Eurovision 1979 - France

[Septimanien]

ça c'est de la chanson !

Bravo.

[hijodelrocio]

QUE GRANDE Y MAGNIFICA

[hardyfh1]

The song asks too much of the audience for success in Eurovision, but its qualities become apparent with repeated listens, always a sign of a good song. It's strong material, well handled. We can appreciate it in retrospect, though. It would certainly make my listen of the best ever Eurovision entries. And Anne-Marie David is always good value. I like the way she wraps her voice around a lyric. She is very stylish, too.

[lostintrivia]

Great song, found it by chance. The problem is that it is just not quite 'immediate' enough for Eurovision. If you listen to the 1973 Song Contest (which Anne-Marie David won when representing Luxembourg) the Spanish entry 'Eres Tu' falls in the same category.

[dimgwalltameiben]

when someone has reprented one country they shouldn't be allowed to represent another, any way that's my opinion

Quand quelqu'une a réprésenté un pays on ne devrait pas avoir le droit de le refaire avec un autre, enfin c'est mon avis

[LCScampi]

Wow - first time I've heard that. Reminds me strongly of "Cloudbusting", although musically it's entirely different of course...

[francisnancy54]

My favourite from 1979... and from all the 1970s.

For me, the best song France has ever sent to ESC!!!

[GiaMaas76]

a nice song indeed, far away from eurovision standards

[ronansex]

the best song ever !!!!

[escbelgium1]

One of the few performances I can watch again and again and still get those goosebumps, exactly the same as when I saw it for the first time. Perfect, in every way. A true masterpiece.

[keith904A]

Only Eres Tu can come close to this. This is the real winner of the 1979 contest as opposed to the awful nursery rhyme that did win that year. Stunning in every sense of the word - beautiful arrangement, beautiful beyond compare singer, complex and meaningful lyrics, absolutely, totally brilliant.

[MrClaudiojuan]

Anne-Marie told us the very best story we've ever heard at the esc with a splendid melody and a very strong voice. All together pours such a lot of emotion into you!!!

[sc4portugal]

Very good song! You can hear the emotion in her voice! Possibly the best ESC song ever.

[klarinetta]

Shame that she didn't win with this song it's so much better than Tu te reconnaîtras and certainly better than Hallelujah!!!!!!!

[euromaitre]

@klarinetta Absolutely right, Anne-Marie David could easily have won a second time, she deserved it, much better than Israel that year.

[ZEC1ZEC]

Superbe chanson ! J'avais 12 ans à l'époque, et j'en ai encore des frissons. Bravo. Merci.

[ZEC1ZEC]

Superbe chanson ! J'avais 12 ans à l'époque, et j'en ai encore des frissons. Bravo. Merci.

[mjgort]

I completely agree about how wonderful this song is - for me it's the best French language song ever entered into Eurovision, and there's some pretty stiff competition for that particular accolade

[Monkeyshouts]

I heard somewhere that there were rumours of that song being a plagiary.

[Starisborn32]

I so like this song :-)

[WilliamLongfellow]

What power, what poetry. I think I'm in love.

[ronansex]

THE BEST SONG EVER !!!

[mamamiaslady]

guter song aber krassen blick hat die drauf oO

[eurotrash12003]

A true Eurovision Classic.

[MrBritdog2]

wonderful song , whats the name of the tune and singer? Thanks for the vid and culture shot.

[jbeaver12]

Je suis enfant soleil - Anne Marie David. She also won the contest n 1973 for Luxembourg.

[pongqi]

she is unbelievably beautiful, classic. Viva

[funcnot]

She competed and won for luexmborg didnt she can you compet for diffrent countries

[TheLynvild]

Yes you can compete for any country:-) For example: Nana Mouskouri sang for Luxembourg and she is Greek:-)

[abseal]

Re. the theory about Jesus/Mary Magdalene, it isn't quite as farfetched as one might think. The lyrics do include biblical expressions and references like "il a partagé le pain et mon père lui a donné un lit..." . Either way; an all-time ESC classic and musically suprisingly "blues"-y considering it's from 1979.

[setheurovision94]

A masterpiece of melody and lyrics. Very deep and moving. Definitely yet another one that could have (and deserved to) win it for France.

