Songs with French lyrics which made it in America
 

I've argued that the biggest problem which Alizée faces in selling her music in the United States of America is that, compared to many other countries, this market is very unfriendly to songs with lyrics not in the dominant native language (English).

Alizée has indeed sung in English. There are examples of her singing both with and without an obvious French accent. But worldwide, I don't think her English songs have ever had the popularity of her French songs.

That's what makes it interesting to examine the RARE songs with (at least SOME, i.e. macaronic ) French lyrics which HAVE made it big in America. Do they have anything in common?

Of course, I exclude from consideration French melodies which became hits in the United States using English lyrics. The best example is probably Frank Sinatra's My Way. Others are Elvis' Can't Help Falling in Love, Yesterday When I Was Young, Love Is Blue and If You Go Away

Please bring our attention to songs of interest to this thread.

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Song: Dominique (1963)

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Song: What Have They Done To My Song Ma (1971)

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Doesn't Lagy gaga have some lyrics in french?

Psycho Killer by Talking Heads is partly in French.

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Yes, and another singer that has had a good career in the US is that Yelle person. And you know she has when 3 of my friends ask if I know her, since they listen to her in their French class haha. And she has had many concerts here I believe.

Claudine Longet...

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I think the reason for yelle's success is her music is more electronica than Alizee. I love yelle and I like Alizee's more electronica songs than the slower ones. Alizee has more slower songs , at least it seems to me, than fast upbeat "cluby' songs.

Claudine Longet thread coming
 

Thank you for your prompt and knowledgeable attention, Lefty. Actually, it turns out Claudine is the reason I started this thread.

About a month ago I ran across her again. I certainly had vivid memories of her numerous NON-musical appearances on 1960's US television - leaving aside the tragedy in the next decade which snuffed out the last embers of her showbiz career, which nearly everyone always mentions. But until this year, I was totally unaware of her singing career, despite the popularity of The Andy Williams Show, which I guess I had found too corny to watch at the time. How many other singers like her had I missed, I asked myself - hence this thread.

I am nearly finished editing a long essay on Longet, following from my discovery of her music. I've hardly heard everything she recorded, but I have audited about two dozen works in English, French and Japanese - most of them in English. Among the few French songs, I think that L'amour est bleu, which you cite, is her best, while I like the English song Wanderlove best among all her works.

Actually, until I heard Longet sing L'amour est bleu this month, I had not even known it originally was a French song! The instrumental version is a US Muzak classic. And when it was new, I heard the English lyrics sung many times on the radio. But if the French lyrics ever had US air play, they escaped my earshot - hence the assertion I made in the first post of this thread.

I will not simplistically damn with faint praise the Longet career here, but ask that you guys stand by as I finish up the pendant essay, with which I will start a new thread I will link from here. Surely there are a few more personal parallels between Alizée Jacotey and Claudine Longet than Alizée Jacotey and Soeur Sourire, née Jeanine Deckers!

In the mean time, I just recalled another popular US song with some French lyrics. How could I initially forget to name this chart-topper? They still perform new versions today! (Thank you, Charo!)

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Song: Lady Marmalade (1974)

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Speaking of blockbusters, how about a famous Beatles song whose title is the name of Alizée's own mother?

Song: Michelle (1965)

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Song: Hold On Tight (1981)

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I still have not heard any of Yelle's songs, despite her frequent mention at AAm! Perhaps someone who knows her work well can embed some of her typical music videos in this thread.

OFF TOPIC

But whenever I have heard the name of Yelle used, I have been reminded of a song called Yalla jonim by a famous young Uzbek singer named Sevara (Nazarkhan).

Sevara does not speak any French (albeit her Russian is fine), so she really does NOT belong in this thread. But this was the Yelle citation that broke the camel's back, so now I will force you to watch Sevara's wonderful performance of Yalla jonim, which I believe translates as Song of Life. It should be less of a burden for Alizée fans than one might imagine, because Sevara is also a delicately built brunette of about the same age as the Corsican girl, who gives the type of lively performance which endeared Alizée to so many of us in the first place! (I apologize in advance to Chuck, who sometimes feels cheated if a song does not have enough non-redundant words.)



Sevara's organization knows how to live on a very limited budget, if necessary. Supposedly, her music video for Gazli was shot for a mere US$ 500! (sic.)

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Sadly for its anonymous author, this song peaked a bit early to make the cut for the collection of songs here - circa 1600. But we decided to
stick it here anyway! The macaronic line of French in this English song is explained here this way<blockquote><i>The Line Pardonnez Moi, Je Vous en Pris? Is actually a question, in French. “Pardon me, can I help you?” and was said as a mercenary typically intentionally caught someone with their shoulder in a pub or bar, spilling their drink. Basically it was an offer to start a fight!</i></blockquote>
Song: We Be Soldiers Three (circa 1600)

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I've only listened to one of her songs so far, A cause des garçons. It's not bad, but not exactly my style. That doesn't stop it from getting stuck in my head though. I need to look up some more of her songs sometime, I just keep forgetting.

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Claudine Longet thread now online
 

Here is some of Yelle's new stuff, even Katy Perry Tweeted this song it to all her millions of followers:

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