Carapace literally translates to "shell" or "armor," referring to the hard outer covering of animals like turtles or crabs. It's a less common word in everyday French, making it stand out.
In this song, Claudio Capéo uses "carapace" metaphorically to describe the emotional walls and defenses he has built around himself. He sings, "Tu me dis souvent qu'elle est pas facile à percer ma carapace" (You often tell me that my shell is not easy to pierce), conveying his struggle to express his feelings and allow others in.
Claudio Capéo sings to a partner who feels shut out. She tells him he is hard to reach, that his silence wears her down, and that a few honest words would mean everything. He doesn't deny it. He admits he was never taught how to talk about feelings, so he keeps them locked away instead.
The title, Mourir d'armure ("dying of armor"), captures the trade-off at the heart of the song: he would rather stay behind his emotional walls, even if it costs him the relationship, than expose himself completely. It's not coldness, it's fear dressed up as toughness.
Yet he also promises he would break any rule and go to any length to keep her, even while staying guarded. The song sits in that tension: a man who loves deeply but can only show it through devotion and loyalty, never through open vulnerability.