#french chanson

[bitter69uk]

“Former sex kitten turned respected musician and actress – there’s no real equivalent to Jane Birkin on the American scene. The English bird who first gained notoriety doing the female Full Monty in Blow-Up, Birkin moved to France and fell in love with splay-faced boulevardier Serge Gainsbourg. They dueted on “Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus”, a hit single in which she performed what remains the most convincing orgasm in the history of popular culture, Donna Summer and Meg Ryan notwithstanding. Notoriety wears thin over time, but Birkin hung in there and carved out a real career in her adopted country, acting in increasingly well-received films and, with Gainsbourg (until his death in 1991), recording increasingly well-received albums that made the most of her wispy but effective voice.”

/ Vanity Fair magazine on Jane Birkin /

“Serge Gainsbourg, French pop’s leering Marquis de Sade, first cast a predatory eye over British starlet Jane Birkin in 1968. Their orgasmic 1969 duet “Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus” established them as a kinky Eurotrash Sonny and Cher. Even after their 1981 divorce, he continued to write songs for her until his death in 1991. While Gainsbourg composed songs for other French chanteuses (including Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Greco and Francoise Hardy), Birkin remains his definitive muse thanks to the intimacy of her fragile delivery in hesitant French of his toxic sweet nothings (often about herself) in a cut glass Chelsea girl accent. Now in her mid-50s, Birkin still looks every inch the ageless tomboy waif and is fiercely committed to maintaining the musical legacy of her mentor …”

/ Believe it or not, I wrote the above for The Guardian’s Weekend Guide in March 2003 (over twenty years ago!) when Birkin was performing her Arabesque album at The Barbican /

Wow – how sad to bid adieu to the truly great “Jane B” (14 December 1946 - 16 July 2023). I was lucky to see Birkin in concert many times over the years: she was reliably commanding, charismatic and exuded sheer elegance.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

NEW LÉA DESANDRE ALBUM!!!!!!!!!

[l-homme-triste-qui-rit]

Когато си хоум офис, работиш с френски език и изведнъж чуеш позната и любима френска песен, идваща право от строежа на кооперацията отсреща. Е нямаше как да не надам ухо... 👂🏽 🇫🇷 😌

[mellowchouchou]

Barbara - La Solitude

Lyrics & Translation:

Je l'ai trouvée devant ma porte Un soir, que je rentrais chez moi Partout, elle me fait escorte Elle est revenue, elle est là La renifleuse des amours mortes Elle m'a suivie, pas à pas La garce, que le Diable l'emporte Elle est revenue, elle est là Avec sa gueule de carême Avec ses larges yeux cernés Elle nous fait le coeur à la traîne Elle nous fait le coeur à pleurer Elle nous fait des matins blêmes Et de longues nuits désolées La garce ! Elle nous ferait même L'hiver au plein coeur de l'été Dans ta triste robe de moire Avec tes cheveux mal peignés T'as la mine du désespoir Tu n'es pas belle à regarder Allez, va t-en porter ailleurs Ta triste gueule de l'ennui Je n'ai pas le goût du malheur Va t-en voir ailleurs si j'y suis Je veux encore rouler des hanches Je veux me saouler de printemps Je veux m'en payer, des nuits blanches A coeur qui bat, à coeur battant Avant que sonne l'heure blême Et jusqu'à mon souffle dernier Je veux encore dire je t'aime Et vouloir mourir d'aimer Elle a dit Ouvre-moi ta porte Je t'avais suivie pas à pas Je sais que tes amours sont mortes Je suis revenue, me voilà Ils t'ont récité leurs poèmes Tes beaux messieurs, tes beaux enfants Tes faux Rimbaud, tes faux Verlaine Eh ! bien, c'est fini, maintenant Depuis, elle me fait des nuits blanches Elle s'est pendue à mon cou Elle s'est enroulée à mes hanches Elle se couche à mes genoux Partout, elle me fait escorte Et elle me suit, pas à pas Elle m'attend devant ma porte Elle est revenue, elle est là La solitude, la solitude

Translation (Source):

I found her outside my door, One night, when I was going home. Everywhere, she’s escorting me. She’s back, here she is, The dead-loves sniffer. She has followed me, step by step. This bitch, to Hell with you! She’s back, here she is, With her fasting face With the rings under her big eyes, She makes us feel like lagging behind, She makes us feel like crying, She turns our mornings wan And our nights long and desolate. This bitch! She would even Turn midsummer into winter. In your sad taffy dress, With your blowzy hair, Your expression is that of despair; You’re not nice to watch. Come on, go and show somewhere else Your sad bored face. I have no taste for unhappiness. Go fly a kite! I still want to swing my hip, I still want to get drunk on spring, I want to have sleepless nights, With my heart racing on the loose. Before tolling for the dead And until my last breath, I still want to say “I love you”, And I want to die of love. She said: “Open the door for me. I have followed you, step by step. I know that your love is dead. I am back, here I am. They declaim their poems to you, Your fine gentlemen, your fine kids, Your fake Rimbaud, your fake Verlaine. Well! It’s over, now.” From now on, she makes me stay awake all night. She’s hanging around my neck, She’s coiled around my hip. She lies down on my knees. Everywhere, she escorts me, And she follows me, step by step. She’s waiting for me outside my door. She’s back, she’s here, The loneliness, the loneliness…

[artistbookings]

When Mother Comes to Visit

Make yourself at home with When Mother Comes to Visit combining a variety of musical styles and influences, including Jazz, French chanson, and contemporary songs in their unique style, WMCTV is a versatile and highly entertaining ensemble consisting of a trio of professionally trained and experienced performers.

