Pardonne-moi
Encyclopedia
"Pardonne-moi" is a 2001 song
recorded by French
singer-songwriter
Mylène Farmer
, with lyrics written by herself and music composed by Laurent Boutonnat
. It was the third and last single
from Les Mots
, and was released on 21 October 2002. The song is about the unhappy love of a woman who is asking for forgiveness from the Oriental princes whom she loves. The black and white accompanying music video was directed by Boutonnat in Morocco and shows Farmer dressed as a nun, with images of a knight galloping on horseback and a snake. Like the single "À quoi je sers...
" released thirteen years earlier, "Pardonne-moi" is generally deemed a synthesis of Farmer's work and thus marked the end of an artistic period in her career. The song received positive reviews from critics and became a top ten hit in France and in the Waloon Belgium, although its sales were rather disappointing.
's "Désenchantée
" cover, "Pardonne-moi" was poorly broadcast on radio, although it enjoyed an extensive advertising campaign on TF1
and M6
. The single was issued as CD single
in a limited easel edition, and as 12" maxi with a run of 6,000 also copies containing another remix named 'forgiveness club remix'. There was no CD maxi.
. In the lyrics, Farmer cites various prince
s to whom she speaks: a Hungarian Prince, Hindu Prince, Arabic Prince, Dawn Prince, and Black Prince. French author Erwan Chuberre said that the lyrics deal with "a love that hurts, the one who was lost without knowing why" and refer to the film Lawrence of Arabia
by David Lean
. Author Julien Rigal stated that the song is about "the discharge of a woman in love many times neglected because of her too strong love". Journalist Benoît Cachin noted several references to Charles Perrault
's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty
(La Belle au Bois dormant or The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood). According to biographer Bernard Violet, "Pardonne-moi" has a "deliberately plaintive" music.
for Farmer, as his latest production for her was the video for "Beyond My Control" in 1992. The screenplay of this Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production was written both by Mylène Farmer
and Boutonnat. Some fans worried that the video would be the continuation of "C'est une belle journée", which was considered irrelevant given the quite different themes of both songs. As the song had several Oriental sonorities, several rumors about the video were divulged in the media, saying it would be filmed in Morocco
during the singer's vacations in September 2002. The video was eventually shot in two days in Stains
, France
, and cost about 40,000 euros, making it one of the singer's least expensive videos. It features a horse, which gallops on a treadmill to give the impression that it does not move forward, and a snake, which belongs to Farmer, both of which were bought in Morocco
.
The video was produced in black and white and deals with religion. It features Farmer, dressed as a nun
, praying and sometimes performing a dance, surrounded by white smoke. Technically, the video is built on a rapid acceleration of images showing Farmer alternating with images of a closely filmed snake and of a mysterious knight on horseback whose running is accelerating throughout the video. During the refrain, Farmer begs forgiveness with a smoky light coming from above, the display alternating between white eyes and snake-like eyes.
In this video, "Boutonnat seems to sum up the features of Farmer's imagery: total harmony between photography, editing, and sound, but also haunting images at the expense of the narrative, like moments which are thrown on their own ambiance (...). The absence of colors and landscapes, and the several close ups inspire melancholy, almost dread. This feeling is accentuated by certain images of the singer engaged in an epileptic choreography, pretending to struggle in a smoke". Several elements of the video refer to visual effects already used in many of Farmer's previous videos: black and white ("À quoi je sers...
"), eyes rolled upwards ("Tristana
"), a snake ("Sans logique
"), a moon ("Ainsi soit je...
"), a horse through a cloud of smoke ("Allan
"), some moving sails ("L'Âme-stram-gram
"), a smoky camera ("Beyond My Control
"), and a succession of zooms and close ups ("Maman a tort
"). Thus, many observers saw in these references a conclusive aspect to this video and a summary of the singer's work, like "À quoi je sers...
" (which featured characters from many of her earlier videos), 13 years earlier. In spite of these symbolic aspects, the music video was not greatly appreciated by the public because it was considered "too simple and too bland". Rigal deemed the video "aesthetic".
In France, "Pardonne-moi" entered the singles chart at a peak of number six on 26 October, becoming Farmer's 25th top ten hit. However, the single quickly dropped on the chart and totaled six weeks in the top 50 and seventeen weeks on the chart. In Belgium (Wallonia), the single debuted at number thirteen on 6 November on the Ultratop 40
, then reached a peak at number seven the week after, and remained in the top 40 for eight weeks. It appeared at number 85 on the Belgian year-end chart. In Switzerland, "Pardonne-moi" debuted at number 53 on 11 November, then dropped and fell off the chart on 26 January 2003, but re-entered directly at a peak of number 45 and eventually totaled eleven weeks in the top 100.
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
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-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
, with lyrics written by herself and music composed by Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
. It was the third and last 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 Les Mots
Les Mots (Mylène Farmer)
Les Mots is the first compilation by French singer Mylène Farmer, released on November 26, 2001. It contains most of the singer's hits and three new songs...
