ELLE A DIT

Elle a dit (She Said) is a first song from Mylène Farmer’s ninth studio album, Monkey Me release in 2012.

As of now, over 10% of you all decided this song is the best from the album. Please voice your opinion below:

It’s totally cool how it followed Beyond My Control chapter I have released yesterday. I reassure its was not planned and pick songs totally randomly. Or should I say they pick me. With the exception of the “name” songs which I did grouped.

The lyrics to Elle a dit were written by Mylène Farmer. Music: Laurent Boutonnat.

“When I wrote this song, we were not at the heart of the debate that animates our society. It came to me spontaneously like everything I write. When you have your heart in your throat, you have the feeling of no longer being compatible with life. That is what being at the edge of the ledge, at the end of the road … ” (Mylène Farmer – Têtu – January 2013)

Elle a dit is the first song in Mylène’s repertoire to deal directly with homosexuality (this theme was earlier suggested in Sans contrefaçon in 1987). Mylène will take a clear position in the debate on marriage for all very present in society at the time of the release of the album Monkey Me.

She will also (for the second time) make the front page of Têtu magazine (don’t you just LOVE this cover?!) it is a CLASS in its finest – and I am sure Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Francis Farmer and Katharine Hepburn all rolling their gorgeous eyes up in heaven out of admiration and perhaps a bit of jealousy 🧡 Go, Mylene!

Its not the first time Mylene touches the sensitive topic of homosexuality and overall fluidity of genders.

Maman a tort – the very first big hit was heavily insinuated as a lesbian proclamation of love. I have wrote 2 chapters dedicated this epic song:

In some extend, Elle a dit is an evolution of Maman a tort. Did you notice how loyal Mylene is to her favorite themes and topics, people and places in her life…Perhaps that’s what made her a genius. Einstein once joked “I am not smarter, I just stay with a problem longer” 🙂 Perhaps, such loyalty is a trait of a genius.

The next big shocker was Sans Contrefacon. The song that built up Mylene as a gay icon and created a so-cold cult. I think it has always been brave of Mylene to touch the topics that rather being avoided. Some might view it a brilliant promotional technique, some might see at a personal strife for a life out-of-closet under the vail of discretion; regardless, I personally have only admiration for her pioneering agenda.

“The Declaration of Human Rights begins with: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. ”Many people have paid the price of their lives for this principle to be applied. My point is clear: I prefer a gay marriage to a sad marriage. ” (Mylène Farmer – Têtu – January 2013)

My two cents on the topic: The whole notion of gender’s inequality is so ridiculous that cannot even be intelligently discussed. It should be enraging for any human who possess any spark of consciousness. How can be one human life being regarded a second sort and how a human loving relationship can be viewed as illegitimate?

I am talking of course here about two consenting human adults – lets make it clear and not pile up any ugly distortions like pedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia and etc.

Living long enough in this world, I believe the most valuable thing (experience) one can get during this life on Earth is experiencing Love. Not all love is of course created equal, and we attract to ourselves the type of love that causes our most rapid evolution and spiritual expansion and very often it is not the “happily-ever-after” type but still regardless the challenges, the love is still the most sought-after thing, the thing that is beyond our capacity to buy, impose and disregard.

I am convinced, the gender serves us only as a temporary life conditions while the journey of the soul is eternal. Souls do agree on the experience before they come to the material existence in the body, and no one should ever interfere with such an agreement. The genders are only the packaging required by the 3D world we are living in. There are many good reasons why we experience our life through the bodily senses, but they should never be used against us, they should never define us and our life mission, especially a presence / absence of a penis and our sexual preferences and inclinations.

Let’s make it all clear once and for all: we are here to experience and evolve – not to judge. How long such a barbaric view on genders and sexuality will rule our society? It is truly upsetting to witness! Categorizing people by color, gender, sexual preferences is the thing of the past, and we all need to contribute into building a better future. The children, I hope, will grow up knowing better than us, getting what we overlooked and focusing on what really matters – living from the heart.

