Tomber la chemise
Encyclopedia
"Tomber la chemise" is a 1998 song by the Toulousian
collective Zebda
. The song was released on 7 June 1999 as part of the first single
from Zebda's third album Essence ordinaire
and received a successful reception in France, where it reached number-one on the singles chart and won two awards. This summer 1999 hit song Tomber la chemise was part of a sudden popularity trend by rappers of immigrant origins in France at that time.
songs.
status awarded by the French provider, SNEP. The song is currently the 145th best-selling single of all time in France. In addition to being a commercial success, the song went on to be named the best French song of 2000 at both the Victoires de la musique
awards and the NRJ Music Awards
.
In Belgium (Wallonia), "Tomber la chemise" remained on the Ultratop
40 for 19 weeks. It started at #22 on 7 August 1999, climbed quickly and finally peaked at #3 in its seventh week. It totaled ten weeks in the top ten.
, a French band which participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
, also parodied the song under the name "Monter le pantalon" ("Pull Up Your Pants") on its album Pamplemousse mécanique (A Clockwork Grapefruit). (Ivan: "We just parodied the name, it's not a song about them [Zebda]." Paul: "It's about a Zebda song, 'Tomber la chemise.'")
In 2002, the song was covered by Yannick Noah
, Michèle Laroque
and Francis Cabrel
on the album Tous dans le même bateau (All in the Same Boat), also available on Les Enfoirés
's the best of La compil' (vol. 3), released in 2005.
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
collective Zebda
Zebda
Zebda is a French music group from Toulouse known for its political activism and its wide variety of musical styles. The group, which was formed in 1985, consisted of seven musicians of diverse nationalities, and the themes of much of their music involved political and social justice, the status...
. The song was released on 7 June 1999 as part of the first 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 Zebda's third album Essence ordinaire
Essence ordinaire
Essence ordinaire is a studio album from the French rock group Zebda, released in 1998.It was their landmark album, containing some of their most popular songs, in particular Tomber la chemise, which catapulted them to fame and earned them a Victoire de la musique award.The album can easily be...
and received a successful reception in France, where it reached number-one on the singles chart and won two awards. This summer 1999 hit song Tomber la chemise was part of a sudden popularity trend by rappers of immigrant origins in France at that time.
Structure and lyrics
Although "Tomber la chemise" appeared to be an outsider in the course to the summer hits, this song, critical of the social differences, became a hit that brought Zebda national recognition after eleven years of existence. According to an expert of French charts, this song "devotes an expression of the spoken language, becoming inseparable from this song, and bases its originality on the regional savour that the accent of the Midi conveys". The melody is similar to those of Regg'LyssRegg'Lyss
Regg'Lyss was a French reggae group .-History:The group was established in 1989 in Montpellier and gathered a dozen of friends who wanted to explore a new style, the Jamadoc, "a musical Esperanto for a country fantasized between Jamaica and Occitania."Quickly, the group achieved a local success in...
songs.
Chart performances and awards
In France, the song went straight to #11 on 12 June 1999. It entered the top ten the next week and stayed in it for 20 weeks, three of them atop. Thereafter, it almost kept on dropping and fell of the top 100 after 30 weeks. It achieved DiamondMusic recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status awarded by the French provider, SNEP. The song is currently the 145th best-selling single of all time in France. In addition to being a commercial success, the song went on to be named the best French song of 2000 at both the Victoires de la musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
awards and the NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
.
In Belgium (Wallonia), "Tomber la chemise" remained on the Ultratop
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
40 for 19 weeks. It started at #22 on 7 August 1999, climbed quickly and finally peaked at #3 in its seventh week. It totaled ten weeks in the top ten.
Cover versions and parodies
In 1999, the song was parodied by Le Festival Roblès under the title "Solder la Chemise" ("Sell Off Your Shirt"). Les Fatals PicardsLes Fatals Picards
Les Fatals Picards is a French rock/punk band, founded in 1996.The Fatals Picards are best known to general audiences because they represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song L'amour à la française , after winning the national selection.Their name means "the fatal [men]...
, a French band which participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
, also parodied the song under the name "Monter le pantalon" ("Pull Up Your Pants") on its album Pamplemousse mécanique (A Clockwork Grapefruit). (Ivan: "We just parodied the name, it's not a song about them [Zebda]." Paul: "It's about a Zebda song, 'Tomber la chemise.'")
In 2002, the song was covered by Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
, Michèle Laroque
Michèle Laroque
Michèle Laroque is a French actress, comedian and humorist, who has appeared in almost 60 film and television productions since 1988.She was born in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France...
and Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel is a well-known French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Inspired heavily by Bob Dylan, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux" and "Petite Marie"...
on the album Tous dans le même bateau (All in the Same Boat), also available on Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
's the best of La compil' (vol. 3), released in 2005.
Track listings
CD single- "Tomber la chemise" — 4:25
- "Quinze ans" — 4:50
- "Le pont du carrousel" — 4:06
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Diamond | 20 December 1999 | 750,000 | 868,000 |
Charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 3 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 22 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| End of year chart (1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 18 |
| French Singles Chart | 5 |
External links
- "Tomber la chemise" music video on YouTube