[ESCsince1968]

Our Tasos will be please that I would rate this song better than I ever did before (I know it should be in that genre of French ballads I adore), but to reiterate that Anne-Marie probably possesses one of the greatest voices ever heard at ESC.

[ronansex]

the best song ever !!!

[ankiking]

Amazing voice and beautiful performer!

[mimisthesc]

im sure that if luxembourg comes back in 2010 with Anne Marie David,THEY WILL DO GREAT!

[harris5413]

but luxembourg doesn't compete in eurovision anymore

[mimisthesc]

i know and its too bad!

[DEKILI83]

The best song forever....

[ilcielo]

the real winner of 1979. at least this is a song for those who have taste in music. the winning "song" from israel is for old christian people and the runner-up spain song is for children. OMG I cannot believe the past of ESC is full of mistakes and wrong choices unbelievable!

[Furienna]

First of all, like I said in my last comment, "Hallelujah" can't be for "Christian people", as the people behind it were (of course) Jewish, and it's not about God as much as about the beauty of the world.

Spain's entry was a bit overrated, but it still wasn't "just for children". It was about childish innocence, I believe.

[ilcielo]

I think you very well know what I meant. Israel have sent hymns many times, not just in 1979. The word "church" is a variable I use to mean any place of worship irrespective of a specific religion. So please dont try to change the subject. Israel won in 1979 not because the "song" deserved it, but because people's and jury's religious feelings were touched by it. It is easy to manipulate people's decision by playing the religion card. Sad but true. And that's really sad.

[Furienna]

But it's not correct to call any place of worship "church", as only Christian places of worship can be called that. And the only other Israel entry, that I could call a "hymn", is "Amen" from 1995, which also earned a much-deserved 8th place position. I love "Hallelujah" and "Amen", whether they're hymns or not, and the juries did too.

[spannamatronic]

Excellent song and lyrics, and Anne Marie's performance is fantastic. I have to disagree with you on the arrangement though, the orchestration is really dreary and Anne Marie has to do a lot of work to save it.

[ydman]

It should have won, powerful voice, extraordinary performance and the lyrics are amazing! The Israeli entry is good but a little bit boring, not a "winner" song, 2nd place song.

[8Claudie]

quelle beauté cette voix!... fragile et forte à la fois!... et les paroles sont touchantes et romantique!

[madmax8903]

Probably should have won that year, but though I hate to criticise the divine Anne-Marie her voice here and in the finals six years before is somewhat strident, like she's screaming. You don't hear any of that in the studio recording of Tu Te Reconnaitras, for instance.

[Furienna]

Yep, Anne Marie did another powerful performance. She sure deserved the 3rd place, maybe even the 2nd place.

[ilcielo]

and not the first place? OMG this is the best song of 1979. Why people are so deaf to realize it? C'mon people just be fair. Just because the winning song is a church song does not mean that it is the true winner. Learn to be fair and just.

[Furienna]

It can't be a "church song", as all the people behind it were Jews. And it wasn't as much about God as it was about the beauty of the world.

This song is very good too indeed, but I still think, that if I had to choose a winner between the two, I have to go with Israel above France.

[setheurovision94]

I keep coming back to this song. Boy is it strong. A true evergreen masterpiece, and one of the many obvious winners who didn't make it in my book.

[lwsmackie4]

How on earth this was voted below Spain is completely baffling to me, however: i think some reasons to consider are;

she was a previous winner (& how would 2 wins go down witht he other countries ala 1970?)

the Israeli crowd didnt exactly bring the house down after (they tend to like the uber-camp, showy perf - too sublte may i say sophiscated for an Israeli audience)

AND IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO LIKE THIS SONG so maybe its a grower & that its only fault!

[pilgrim00000]

what's the name of the song ?

[orile7]

loveeeeeee this song!

[dw070]

wicked stage presence

[NEDERLANDADDICT]

Wonderful ! What a performer with a great and beautiful voice, good story song and superb melody.

[eurogirl25]

it's one of my favorite song in the history of the eurovision song contest! a love it! al so the song tu te reconnaitras vorm 1973 al so vrom Anne-Marie David!

[bowtown]

Superb song, superb arist and stunning performance! Yeah, I love it!

