John (song)
Encyclopedia
This page is for the song by Desireless. For the page of Lil Wayne's song, click here: John (Lil Wayne song)
"John" is a synthpop
song recorded by French
singer Desireless
. It was the second single
from the album François
on which it is the tenth track. Following the huge success of "Voyage Voyage
", it was released in May 1988. Written and produced by Jean-Michel Rivat, the song was Desireless' last hit single in France.
and Haiphong
(Vietnam War
, 1945-54 / 1964-1975), Madrid
(Spanish Civil War
, 1936–39), Port Said
(second Israeli-Arab war, 1956), Baghdad
(Iran-Iraq, 1980–88), Berlin
(Second World War, Cold War
). Several Gods worshiped in various religions are also cited in the lyrics, such as God
, Jehovah
(Christianity
, Judaism
), Allah
(Islam
), Brahma
and Vishnu
(Hinduism
).
The song was released in several European countries, notably in France, where it became a top five hit in July 1988 and remained for 18 on the chart (top 50), nine of them in the top ten. It was released in UK in a remixed version produced by Les Adams, but was a relative failure (a sole week on the chart, at number 92), while it failed the chart in the Netherlands.
An acoustic version of the song was recorded by Desireless on her 2004 album Un brin de paille, on her 2007 double album More Love and Good Vibrations and on her 2003 best of Ses plus grands succès
. The image on the single cover is a screenshot from the music video.
"John" is a synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song recorded by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer Desireless
Desireless
Desireless is a French singer. Between 1986 and 1988, her hit single "Voyage Voyage" made it to number one in many European and Asian single charts and sold over five million copies.-Albums:* François #29 France* I love you...
. It was the second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album François
François (album)
François is the French-language debut album by Desireless, released in 1989. The single "Voyage, voyage" was a chart topper in many European and Asian single charts and sold over five million copies.-Track listing:# "Qui sommes nous" – 4:31...
on which it is the tenth track. Following the huge success of "Voyage Voyage
Voyage Voyage
"Voyage Voyage" is a 1986 song written by Jean-Michel Rivat and recorded by the French singer Desireless. It was the first single from her album François and became a hit in many countries in Europe...
", it was released in May 1988. Written and produced by Jean-Michel Rivat, the song was Desireless' last hit single in France.
Lyrics and chart performances
The song deals with a man named John, apparently a soldier, who died during a mission. The lyrics mention several locations referring to conflicts in the 20th century : HanoiHanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
and Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
(Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, 1945-54 / 1964-1975), Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, 1936–39), Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
(second Israeli-Arab war, 1956), Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(Iran-Iraq, 1980–88), Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(Second World War, Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
). Several Gods worshiped in various religions are also cited in the lyrics, such as God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
(Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
), Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
(Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
), Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
and Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
(Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
).
The song was released in several European countries, notably in France, where it became a top five hit in July 1988 and remained for 18 on the chart (top 50), nine of them in the top ten. It was released in UK in a remixed version produced by Les Adams, but was a relative failure (a sole week on the chart, at number 92), while it failed the chart in the Netherlands.
An acoustic version of the song was recorded by Desireless on her 2004 album Un brin de paille, on her 2007 double album More Love and Good Vibrations and on her 2003 best of Ses plus grands succès
Ses plus grands succès
Ses plus grands succès is a compilation album by Desireless, released in 2003. It includes two tracks that were never released on cd before, "Qui peut savoir " and "Voyage, voyage "...
. The image on the single cover is a screenshot from the music video.
Track listings
- 7" single
- "John" – 3:58
- "John" (tempo 120) – 4:12
- 12" maxi
- "John" (remix) – 6:28
- "John" – 4:21
- CD maxi
- "John" – 4:19
- "John" (remix) – 6:27
- "Voyage Voyage" (extended remix) – 6:45
- 7" single - Remix
- "John" (London remix) – 4:14
- "John" (London re-remix) – 4:14
- 12" maxi - Remix
- "John" (London remix) – 6:17
- "John" (London remix - single version) – 4:11
- "Voyage Voyage" (britmix) – 7:06
Credits
- Chorus by Desireless and Michel Laurent
- Mixed by Dominique Blanc-Francard and S.Prestage, at Digital Services
- Recorded at Studio Colour
- Photography by François De La Noisette
- Written, arranged and produced by Jean-Michel Rivat
- Editions : Rivat Music
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Silver | 1988 | 250,000 | 313,000 |
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 92 |
External links
- "John", music video (official site)