L’ÂME DANS L’EAU

I picked this song for my birthday chapter not only because it is the freshest and most recent single Mylene has given to us only last year but also because it is in a way my musical/lyrical “selfie”. Which Mylene’s song would you pick as your selfie? Do comment -it’s a fun game!

The lyrics of the song L’âme dans l’eau were written by Mylène Farmer. The music was composed by Jonathan Burr & Adam Richardson. Those are new names in the Mylene-verse. And no wonder…

The song was actually written by the band How I Became the Bomb called Ulay Oh released back in 2014 on the EP Adonis.

Besides the melody being very much Mylen-ish, the topic of the song, no doubt, touched Mylene’s sensitive Soul.

The song actually tells the story of Serbian performer Marina Abramović, more specifically her separation and a moving reunion with the German artist and her historical partner, Ulay, who worked together with Marina from 1976 to 1989, by fate they have been separated saying goodbye under the Great Wall of China. You can see here their moving reunion:

“Recently, I decided that every time I met someone, I would introduce myself as” Water “. (…) This new name corresponds to my deep interest in water.” Said Ulay.

He has passed away in 2020. The year Mylene issued the song. Another legacy – this time not to just a person but to a Love Story.

So that’s where it all tied up together: the timeline, the play of words and alliteration and Mylene’s romantic perception of the event in the song. And let’s all agree – it is very moving…In fact, I don’t know about you, but I am tearing up

Here is the original song – as you can see the melody is identical therefore Mylene gives the music credit to the original authors.

It is not a first time Mylene is making a new version and “owns” the song written by someone else. Do you recall those songs? I am not counting Moby at this instance as it was a collaboration with him.

Here are the covers we love: DÉSHABILLEZ-MOI, JE VOUDRAIS TANT QUE TU COMPRENNES, I WANT YOU TO WANT ME, MAD WORLD, AVE MARIA, NEVER TEAR US APART, La poupée qui fait non

Lets revisit a timeline for the release of the L’âme dans l’eau, shall we?

September 17, 2020: Hashtag NP announces on social networks the broadcast for “Tonight at Midnight” of Mylène’s new single, L’âme dans l’eau .

The previous days, we had learned that an event documentary – Mylène Farmer L’Ultime Création – retracing the creative process of concerts at Paris La Défense Arena in 2019 would be offered on Amazon Prime Video on September 25.

For those who haven’t seen here is full L’Ultime Création

The design of this cover was made by the Très Cool Studio agency composed by two French people living in Los Angeles. They are working for the first time with Mylène and also produced the poster for the documentary Mylène Farmer L’Ultime Création .

At 3 p.m., the first seconds of the song as well as the beginning of the clip are uploaded.

September 18, 2020: From midnight, the single Soul in the Water is available on streaming and download platforms.

The radios began broadcasting very quickly (Mona FM and M Radio from midnight, France Bleu at 5.15 am, RFM, Nostalgie or Chérie FM from 6 am). They had announced the day before with great enthusiasm the arrival of this new title.

For its first day, L’âme dans l’eau ranks Number 1 in downloads on iTunes France (2nd in Belgium and 5th in Switzerland). Good start in streaming with 39,026 streams on Spotify (better than Rolling Stone or Remember which for their launch days in 2018 had respectively obtained 29,202 and 27,000 streams). Excellent start in radios, The soul in the water ranking for its first day 05th in general airplay (and 1st on adult radios).

On September 18, 2020: The clip L’âme dans l’eau, directed by Mathieu Spadaro (compound documentary images The Ultimate Design ) is posted on the Mylène Farmer YouTube channel simultaneously to the digital output of the single. The music channels were quick to program the clip, NRJ Hits even broadcasting it from 12:03 am! On YouTube, the clip has accumulated 200,000 views in 24 hours and is ranked 4th in trends. October 10, 2020 The clip exceeds one million views on YouTube.