As far as the source of inspiration for this beautiful song, Mylène could have been influenced by Jul Maroh’s comic strip, Blue is a hot color released in 2010. (Le bleu est une couleur chaude, originally announced as a Blue Angel) is a French graphic novel by Jul Maroh, published by Glénat in March 2010. The English-language edition was published by Arsenal Pulp Press in 2013. The novel tells a love story between two young women in France at the end of the 1990s. Abdelatif Kechiche directed a film adaptation in 2013, titled Blue Is the Warmest Color, which was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

French actress Lea Seydoux kisses fellow actress Adele Exarchopoulos on May 26, 2013 after French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche won the Palme d’Or for the film ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ during the closing ceremony of the 66th Cannes film festival in Cannes.

The biggest honor of the French festival went to Abdellatif Kechiche’s “Blue is the Warmest Color,” a coming-of-age drama which tells the story of a lesbian relationship. Starring Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, “Blue is the Warmest Color” was awarded the Palme d’Or by an esteemed jury including Steven Spielberg, Christoph Waltz, Ang Lee, and Nicole Kidman.

“The jury, headed by Steven Spielberg, took the unusual move of awarding the Palme not just to Kechiche, but also to the film’s two stars: Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux,” the AP reports. “The three clutched each other as they accepted the award, one of cinema’s greatest honors.”

The film is just incredible. Highly recommend seeing it if you haven’t yet.

I also wonder if Mylene came across this famous Russian song by t.A.T.u. – All The Things She Said

“All the Things She Said” is a song recorded by Russian music duo t.A.T.u. for their second, and first English-language, studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane released in 2002 as the lead single from the album released in Europe on 19 August 2002, by Universal.

It was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum (yes the same one as in Mylene’s songs), Valery Polienko and Elena Kiper, while production was by Horn.

 “All the Things She Said” is a translated and reworked version of their 2000 song “Ya Soshla S Uma”. Russian: Я сошла с ума, (‘I’ve Lost My Mind’), included on their debut album 200 Po Vstrechnoy (2001). It was later included on their compilation albums t.A.T.u. Remixes (2003) and The Best (2006). Lyrically, it focuses on two girls developing feelings for each other. The song was a huge hit not only in Russia and surprising is still circling around the TikTok quite a bit. I hear it from my kids’ phones.

As for the Elle a dit, the music, arrangements, programming, keyboards and production by Laurent Boutonnat.
Mixing: Jérôme Devoise

“The shadow of the 80s therefore hangs over Monkey Me, which begins with a strong title, She said, potential next single dealing with the duality that dresses the universe of the singer since her debut. Some gimmicks, progressive bass on a text dealing with female homosexuality. The high-pitched interpretation recalls the singer’s first pieces, whose voice twists in all directions, even rising very high with the help of synthetic subterfuge. (chartsinfrance.net – 12/05/2012

“We regret a lame production which prevents any pleasure, while the whole is spelled with some beautiful melodies ( She said), depressive and sumptuous ballad which opens the concept”. (ait-alire.com – 03/12/2012)

“Only four songs have thrilled us: Elle a dit (She said) who opens the album a kind of well-thought-out autobiography “. (ptitblog.net – 12/01/2012) hmmm…interesting conclusion…

The album begins immediately with the voice of Mylène, and we immediately recognize her tone of voice, the music arrives quietly progressively, on this first title, She said. A first well written and composed title, we recognize the contrasting loves that the singer can evoke, because it is here about a lesbian love”. (Francenetinfos – 03/12/2012)

“For us, one of the best tracks on the album. A pretty melody, enhanced by a piano hopping on the chorus. A classic dance, to a mid-tempo rhythm. On the text side, Mylène evokes lesbian love”. (evous.fr – 12/13/2012)

“Finally, it is on the ballads that Mylène Farmer and her voice passed to the mill of the auto-tune is doing best. The 80/90 atmosphere is still there but it’s less obvious. We therefore liked She said, at the opening of the disc, which speaks of a girl who loves girls. Don’t go ask her to become a spokesperson for the homosexual cause. Claire Chazal (Pink TV) asked her if she wanted to make it her fight.(7sur7.be – 03/12/2012)

And the winner of the meanest review ever is….(drum roll please!):

