mention some of the series's titles, like La Vallée infernale (The Infernal Valley) and L’ombre Jaune (The Yellow Shadow). The first two stanzas summarize Morane’s adventures, with lots of references to the comics. Bill Balantine is Morane’s loyal companion, who helps him in his investigations; L’Ombre Jaune, also called Mister Kali Jones, is one of Morane’s enemies, as are Doc Xhatan and Miss Ylang Ylang, chief of the SMOG, an organization opposed to Bob Morane. Finally, Miss Clark is the girl in distress. Manicouagan is a region that really exists, Sampang is a Chinese boat, and Nadawieb is the name of an operation undertaken by Morane.

The chorus announces the arrival of the adventurer, qualifying him as a “héros de tous les temps” (hero of all times), who stands against every warrior and every “chacal,” meaning “jackal” in French and used colloquially to describe a bad person. Indochine repeat this sentence two times, as if they wanted to insist on the fact that Morane can beat anyone, without exception. The lyrics also include many words that belong to the lexicon of adventure and action: “héros” (hero), “bandit,” “sauver” (to save), “trafic" (traffic), “crocodile,” “prisonnière” (prisoner), “terreur” (terror), “jungle,” “emprisonner” (to imprison), “ennemi” (enemy), “voler” (to steal), “surgir” (to appear suddenly), “guerrier” (warrior), “aventure” (adventure), “démanteler” (to dismantle), “gang,” and “otage” (hostage).

"In fact, the band didn’t like Bob Morane at all and through it tried to exaggerate and denounce the myth of the perfect gentleman hero."

In the last paragraph, Indochine sing the praises of Morane, describing how he, Samurai of the Sun, succeeds in resolving all problems. The last verse, “Bob Morane est le roi de la terre” (Bob Morane is the king of the earth), shows the admiration the band apparently has for this hero. But there is actually an underlying meaning to the song. In fact, the band didn’t like this comic at all – which they picked because it was very fashionable in the 1980s – and through it tried to exaggerate and denounce the myth of the perfect gentleman hero, who always succeeds at everything.

Lyrics:

Egaré dans la vallée infernale
Le héros s'appelle Bob Morane
A la recherche de l'Ombre Jaune
Le bandit s'appelle Mister Kali Jones
Avec l'ami Bill Ballantine
Sauvé de justesse des crocodiles
Stop au trafic des Caraïbes
Escale dans l'opération Nadawieb

Le cœur tendre dans le lit de Miss Clark
Prisonnière du Sultan de Jarawak
En pleine terreur à Manicouagan
Isolé dans la jungle birmane
Emprisonnant les flibustiers
L'ennemi est démasqué
On a volé le collier de Civa
Le Maradjah en répondra

Et soudain surgit face au vent
Le vrai héros de tous les temps
Bob Morane contre tout chacal
L'aventurier contre tout guerrier
Bob Morane contre tout chacal
L'aventurier contre tout guerrier

Dérivant à bord du Sampang
L'aventure au parfum d'Ylang-Ylang
Son surnom, Samouraï du Soleil
En démantelant le gang de l'Archipel
L'otage des guerriers du Doc Xhatan
Il s'en sortira toujours à temps
Tel l'aventurier solitaire
Bob Morane est le roi de la terre