Que mon cœur lâche
Encyclopedia
"Que mon cœur lâche" is a 1992
song recorded by the French
singer-songwriter
Mylène Farmer
. The single was released on 23 November 1992 to promote Farmer's compilation album Dance Remixes
. Farmer also recorded an English language version of the track, entitled "My Soul Is Slashed" which was released in May 1993. Originally recorded as a charity single, the song deals with AIDS
and caused some controversy as lyrics seem to encourage the rejection of condoms. Produced as a short film, the music video was directed by the French film director Luc Besson
, and features Farmer as an angel sent on Earth by God. The song reached the top ten in France and Belgium.
contacted several popular French recording artists to request their participation in the recording of a double album
whose profits were to be donated to the fight against AIDS
. Farmer, who had until then not participated in charitable causes, accepted, and she and her writing partner Laurent Boutonnat composed "Que mon cœur lâche". However the song was rejected as the lyrics were considered to be too ambiguous, seeming to advocate sexual intercourse
without condoms. As a result, instead using "Que mon cœur lâche" for the charity album, Farmer re-recorded her 1988 song "Dernier Sourire" (which dealt with the death of a sick person) in an acoustic
style. This track was used for the compilation album Urgence - 27 artistes pour la recherche contre le SIDA.
At the same time, Farmer and Boutonnat decided to release their first compilation album
composed of remixes, Dance Remixes
, in December 1992. To promote the album, the song "Que mon cœur lâche" was released as a single, airing on radio on 5 November 1992, although it aired for the first time four days before on M40, and released on 16 November. The single cover used a Marianne Rosenthiel's photograph originally made for the previous single "Beyond My Control
" in which Farmer trains in a gym
. Unlike most of Farmer's singles, there was no CD maxi for this single.
version of the song, entitled "My Soul Is Slashed" (the English title is not a direct translation of the French version, the title of which roughly translates to "My Heart Gives Up"). This was the second time that Farmer had recorded one of her singles in a foreign language (the first one being "My Mum Is Wrong" in 1984, the English version of "Maman a tort"). Mainly edited for the Germany
and the US
, the song was translated by both Farmer and Ira Israel. In an interview, Israel said it was difficult to write the lyrics of "My Soul Is Slashed" as Farmer was insistent that the song had to convey the right wording, rhythm, meaning, and feeling rather than being a direct and literal translation of "Que mon cœur lâche". Farmer disliked the first text he had composed and, as a result, they worked together on the English lyrics.
The cover of "My Soul is Slashed" is similar to that of the French version, but with a black background. The English version of the song has never been performed on television or at Farmer's concerts, and is only available on the European version of the compilation Dance Remixes
and on the long-box version of Farmer's 2001 greatest hits package Les Mots. Despite hopes that it would be establish Farmer in the UK and the US, the English version was commercially unsuccessful.
"Que mon cœur lâche" deals with the themes of AIDS
and condoms. The text is very committed and is similar to that in Sid'amour à mort written by Barbara
. Contrary to what some people have thought, Farmer does not recommend in the song not to use condoms, but lyrics are simply an observation on this subject. Indeed, in an interview, the singer said: "I tried not to make any commitment. Should we save or not save a condom? It seems to me obviously need to save, but it is not the message I wanted to convey in the song. There is no message elsewhere in the song, simply an observation on love today. Love perverted by the threat of the disease, by the issue of condoms, which arose at the outset that we feel an impetus to another person. Clearly, I say that everyone should take responsibility toward the disease. Everybody is indeed faced with this reality, and I find it sad. Using a condom is not something loose. In the current situation, an appropriate course to guard against the disease seems to go without saying".
did not direct the song's video, as he was busy working on his feature film Giorgino
. Thus, with Boutonnat's agreement, French film director
, writer and producer
Luc Besson
shot the video (Farmer had previously been an extra
in his 1983 film Le Dernier Combat
). The video, which lasts 6:44, was filmed over four days at the studios of Arpajon
, France
, with a budget of around 100,000 euros. The white garment worn by Farmer was made by Azzedine Alaia
and the black one by Jean-Paul Gaultier
.