“We quickly identify the problem with the opening track Elle a dit: the voice. At the start I envisioned a problem with my player who, seized with nostalgia for 33 rpm records, would play my CD in slow motion, making the voice slightly crooked and androgynous. No. Then I checked that I didn’t insert Christophe Willem’s latest single by mistake. Neither. I had to face the obvious: Mylène Farmer has real problems with accuracy. Her voice is rendered unrecognizable by the abusive use of autotune and other digital corrections. Some will pass it off as a deliberate pseudo-artistic choice, Cher. We obviously find Laurent Boutonnat at the helm, and I admit, She said, nostalgia wins me over. Here I am immersed in my “Hit Machine” years with Charly and Lulu, offbeat synth basses like Kylie Minogue, midi pianos in house / dance rhythm from Bontempi, big tablecloths, cymbals turned upside down, a treat for the former Worlds Apart fan that I am.” (quai-baco.com – 12/02/2012)

I have created by own subtitled version of the LIVE Timeless 2013 – FRENCH below:

“She refers to the film L’Incompris (1967) by Luigi Comencini in Elle a dit . There, she does her Cahiers du cinéma a little.” (Télé Moustique – 05/12/2012)

I haven’t seen the film and really can’t speak about it as a reference.

Elle a dit was sung on the first part of the 2013 Timeless tour from September 7, 2013 in Paris Bercy until October 27, 2013 in Minsk. From November 1, for dates in Russia, then for the second part of the tour in France and Belgium, she is replaced in the setlist by L’Amour est rien …Arrangements for the stage: Laurent Boutonnat.

For my English speaking friends:

The title is absent from the live album Timeless 2013 but present on the video Timeless 2013 Le Film (audio and video recordings during concerts at the Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon on September 24, 25, 27 and 28, 2013).

and for the Russian friends of Mylene:

Edith Piaf also has a song called “Elle a dit”

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lyrics with translation

Nul Adonis, nul artifice
Ni lois, ni Dieux, elle sait y faire
Un brin nihiliste, mélancolique
Parfois l'envie se foutre en l'air
Assise sur son lit, le bleu dans le gris
Elle est différente, c'est sa manière
Elle n'a pas choisi et quand on lui dit
Que ce n'est pas là la chose a faire
Soins intensifs à deux c'est moins triste
Dans son cerveaux, deux hémisphères
Le gai et le triste, un jeu d'artifices
Pouvoir aimer comment le faire
La peur de ne pas svoir où aller
Qui nous attache à cette terre
Le cœur à l'endroit, mais l'heure a sonné
Elle a mis le sien à l'envers
Elle a dit qu'elle aime
Elle a dit aussi le monde est tel
Que l'on fuit le bruit et les sarcasmes
Elle aimait sa vie et c'est son charme
Et si dans sa vie elle aura écrit
Tant de chapitres inutiles
Pour le plus petit mot qui a guéri
Sauver une âme c'est si fragile
Assise sur son lit elle regarde L'incompris
Et elle n'en a plus rien à faire
Mais quoiqu'elle en dise, elle aime une fille
Elle se sent au bord du rebord
Elle a dit qu'elle aime
Elle a dit aussi le monde est tel
Que l'on fuit le bruit et les sarcasmes
Elle aimait sa vie et c'est son charme
Elle a dit qu'elle aime
Elle a dit aussi le monde est tel
Que l'on fuit le bruit et les sarcasmes
Elle aimait sa vie et c'est son charme
Elle a dit qu'elle aime
Elle a dit aussi le monde est tel
Que l'on fuit le bruit et les sarcasmes
Elle aimait sa vie et c'est son charme

No Adonis, no artifice 
No laws, no gods, she knows how to handle it
A bit nihilistic, melancholic
Sometimes there is a crave to screw up
Sitting on her bed, the blue in the gray
She is different, it's her way
She didn't choose and when we tell her
That this is not the thing to do
Intensive care for two it's less sad
In her brain, two hemispheres
The happy and the sad, a game of stunts
To be able to love this way 
The fear of not knowing where to go
That ties us to this earth
The heart at the right place, but the time has come
She turned hers upside down
She said she loves
She also said the world is such
That we flee from the noise and the sarcasm
She loved her life and that's her charm
And if in her life she has written
So many useless chapters
For the smallest word that healed
and saved a soul so fragile
Sitting on her bed she looks at the misunderstood
And she doesn't care anymore
But no matter what she says, she loves a girl
She feels on the edge
She said she loves
She also said the world is such
That you run from the noise and the sarcasm
She loved her life and that's her charm
She said she loves
She also said the world is such
That one flees the noise and the sarcasms
She loved her life and that's her charm
She said she loves
She also said the world is such
That one flees the noise and the sarcasms
She loved her life and that's her charm