, and was released on 21 October 2002. The song is about the unhappy love of a woman who is asking for forgiveness from the Oriental princes whom she loves. The black and white accompanying music video was directed by Boutonnat in Morocco and shows Farmer dressed as a nun, with images of a knight galloping on horseback and a snake. Like the single "À quoi je sers...
À quoi je sers...
"À quoi je sers..." is a 1989 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The single was a new song when it was released in July 1989, being not available on Farmer's studio albums, but only in a live version on En Concert...
" released thirteen years earlier, "Pardonne-moi" is generally deemed a synthesis of Farmer's work and thus marked the end of an artistic period in her career. The song received positive reviews from critics and became a top ten hit in France and in the Waloon Belgium, although its sales were rather disappointing.
Release
After many hesitations, Polydor began sending promotional CDs to radio stations starting on 3 September 2002 before announcing the song's release as a single on 14 October. The song was finally released the following week. Unlike Farmer's previous songs "Les Mots" and "C'est une belle journée", as well as Kate RyanKate Ryan
Kate Ryan is a Belgian World Music Award winner. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of Mylène Farmer and France Gall, such as "Désenchantée", "Libertine" and "Ella, elle l'a" as well as new material...
's "Désenchantée
Désenchantée
"Désenchantée" is a 1991 song recorded by the French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. First single from her third studio album L'Autre..., it was released on 18 March 1991 and achieved a great success in France, topping the chart for more than two months...
" cover, "Pardonne-moi" was poorly broadcast on radio, although it enjoyed an extensive advertising campaign on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
and M6
Métropole 6
M6, also known as Metropole television, is the most profitable private national French TV channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world...
. The single was issued as CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
in a limited easel edition, and as 12" maxi with a run of 6,000 also copies containing another remix named 'forgiveness club remix'. There was no CD maxi.
Lyrics and music
"Pardonne-moi" uses the imagery of a fairy taleFairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
. In the lyrics, Farmer cites various prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
s to whom she speaks: a Hungarian Prince, Hindu Prince, Arabic Prince, Dawn Prince, and Black Prince. French author Erwan Chuberre said that the lyrics deal with "a love that hurts, the one who was lost without knowing why" and refer to the film Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
by David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
. Author Julien Rigal stated that the song is about "the discharge of a woman in love many times neglected because of her too strong love". Journalist Benoît Cachin noted several references to Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
(La Belle au Bois dormant or The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood). According to biographer Bernard Violet, "Pardonne-moi" has a "deliberately plaintive" music.
Music video
The music video marked Laurent Boutonnat's return as the film directorFilm director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
for Farmer, as his latest production for her was the video for "Beyond My Control" in 1992. The screenplay of this Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production was written both by Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
and Boutonnat. Some fans worried that the video would be the continuation of "C'est une belle journée", which was considered irrelevant given the quite different themes of both songs. As the song had several Oriental sonorities, several rumors about the video were divulged in the media, saying it would be filmed in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
during the singer's vacations in September 2002. The video was eventually shot in two days in Stains
Stains
Stains is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Heraldry:-Transport:Stains is served by Pierrefitte – Stains station on Paris RER line D...
, France
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...
, and cost about 40,000 euros, making it one of the singer's least expensive videos. It features a horse, which gallops on a treadmill to give the impression that it does not move forward, and a snake, which belongs to Farmer, both of which were bought in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
The video was produced in black and white and deals with religion. It features Farmer, dressed as a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, praying and sometimes performing a dance, surrounded by white smoke. Technically, the video is built on a rapid acceleration of images showing Farmer alternating with images of a closely filmed snake and of a mysterious knight on horseback whose running is accelerating throughout the video. During the refrain, Farmer begs forgiveness with a smoky light coming from above, the display alternating between white eyes and snake-like eyes.
In this video, "Boutonnat seems to sum up the features of Farmer's imagery: total harmony between photography, editing, and sound, but also haunting images at the expense of the narrative, like moments which are thrown on their own ambiance (...). The absence of colors and landscapes, and the several close ups inspire melancholy, almost dread. This feeling is accentuated by certain images of the singer engaged in an epileptic choreography, pretending to struggle in a smoke". Several elements of the video refer to visual effects already used in many of Farmer's previous videos: black and white ("À quoi je sers...
À quoi je sers...
"À quoi je sers..." is a 1989 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The single was a new song when it was released in July 1989, being not available on Farmer's studio albums, but only in a live version on En Concert...
"), eyes rolled upwards ("Tristana
Tristana (song)
"Tristana" is a 1987 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Fourth single from her first studio album Cendres de Lune, the song was released in February 1987. As for the previous single "Libertine", the music video was produced as a film, with many extras and a huge budget...
"), a snake ("Sans logique
Sans logique
"Sans logique" is a 1988 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was released on 20 February 1989 as the fourth and last single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je.... The song deals with schizophrenia, death, love and religion and was accompanied by a cinematic video...