September 25, 2020: Release of the documentary series L’Ultime Création on Amazon Prime Video. Soul in the Water is the music for the opening and ending credits.

September 28, 2020: For its first week of broadcasting, L’âme dans l’eau ranks 32nd in radio airplay in France (and 05th in adult airplay). Best ranking since 2006 and Slipping Away (Crier la vie) the duet with Moby. Best start since Fuck them all in 2005.

1st October 2020: The Avener announces on his Instagram account: “Remixing The Legend Mylène Farmer” with the broadcast of a very brief extract from a remix of L ‘

November 6, 2020: L’âme dans l’eau (The Avener Rework) is available to stream and download. A few hours before, The Avener shared a message about it in a story on his Instagram account. November 9, 2020 L’âme dans l’ea (The Avener Rework) is sent to radios.

Credits of the documentary Mylène Farmer L’Ultime creationExtract from the best-of album Histoires de Release dates September 18, 2020 (radio, streaming & download)

December 04, 2020: (physical medium) Clip Directed by Mathieu Spadaro. More on the symbolism of the video CLICK HERE

Three official remixes of the song are offered (see below). Among the remixers, we find The Avener who produced the duet with Sting, Stolen Car, in 2015.

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=L%27%C3%A2me%20dans%20l%27eau%20%20mylene%20farmer

https://soundcloud.com/polyedre_remixes/lame-dans-leau-instrumental-remixed-by-polyedre

video with English translation

MY POETRY INSPIRED BY THE SONG

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lyrics with translation

L’air est lourd de ton absence
L’air est sourd à nos sentiments
L’air est court et mon manque de toi
Toi mon autre moi, tu vois
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
 
Si les songes ont des portes
Qu’ils me mènent, là à tes cotés
L’onde noire j’ai dû traverser                    
Oh douleur, car nul ne sait
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
 
Beni soit mon refuge
Beni soit l’or de ma maison
Doux le souffle, nos mains qui s’effleurent   
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
 
L’air est lourd de ton absence
L’air est sourd à mes sentiments
L’ange au ciel murmure un « je t’aime »
Dans un ultime essentiel  
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
 
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau

J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
 
L’air est lourd de ton absence
L’air est sourd à nos sentiments
L’air, amour, me manque parfois
Je vois l’aube qui se noie
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
 
Mais les songes ont des portes
Qui me mènent là oû j’avais pied
Desespoir, le présent l’emporte 
Faut-il croire que je suis morte
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
 
Beni soit ta présence
Beni soit l’or de tous les mondes
 
J’ai l’ame dans l’eau
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau
 
L’air est lourd de ton absence
L’air est sourd à nos sentiments
L’air est court et mon manque de toi 
Toi mon autre moi, tu vois
J’ai l’âme dans l’eau

The air is heavy with your absence
The air is deaf to our feelings
The air is short and my lack of you
You, my other me, you see
I have soul in the water
 
If dreams have doors
Let they lead me, there at your side
The black wave i had to cross
Oh pain, because no one knows
I have a soul in the water
 
Blessed be my refuge
Blessed be the gold of my house
Sweet breath, our hands flowing
I have a soul in the water
I have soul in the water
 
The air is heavy with your absence
The air is deaf to my feelings
The angel in heaven whisper a "i love you"
In an ultimate essential
I have soul in the water
 
I have soul in the water
I have soul in the water

I have a soul in the water
I have a soul in the water
I have a soul in the water
I have a soul in the water
 
The air is heavy with your absence
The air is deaf to our feelings
Air, love, i miss sometimes
I see the dawn that is drowning
I have soul in the water
 
But dreams have doors
That takes me where i had foot
Despair, the present prevails
Should i believe that i am dead
I have a soul in the water
 
Blessed be your presence
Blessed be the gold of all worlds
 
I have a soul in the water
I have soul in the water
 
The air is heavy with your absence
The air is deaf to our feelings
The air is short and my lack of you
You, my other me, you see
I have soul in the water