LOOKING FOR MY NAME

“Looking for my name” is a song from the seventh studio album Point de Suture by Farmer, and her 14th album overall released in 2008. Looking for my name is a title # 5

It is Mylène’s second collaboration with her friend Moby after the single Slipping away (Crier la vie) in 2006.

It was a half year long peculiar saga that preceded a release of the album. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the history here is some info:

Pascal Nègre, president of Universal Music, officially announced on 28 January 2008 in the French newspaper Le Figaro that Farmer would release a new album in 2008.

The following days, this information was covered by many media that also said that it would have been entitled Onirisme. At the time, it was announced that it would be composed of 11 tracks, and it would be released for the last quarter of 2008. Several song titles were relayed in the media, such as “Onirisme”, “Faire… et défaire”, “Dans ton antre”, “Ma nature est…”, “Excaliburia”, “Who’s Mylène?”, “Aux points cardinaux”, “Je m’expose et m’impose”, “Poésie visuelle”, “The Witch of Dreams”, “Voyage au bout de tes sens “, and it would also contain an acoustic version of Farmer’s 1996 hit, “Rêver”. Wow what an imagination! 🙂 🙂

Rumors went around the Internet saying the first single would be “À propos de nous”. But finally, Thierry Suc, one of the producers, announced on 21 May that it would be “Dégénération”. It was scheduled to be released on radio on 19 June. At the time, he also said that the album was not yet finished.

On 19 June, French radio RTL stated that the album would be released on 25 August. Finally, on 30 June, French internet store “Virginmega” revealed the name of the album, Point de suture, its cover and the track listing, and announced its release for 20 August. On 31 July, the newspaper Le Parisien stated that the album would be released in two formats : digitally and as a mobile phone in a limited edition. According to its edition of 30 August 2008, a duet with David Bowie was originally scheduled for this album, but was eventually canceled because of health problems of the English singer. Quite unfortunately indeed.

In December 2008, a limited collectible mobile phone edition (W980i) was released (2,000 numbered copies: 1,000 on the Internet + 1,000 at SFR Studios). This edition contained the album “Point de Suture”, two remixes, a video, a making of ringtones, visuals and themes of the singer. “Si j’avais au moins...” was released as the 3rd single on 16 February. On 27 March, Radio NRJ revealed the fourth single from the album was “C’est dans l’air“.

At the concerts in Douai (Gayant Expo) and in St. Petersburg, a remix of “Sextonik” by French DJ Tomer G was played. The DJ stated on his site that his remix was done for a single, thus revealing that “Sextonik” was the fifth single from the album. Quite a story, don’t you think?

Now lets get back to the Looking for my name…

Lyrics of Mylène Farmer but music surprisingly not by Moby (although he played the piano for the recoding) but Boutonnat. Guitar is Sébastien Chouard

Sébastien Chouard is a French guitarist born January 20, 1976 in Paris. At the age of six, he joined the “Les enfants du spectacle” school, which allowed him to take his first steps on stage. Sébastien Chouard grew up with musicians parents.

It was at the age of 12 that he discovered the guitar before taking part in the first groups, including the one he founded, Planet Jam. At 16 the young self-taught man already played in Parisian clubs.

Drawing on his experience, Sébastien started playing with French pop singers as Fred Blondin in 1995 and Sinclair from 1998, with whom he continues playing today. The guitarist’s career went on by Gérald De Palmas’ sides. They worked together for not less than 13 years.

In 2003, he joined Florent Pagny on stage and at musical direction. Then in 2011-2012 he was working with Jean-Louis Aubert.

Sébastien Chouard is as good in studio as on stage, since he collaborates with big French names like Johnny Hallyday, Céline Dion, Rose, Garou , Grand Corps Malade , Nolwenn Leroy and Mylene Farmer.

He is musical director on the 2003 tour of Florent Pagny and on concerts of Jenifer. For the past few decades you can find Sébastien at charities concerts Les Restos du Coeur. And since 2013, among The Voice TV show’s musicians.