Instrumentation: Vocals, Double Bass, Piano Accordion, Guitar

Music Genre: Jazz, French Chanson, Contemporary, Pop, Folk, Soul, Opera, Musical Theatre

Size: Trio

Setlist: When Mother Comes to Visit

Hire For: Roving Street Performances, Festivals, Outdoor Events, Hilarious Parties

Equipment Supplied: Yes

Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German

[haveyouheardthisband]

[alloutshirt]

not the usual content but i feel the need to share, lots of protests currently happening in france against macron and his government but these images of firefighters joining after they were called to turn off fires set by protesters are Everything. they were heavily cheered on by crowd who started chanting "tout le monde aime les pompiers" (everyone loves firefighters) in ref to the "tout le monde déteste la police" slogan (everyone hates cops)

to the point of protecting people from them <3

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Ta fête • Papaoutai • bâtard • ave cesaria • Tous les mêmes • Formidable • moules frites • Carmen • humain à l'eau • quand c'est ? • sommeil • merci • avf • papaoutai (ft. Angel Haze)

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[echo-s-land]

French queer playlist because why not

Comme ils disent by Charles Aznavour (1972) | about a gay man, he cross-dresses too. Don't really know how to explain that one. It's great, it aged really well (Aznavour was a straight man but he had several queer friends)

Sans Contrefaçon by Mylène Farmer (1987) | wasn't actually written with trans masculinity in mind, but it's a trans masc anthem at this point

Ziggy (un garçon pas comme les autres) by Céline Dion (1991; the original cover/song was in 1978 tho) | girl falls in love with her friend, a gay teen - is sad for herself but doesn't insult him or anything

College boy by Indochine (2013) | a song I found not so long after figuring out my own queerness so it has a special place in my heart. lots of cw for the visual clip (homophobia, bullying, conservatism, police violence, religious hypocrisy, physical assault, crucifixion)

J'ai le droit aussi by Calogero (2014) | gay teenager wants to live like he wants, is scared of other's view/judgement on him (including his parents)

Mohammed je t'aime by Gargäntua (2015) | being gay in the hood is like everywhere else - it may not be a good idea to be public about it. lots of cw for the visual clip (physical assault, homophobia, internalized homophobia, suicide). I hope one day Gargäntua will make a song about Mohammed finding happiness because he clearly deserves it if not for the trauma in this song

comme les autres by keen'v (2015) | gay man (teen?) coming out to his father, father is homophobic

C'est toi qu'elle préfère by Alice et Moi (2017) | sapphic anthem at this point; unrequited love

Normal by Eddy de Pretto (2018) | gay man responding to an homophobe (honestly i find it very satisfying)

Grave by Eddy de Pretto (2018) | the singer is an openly gay man, he talks to a wide range of different gay boys/teens/men and are telling them to not worry when they discover their homosexuality; that it's okay

Séduction by Joanna (2018) | bi woman falls in love with another woman

Ta reine by Angèle (2018) | wlw.

Amour censure by Hoshi (2019) | Hoshi is an openly lesbian singer; the song denounces homophobia

Immoral & Illégal by Gargäntua (2022) | 'Everything I love is immoral and illegal' - if that's not a queer feeling. More seriously, it's more me deciding to interpret the song this way then the song being about queerness. Still, whether you listen to this song and think about addiction, queerness, or any marginalized community, well.. well you can't change my mind about it having (intended or not) queer subtext

La mort avec toi by Gargäntua (2022) | literally 'partners in crimes', I decided it was queer for various reasons but you may not think like me

[bitter69uk]

“Raffish, joli laid French balladeer revered by kitsch-loving Rock Snobs for his sleazy-listening pop of the 1960s and 70s. Despite hangdog looks and an inability to actually sing, Gainsbourg embodied the pungent flower of French manhood in all its Gallic glory, duetting and getting busy with such hotties of the period as Brigitte Bardot and English dolly bird Jane Birkin …”

/ From Serge Gainsbourg’s entry in The Rock Snob’s Dictionary in the November 2000 issue of Vanity Fair magazine /

Born on this day: musical genius, ultimate dissipated lounge lizard and French pop’s Marquis de Sade, Serge Gainsbourg (né Lucien Ginsburg, 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991). Guzzle some vin rouge and chain-smoke Gitanes in his memory!

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

y’all this album is SO GOOD it’s kept me sane since yesterday

[bones-ivy-breath]

Pierre Louÿs, Les chansons de Bilitis: traduit du grec, illustrations de G. Barbier, gravées sur bois par F. L. Schmied, Collection Pierre Corrard, Paris 1922, Gallica, Bibliothèque nationale de France

[praline1968]

🎤 Guy Marchand ~ Destinée 🎧

R E P 🙏🏻 🕯️ 🕊️

[honeygleam]

louis garrel as ismaël bénoliel in love songs (2007) dir. christophe honoré

[haveyouheardthisband]

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

5:55 • AF607105 • The Operation • Tel Que Tu Es • The Songs That We Sing • Beauty Mark • Little Monsters • Jamais • Night-Time Intermission • Everything I Cannot See • Morning Song

Spotify ♪ Bandcamp ♪ YouTube