There are three versions of the video : a first version with French subtitles which features on Farmer's VHS
and DVD
, a second version without subtitles and video's title at the beginning, and a third version for "My Soul Is Slashed", similar to that of "Que mon cœur lâche". Before the song begins in the video, dialogue between Farmer and the two people who respectively portrays God and Jesus, are in English-language. The video also features a Michael Jackson impersonator. The final scene in which Farmer blows a bubble with her chewing gum
refers to a similar scene of Besson's film Nikita. The video was broadcast for the first time on M6
, on 12 December 1992.
, in Paradise - reads a newspaper with disgust. As he thinks that humans have damaged this wonderful feeling named love, he wants that an angel
goes on Earth to hold an inquiry. Farmer, who is the angel chosen, appeared dressed in white as a ballerina
. She does not hear what God tells her because she is listening the 'extended dance remix' version of "Que mon cœur lâche" on her walkman
. When she is going on Earth, the song begins. Then she hunts a black feather
on her wrist
and discovers three pairs of lovers : one couple who are quarrelling, the second one very modest and the third one very libertine. She goes near to a nightclub
called 'Q' and guarded by a big man. Two men are not allowed to go to this discothèque and the angel offers them to breathe in an oxygen ball. An old man comes and takes the mask and a muscular young man wearing only a slip appears and begins to dance. A second youngest man breathes in turn in the mask and Michael Jackson
appears, but this one is crushed by a huge cross
fell from the sky. The angel is quite intrigued by this nightclub : so she dresses up as a prostitute with black clothes, hunts a white feather on her wrist and enters into the discothèque. There, she sees people with an ambiguous sexuality who are walking in a corridor made of white curtains and a topless woman makes breathe to her in an oxygen mask, then her heart beats faster and faster and eventually explodes. After that, the angel, very sexy dressed, comes back to Paradise and detonates a bubble of chewing gum in front of God.
and Mel Brooks
' works, and especially by David Lynch
's movie Blue Velvet. Indeed, as in this film, the video has the characteristic of alternate imaginary elements and real things, as well as the use of an oxygen mask
. It symbolizes the fact that "every person is looking for his drunkenness which can lead to extreme erotic games". It is an allegory of what fuels desires. The club named 'Q' in the video may be a reference both to the novel Steppenwolf
, written by Hermann Hesse
, but also to the bar "One-Eyed Jack" in Twin Peaks
, in which the heroine Laura Palmer
has lost her innocence being fascinated by this bar where fantasies can be satisfied. The message of this video is that, "behind the appearance of propriety is bursting the world of fantasies and its attractiveness".
This video is also very critical of religion
s : God is presented as a very austere businessman. Moreover, according to some analyses, the video explains that to give free rein to sexual fantasies
, it necessary to transgress social and religious norms (respectively represented by the bouncer and God). As for the white curtains within the nightclub, they would be a symbol of the hymen or condom
s. This video is very different from previous ones of Farmer, as it is much more humorous and ironic, especially when Jesus asks God: "Father, why don't you send me on Earth?" and the latter replied: "The last time, it was a disaster". Farmer said that these dialogues were as a "smile", a "fickleness" she had not in her other videos.
, 11 January 1993), and in World Music Awards
(broadcast on TMC
, on 13 May 1993; she then won the prize for the French-speaking artist who has sold more records in 1992). At these occasions, the singer wore a white bathrobe and performed a choreographied dance with two female dancers.
"Que mon cœur lâche" was sung in a rock
version during the concerts at Bercy in 1996 and was thus included on the live album and VHS/DVD Live à Bercy
. The song was accompanied by a sexy choreography in which Farmer is dancing around a vertical iron bar and was surrounded by muscular male dancers in Plexiglas bubbles who bared their buttocks. The song was also performed during the Mylenium Tour
in 2000, but only in the shows in Russia
.
"Que mon cœur lâche"
"My Soul Is Slashed"
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
song recorded by the 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....
. The single was released on 23 November 1992 to promote Farmer's compilation album Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting....
. Farmer also recorded an English language version of the track, entitled "My Soul Is Slashed" which was released in May 1993. Originally recorded as a charity single, the song deals with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and caused some controversy as lyrics seem to encourage the rejection of condoms. Produced as a short film, the music video was directed by the French film director Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
, and features Farmer as an angel sent on Earth by God. The song reached the top ten in France and Belgium.