He worked with Mylene on the following albums:

Guitarist on the album Point de Suture (2008)
Guitarist on the album Monkey Me (2012)
Guitarist on the album Interstellaires (2015) for the songs Interstellaires, C’est pas moi, Insondables and Love Song .
Guitarist on the album Désobéissance (2018) for the song Parler d’avenir.

Sébastien Chouard was also a guitarist on eight tracks on Line Renaud‘s album, Rue Washington , released in 2010 on which we find the duet with Mylène, C’est pas Heure. But, Sébastien Chouard did not participate in this duo (it is David Levita the guitarist on this song).

More about Sébastien Chouard and his work on 2019 concerts click HERE

For the text of this song, two sources of inspiration for Mylène seem likely:

Frist, two poems by Emily Dickinson that echo the lyrics. We pray – to Heaven from which Mylène seems to borrow directly: “Is Heaven a Place” (“Is Heaven a Place – a Sky – a Tree?”) Which can be found in the lyrics of her song: “Is heaven a place? / Oh! I see the moon / I see no trace of you … “.

The second reference might be the poem The name—of it—is “Autumn”.

Mylene writes: “I see no trace of you See the red upon the hill See the death looking at me I see no trace of you and me”

Second, the line by Louis Aragon and his poem Hölderlin from the collection Les Adieux et autres poèmes (1982): “These obliques wounds of duration” could have inspired Mylène for these words: “See the wound / Oblique et dur“.

“We met five or six years ago. I owned a vegetarian cafe in New York City and she used to come there regularly. I had no idea she was a superstar. For me, she was one nice French woman. She sang on one of my songs, Slipping away, and in exchange, I sang on one of her albums. ” (Moby -” Le Parisien “- 05/16/2011)

In the credits of the album Point de Suture, Mylène thanks Moby for “his piano improvisation on Looking for my name”. I would be thanking him too! What a gorgeous piano theme is on the song! It made it so much richer and multidimensional. Did you notice how from the lower piano keys, it starts at some point alternating them with the higher octaves creating a “conversation” between the lower (male voice) and higher (female tone) expatiating Moby and Mylene’s themes. Just beautiful!

https://soundcloud.com/polyedre_remixes/looking-for-my-name-orchestral-tribute

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lyrics with translation

Voir la blessure
Oblique et dure
Du temps obstinément

Is heaven a place?
Oh! I see the moon
I see no trace of you
See the red upon the hill
See the death looking at me
I see no trace of you and me

Little me
Refais le rêve obscur d'une île
Des forêts secrètes aux villes
Qu'on parcourait seuls dans nos nuits
D'amour

Whisper words of desire
Take my hand, I'm standing there
Our soul so close on paradise
When winds go round and round

Je me dis, l'indigne horloge
Je me dis, le souffle est force
Qu'il nous bercera dans son lit
D'amour, de vie!

Looking for my name
Wherever you will be
Hold on to my prayer
Hold on to harmony
Looking for my name
Little you, little me
We belong together
Looking for my name
Wherever you will be
Hold on to my prayer
Hold on to harmony
Looking for me, looking for eternity
We belong together

See the wound
Oblique and hard
Of time... obstinately

Is heaven a place?
Oh ! I see the moon
I see no trace of you…
See the red upon the hill
See the death looking at me
I see no trace of you and me

Little me
Redo the dark dream of an island
Secret forests to cities
That traversed alone in our nights
Of love
 
Whisper words of desire
Take my hand, I’m standing there
Our soul so close on paradise
When winds go round and round
 
Tell me, the unworthy clock
Tell me, breath is strength
That we will sooth in her bed
Of love, of life !
 
Looking for my name
Wherever you will be…
Hold on to my prayer
Hold on to harmony
Looking for my name
Little you, little me
We belong together
Looking for my name
Wherever you will be…
Hold on to my prayer
Hold on to harmony
Looking for me, looking for eternity
We belong together