"), a moon ("Ainsi soit je...
Ainsi soit je... (song)
"Ainsi soit je..." is a 1988 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. The song was released as a single twice: as the second single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je... on 4 April 1988, and as the second single in a live version from her second live album Live à Bercy on 20...
"), a horse through a cloud of smoke ("Allan
Allan (song)
"Allan" is a 1988 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the first single from her first live album En Concert and was released in December 1989. The lyrics clearly refer to a fairly tale by Edgar Allan Poe as they mentioned one of his characters...
"), some moving sails ("L'Âme-stram-gram
L'Âme-stram-gram
"L'Âme-stram-gram" is a 1999 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the lead single from her fifth studio album Innamoramento and was released on 9 March 1999. The lyrics were written by Farmer and the music was composed by Laurent Boutonnat...
"), a smoky camera ("Beyond My Control
Beyond My Control
"Beyond My Control" is a 1991 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the fourth single from her third studio album L'Autre... and was released in May 1992. The song probably remains well known for its music video that caused controversy and was censored at the time because...
"), and a succession of zooms and close ups ("Maman a tort
Maman a tort
"Maman a tort" is a 1984 song recorded by French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the debut single from Farmer's first studio album Cendres de Lune, and marked the beginning of her collaboration with her long-time composer, Laurent Boutonnat. With lyrics by Jérôme Dahan, who also helped compose the...
"). Thus, many observers saw in these references a conclusive aspect to this video and a summary of the singer's work, like "À quoi je sers...
À quoi je sers...
"À quoi je sers..." is a 1989 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The single was a new song when it was released in July 1989, being not available on Farmer's studio albums, but only in a live version on En Concert...
" (which featured characters from many of her earlier videos), 13 years earlier. In spite of these symbolic aspects, the music video was not greatly appreciated by the public because it was considered "too simple and too bland". Rigal deemed the video "aesthetic".
Critical reception
"Pardonne-moi" was generally well received by the media. For example, French magazine Fan2 said the singer "uses ingredients that make her success: an enigmatic voice raised on somber and melancholy lyrics". The melody was described as "sweet and sad", with a "delightful and melancholy lyrics" by Star Club. Télé Magazine deemed that "Pardonne-moi" has an "effective melody", a "evanescent voice" and mysterious lyrics, which can be variously interpreted. Magazine Jukebox described it as a "melancholic" and "tortured" song.In France, "Pardonne-moi" entered the singles chart at a peak of number six on 26 October, becoming Farmer's 25th top ten hit. However, the single quickly dropped on the chart and totaled six weeks in the top 50 and seventeen weeks on the chart. In Belgium (Wallonia), the single debuted at number thirteen on 6 November on the Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization...
, then reached a peak at number seven the week after, and remained in the top 40 for eight weeks. It appeared at number 85 on the Belgian year-end chart. In Switzerland, "Pardonne-moi" debuted at number 53 on 11 November, then dropped and fell off the chart on 26 January 2003, but re-entered directly at a peak of number 45 and eventually totaled eleven weeks in the top 100.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Pardonne-moi":- CD single / CD single - Tryptic
- 12" maxi
- CD single - Promo / CD single - Promo - Luxurious limited edition (800)
- VHS - Promo
Official versions
| Version | Length | Album | Remixed by | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album / Single version | 4:30 | Les Mots | — | 2001 | See the previous sections |
| Radio edit | 4:05 | — | Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :... |
2002 | The musical bridge before the last refrain is shortened. |
| Instrumental version | 4:30 | — | Laurent Boutonnat | 2002 | This version is exactly similar to the album one, but all lyrics are removed, including background vocals. |
| Dark side of the mix | 4:30 | — | Bertrand Châtenet | 2002 | At the beginning, a languished voice can be heard. |
| Forgiveness club remix | 6:30 | — | Blue Planet Corporation and Taïa | 2002 | Devoted to the discothèques, this version has dance Dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement... and techno Techno Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988... sonorities. |
| Music video | 4:15 | Music Videos IV Music Videos IV Music Video IV is a DVD recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 2001 to 2006. It was released in October 2006 in France.... |
— | 2002 |
Credits and personnel
These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:- Mylène Farmer – lyrics
- Laurent Boutonnat – music, production
- Bertrand Chatenet – mixing
- Requiem Publishing – edition
- Polydor – recording company
- Ellen Von Unwerth / H&K – photo
- Henry Neu / Com'N.B – design
- Made in the E.U.
Peak positions
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 7 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 6 |
| French Airplay Chart | 22 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 45 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2002) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 85 |
| French Singles Chart | — |
Sales
| Country | Certification | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|
| France | — | 80,000 - 90,000 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| France, Belgium, Switzerland | 3 September 2002 | Promo CD single |
| 21 October 2002 | CD single, 7" maxi | |
| October 2002 | VHS | |