French version
In 1992, the pop singer Étienne DahoÉtienne Daho
Étienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
contacted several popular French recording artists to request their participation in the recording of a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
whose profits were to be donated to the fight against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Farmer, who had until then not participated in charitable causes, accepted, and she and her writing partner Laurent Boutonnat composed "Que mon cœur lâche". However the song was rejected as the lyrics were considered to be too ambiguous, seeming to advocate sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
without condoms. As a result, instead using "Que mon cœur lâche" for the charity album, Farmer re-recorded her 1988 song "Dernier Sourire" (which dealt with the death of a sick person) in an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
style. This track was used for the compilation album Urgence - 27 artistes pour la recherche contre le SIDA.
At the same time, Farmer and Boutonnat decided to release their first compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
composed of remixes, Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting....
, in December 1992. To promote the album, the song "Que mon cœur lâche" was released as a single, airing on radio on 5 November 1992, although it aired for the first time four days before on M40, and released on 16 November. The single cover used a Marianne Rosenthiel's photograph originally made for the previous single "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...
" in which Farmer trains in a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
. Unlike most of Farmer's singles, there was no CD maxi for this single.
English version
Farmer also recorded an EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version of the song, entitled "My Soul Is Slashed" (the English title is not a direct translation of the French version, the title of which roughly translates to "My Heart Gives Up"). This was the second time that Farmer had recorded one of her singles in a foreign language (the first one being "My Mum Is Wrong" in 1984, the English version of "Maman a tort"). Mainly edited for the Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song was translated by both Farmer and Ira Israel. In an interview, Israel said it was difficult to write the lyrics of "My Soul Is Slashed" as Farmer was insistent that the song had to convey the right wording, rhythm, meaning, and feeling rather than being a direct and literal translation of "Que mon cœur lâche". Farmer disliked the first text he had composed and, as a result, they worked together on the English lyrics.
The cover of "My Soul is Slashed" is similar to that of the French version, but with a black background. The English version of the song has never been performed on television or at Farmer's concerts, and is only available on the European version of the compilation Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes
Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting....
and on the long-box version of Farmer's 2001 greatest hits package Les Mots. Despite hopes that it would be establish Farmer in the UK and the US, the English version was commercially unsuccessful.
Lyrics and music
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and condoms. The text is very committed and is similar to that in Sid'amour à mort written by Barbara
Monique Serf
Monique Andrée Serf , known as Barbara , was a popular French female singer...
. Contrary to what some people have thought, Farmer does not recommend in the song not to use condoms, but lyrics are simply an observation on this subject. Indeed, in an interview, the singer said: "I tried not to make any commitment. Should we save or not save a condom? It seems to me obviously need to save, but it is not the message I wanted to convey in the song. There is no message elsewhere in the song, simply an observation on love today. Love perverted by the threat of the disease, by the issue of condoms, which arose at the outset that we feel an impetus to another person. Clearly, I say that everyone should take responsibility toward the disease. Everybody is indeed faced with this reality, and I find it sad. Using a condom is not something loose. In the current situation, an appropriate course to guard against the disease seems to go without saying".
Music video
Production
For the first time in Farmer's singing career, Laurent BoutonnatLaurent 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 :...
did not direct the song's video, as he was busy working on his feature film Giorgino
Giorgino
-Presentation:* Title : Giorgino* Direction : Laurent Boutonnat* Screenplay : Laurent Boutonnat, Gilles Laurent* Production : Laurent Boutonnat* Music : Laurent Boutonnat* Photo : Jean-Pierre Sauvaire* Film editing : Laurent Boutonnat, Agnès Mouchel...
. Thus, with Boutonnat's agreement, French film director
Film 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:...
, writer and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
shot the video (Farmer had previously been an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in his 1983 film Le Dernier Combat
Le Dernier Combat
Le Dernier Combat , released in 1983 French film is the first feature film made by Luc Besson. The film is a dark vision of post-apocalyptic survival.The plot explores the devastation of civilization and issues of brutality, hostility and isolation...
). The video, which lasts 6:44, was filmed over four days at the studios of Arpajon
Arpajon
Arpajon is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Seat of the canton, the commune is located south of Paris, accessible by the N20, and to in the north of Étampes...
, 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...
, with a budget of around 100,000 euros. The white garment worn by Farmer was made by Azzedine Alaia
Azzedine Alaia
Azzedine Alaïa is a Tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer, particularly successful since the 1980s.-Biography:Alaïa was born in Siliana, Tunisia on 7 June 1940. His parents were wheat farmers but his glamorous twin sister inspired his love for couture. A French friend of his mother fed Alaïa's...
and the black one by Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
.