[vladika07]

this chick had a strong presence on the stage - it was easy to focus on her and her beautiful voice just sealed it . no clue what the song is about

[ronansex]

j'aime cette chanson tres magnifique vraiment la meilleure chanson !!!!!!!!!! the best song ever !!!! I LOVE anne-marie david best singer in eurovision song contest.

[eurogirl25]

Yes de beste singer of de ESC ever! yes de best!!! the best winner ever!!!

[ESCsince1968]

T. I promise not to say anything even nearly negative about this song ever again in your presecence - seeing how much it means to you. BTW I think Anne Marie David to be one of the greatest singers ever to compete in ESC, she has a remarkable voice.

[FerdinandFoch1914]

Verdaderamente una de las 3 mejores canciones ke a llevado francia a eurovision,PERFECTA la letra y la interprete.

[Moonsmoonsen]

She is so icredibly beautiful. And a shining star. The rightful winner.

[thirtymphs]

The final "SOLEIL! SO-LEIL!" is just so dramatic and it makes the entire song for me. <3

[vordman]

Obviously this is a better song and performance than the Israeli winner. The trouble is that this song takes a few listens to before you fall in love with it, whilst "Hallelujah" was more immediate.

[matteo011]

Big vocal strength, even too much in some parts. Big and "powerful" eyes, too! Good French ballad, effort of a great compositor, also very prolific in ESC, Hubert Giraud.

A small ESC-related curiosity for Tasosk3. Do you know who composed Joe Dassin's L'Été Indien? Yes, he, your favourite ESC host ever, T.C. lol..He composed back it in 1975 as "Africa" for his first group, Gli Albatros, and then gave the song (not the only one) to Dassin, who launched the song internationally.

[zerhoassoluto]

Actually, 1979 was a good year to ESC, Israel, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal and Norway are my fave...but what a final of this song, just amazing and excellent misterious lyrics! We miss u dear and true France in ESC...

[cdnserbluvr]

Hey I already got that song on my account! :mad:

As I've said numerous times this is my all time fav song in my all time fav song contest year. I only didn't like 3-4 songs of the 19.

[setheurovision94]

It may have taken me awhile, tasos - but I have fallen in love with this song. :) Very beautiful; indeed a flawless arrangement and performance. The lyrics are an absolute poetic masterpiece; I can read them again and again, and still I wonder who those 'men' were. Just, wow.

[tasosk3]

He, he... I was sure you'd come around eventually... ;-) (and it goes without saying I fully agree with you)

[tasosk3]

As for who the "men" are, I've always imagined that the protagonist of the song was a wanted man (say, a criminal or an army deserter), and the men were cops or soldiers who'd found him after the girl's father had turned him on to them. As I read somewhere, some, em, imaginative people see this song as talking about the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene (affected, perhaps, from the fact that Anne-Marie started her career playing Magdalene in the French version of "Jesus Christ Superstar").

[setheurovision94]

Both plausible theories, and both very interesting. That's what I love about these lyrics, and about lyrics in general; when they're open to self-interpretation.

[ESCsince1968]

I think the Jesus & Mary Magdalene bit is very fanciful, I dont see it anywhere in the lyrics. They far more suggest someone on the run and being pursued.

[tasosk3]

Yes, I agree on that. As I said, it takes a lot of imagination to develop such a theory... :-)

[pinkF34]

@tasosk3 Taso to *Cyprus National Final 1991 - En i mana mou pou fteei* to xeis dei??????

[tasosk3]

@pinkF34 !!! Με έκανες και το έψαξα και το μόνο που έχω να πω είναι... άφωνος!!! Πραγματικά δεν έχω λόγια... :-D

[pinkF34]

@setheurovision94 e..oxi kai masterpiece twra auto to sibathitiko tragoudaki, ase pou kai h tragoudiara edw armatwthike me deka alisides kai petaxe kai to vizi pou den exei...exw.....epieikws me arista to deka ..pernei ta tria...lol

[setheurovision94]

@pinkF34 Thanks for the reply but could you perhaps type it in English? I don't speak Greek.

[pinkF34]

@setheurovision94 Ah, yes sorry..i am saying that she was a very hot chick, although she desperately needs a bra! for her song i give her 3..(lol)... but for the looks 10!!!