There are three versions of the video : a first version with French subtitles which features on Farmer's VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, a second version without subtitles and video's title at the beginning, and a third version for "My Soul Is Slashed", similar to that of "Que mon cœur lâche". Before the song begins in the video, dialogue between Farmer and the two people who respectively portrays God and Jesus, are in English-language. The video also features a Michael Jackson impersonator. The final scene in which Farmer blows a bubble with her chewing gum
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
refers to a similar scene of Besson's film Nikita. The video was broadcast for the first time on 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...
, on 12 December 1992.
Plot
At the beginning of the video, an old man - GodGod
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....
, in Paradise - reads a newspaper with disgust. As he thinks that humans have damaged this wonderful feeling named love, he wants that an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
goes on Earth to hold an inquiry. Farmer, who is the angel chosen, appeared dressed in white as a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
. She does not hear what God tells her because she is listening the 'extended dance remix' version of "Que mon cœur lâche" on her walkman
Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones...
. When she is going on Earth, the song begins. Then she hunts a black feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
on her wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
and discovers three pairs of lovers : one couple who are quarrelling, the second one very modest and the third one very libertine. She goes near to a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
called 'Q' and guarded by a big man. Two men are not allowed to go to this discothèque and the angel offers them to breathe in an oxygen ball. An old man comes and takes the mask and a muscular young man wearing only a slip appears and begins to dance. A second youngest man breathes in turn in the mask and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
appears, but this one is crushed by a huge cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
fell from the sky. The angel is quite intrigued by this nightclub : so she dresses up as a prostitute with black clothes, hunts a white feather on her wrist and enters into the discothèque. There, she sees people with an ambiguous sexuality who are walking in a corridor made of white curtains and a topless woman makes breathe to her in an oxygen mask, then her heart beats faster and faster and eventually explodes. After that, the angel, very sexy dressed, comes back to Paradise and detonates a bubble of chewing gum in front of God.
Inspiration and interpretation
Instant-Mag said the video was inspired by Federico FelliniFederico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
and Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' works, and especially by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's movie Blue Velvet. Indeed, as in this film, the video has the characteristic of alternate imaginary elements and real things, as well as the use of an oxygen mask
Oxygen mask
An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover the nose and mouth or the entire face...
. It symbolizes the fact that "every person is looking for his drunkenness which can lead to extreme erotic games". It is an allegory of what fuels desires. The club named 'Q' in the video may be a reference both to the novel Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (novel)
Steppenwolf is the tenth novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. Originally published in Germany in 1927, it was first translated into English in 1929. Combining autobiographical and psychoanalytic elements, the novel was named after the lonesome wolf of the steppes...
, written by Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, but also to the bar "One-Eyed Jack" in Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, in which the heroine Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series...
has lost her innocence being fascinated by this bar where fantasies can be satisfied. The message of this video is that, "behind the appearance of propriety is bursting the world of fantasies and its attractiveness".
This video is also very critical of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s : God is presented as a very austere businessman. Moreover, according to some analyses, the video explains that to give free rein to sexual fantasies
Sexual fantasy
A sexual fantasy, also called an erotic fantasy, is a fantasy or pattern of thoughts with the effect of creating or enhancing sexual feelings; in short, it is "almost any mental imagery that is sexually arousing or erotic to [an] individual"...
, it necessary to transgress social and religious norms (respectively represented by the bouncer and God). As for the white curtains within the nightclub, they would be a symbol of the hymen or condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s. This video is very different from previous ones of Farmer, as it is much more humorous and ironic, especially when Jesus asks God: "Father, why don't you send me on Earth?" and the latter replied: "The last time, it was a disaster". Farmer said that these dialogues were as a "smile", a "fickleness" she had not in her other videos.
Promotion and live performances
Farmer performed the song in two French television shows : in Stars 90 (TF1TF1
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...
, 11 January 1993), and in World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
(broadcast on TMC
Télé Monte Carlo
Télé Monte Carlo or TMC Monte Carlo, traditionally known as TMC is a Monégasque general entertainment television channel.-History:The oldest private channel in Europe, TMC dates back to 1954, inaugurated by Rainier III, Prince of Monaco...
, on 13 May 1993; she then won the prize for the French-speaking artist who has sold more records in 1992). At these occasions, the singer wore a white bathrobe and performed a choreographied dance with two female dancers.
"Que mon cœur lâche" was sung in a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
version during the concerts at Bercy in 1996 and was thus included on the live album and VHS/DVD Live à Bercy
Live à Bercy
Live à Bercy is the second live album by Mylène Farmer, released on May 21, 1997. It was also produced as a video.-Background:After the successful concerts tour of 1996, whose shows were spread out from May 25 to December 15, a live album was recorded and produced by Thierry Suc, and sponsored by...
. The song was accompanied by a sexy choreography in which Farmer is dancing around a vertical iron bar and was surrounded by muscular male dancers in Plexiglas bubbles who bared their buttocks. The song was also performed during the Mylenium Tour
Mylenium Tour (tour)
Mylenium Tour is Mylène Farmer's 1999-2000 concert tour in support of her fifth studio album, Innamoramento.-Critical reception and commercial success:...
in 2000, but only in the shows in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Chart performances
In France, the single debuted at number 14 on 5 December 1992 and reached number nine four weeks later. The song stayed for a total of 17 weeks in the top 50, 12 of them in the top 20. In Belgium (Wallonia), the single entered the chart at number 25, peaked at number eight for two consecutive weeks and remained for nine weeks in the top 30.Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Que mon cœur lâche" and "My Soul Is Slashed":"Que mon cœur lâche"
- 7" single / 7" single - Limited edition (200) / CD single - Black CD / CD single - White CD / Cassette
- 7" maxi
- Digital download
- CD single - Promo - Crucifix
"My Soul Is Slashed"
- CD single - Germany
- CD maxi - Germany
- CD single - Promo - France
Release history
| Date | Label | Region | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1992 | Polydor | France | CD single - Promo | 4288 |
| 23 November 1992 | 7" single | 861 206-7 | ||
| CD single | 861 206-2 | |||
| 7" maxi | 861 207-1 | |||
| Cassette | 865 820-4 | |||
| 1993 | 7" maxi - Promo | 2321 | ||
| Germany | CD single | 861814-2 | ||
| CD maxi | 861815-2 | |||
Official versions
| Version | Length | Album | Remixed by | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Que mon cœur lâche" | |||||
| Single / Album version | 4:05 | Les Mots | — | 1992 | See the previous sections |
| Promotional single version | 4:05 | — | — | 1992 | This version is the same as the single version. It is only available on 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... promotional 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... and on the German Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... CD single of "My Soul Is Slashed", under the name 'French Single Mix'. |
| Dub remix | 4:18 | — | 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 :... , Thierry Rogen |
1992 | This is a dance remix with an a cappella A cappella A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato... introduction in which Farmer sings the refrain Refrain A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song... . Many violin Violin The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... s can be heard in the musical bridge Bridge (music) In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section... . |
| Extended dance remix | 8:10 | Dance Remixes Dance Remixes Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting.... |
Laurent Boutonnat, Thierry Rogen | 1992 | This is a 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... remix devoted to the nightclub Nightclub A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night... s. This version is also available on the German CD maxi of "My Soul Is Slashed", under the name of 'Extended French Dance Remix'. |
| Damage club remix | 6:20 | — | Laurent Boutonnat, Thierry Rogen | 1992 | This remix, which contains the whole of lyrics from the original version, is slower than the 'Extended Club Remix'. Many violins can be heard in the musical bridge. |
| Music video | 6:44 | Music Videos II Music Videos II Music Videos II is a VHS recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1992 to 1996. It was released in April 1997 in France.... , Music Videos II & III Music Videos II & III Music Video II & III is a DVD recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1992 to 2000. It was released in March 2001 in France.... |
— | 1992 | |
| Live version (recorded in 1996) |
4:35 | — | — | 1992 | This version is similar to the album one but has more rock Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music... sounds. See 1996 Bercy |
| "My Soul Is Slashed" | |||||
| Single mix | 4:15 | Les Mots (long box edition) |
Laurent Boutonnat | 1993 | This is the English version of "Que mon cœur lâche", but lyrics are different. |
| The rubber remix | 7:34 | — | Laurent Boutonnat | 1993 | This is a dance version with a musical introduction that lasts about two minutes. |
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
- Bertrand Le Page and Toutankhamon – editions
- Polydor – recording company
- Marianne Rosensthiel – photo
Charts and sales
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart 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... |
8 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 9 |
| Country | Certification | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|
| France | — | 120,000 (French version) |
| — | 70,000 (English version) | |