Credits
Written by
Published
Source(s)
News
© Sebastien Tellier
13 words in French after all!
France: Eurovision version of Divine
With a shorter introduction and chorus beginning earlier, the song has lyrics in French during its second bridge - the very quiet one. "Toi et moi, c'est comme tu sais, comment mon coeur a succombé" - which can be translated into «You and me, it's like you know, how my heart has fallen». "Sébastien didn't mention this small change when interviewed", Bruno Berberes, French head of Delegation declares, "he meant that a whole translation in French was not possible regarding the way he usually works and the way the song sounds".
Back from Belgrade, where he took part in the meeting of the heads of delegation, earlier this week, Bruno Berberes said he received a lot of enthusiastic reactions among his fellow Heads of Delegations for the originality of the French entry.
Below you can watch the Eurovision version of Divine.
A report by Dominique Dufaut.
Related polls
- Your favourite Eurovision song with a nonsense title?
- YourOne 2008: Vote for your favourite song
- YourOne 2008 - Semi Final 2: Vote for your favourite song
- YourOne 2008 - Semi Final 1: Vote for your favourite song
- Eurovision 2008: are you going to vote?
- Eurovision: the best hosts of the last ten years?
- France decided: do you like Divine?
- Which country has the best song so far?
Go directly to the reactions
Recent news about France
Eurovision 2008: Tour to Finland, Sweden and Norway 11
France: Sébastien Tellier conquers Italy 34
France: Isabelle Aubret - « I should have won » 55
France: OGAE France meets Miguel Linde 13
France: Jean-Paul Gaultier to commentate Eurovision final 45
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
I absolutely [i]adore[/i] this song!
I really hope France gets a top 5 placing this year!
I think that our entry in 2006 was a real catastrophy. Virgine had the original song re-written an she still didn't like it, but because of the deadline, she had to sing "il était temps" anyway.
Les fatal Picards were a good choice, still the show they gave was disappointing and furthermore the clothes they wore ruined the whole song.
i may be a dreamer, but i do feel that this year France can do something good and not finish last, as some bad omen birds (as we way in French) predict.
Philippe, I know exactly what you mean. But like I said, a Herbie Hancock reference in a Eurovision track is as good as it can get. 
On the subject: France can pretty much do what it bloody likes as far as Eurovision entries are concerned. To me it's always been a great ESC country and still is today. This is their 4th consecutive excellent entry (to my ears). Since Ortal they've been really good, in spite of terrible results. I don't think they're particularly bothered by them, nor should they be.
What a nightmarish vision of our entry, it is amazing!
well i've been asking yout to tell me what kind of French music ytou listen to and you do not answer me...
so this is why that maybe your vision of french music is old-fashioned
Give me NAMES, please
Phillippe
1) I don't think you have the right to tell me I have an old-fashioned way at looking at French pop music! You don't actually know what I like.
2) Not all change is good you know, just like in everything change can be good and bad, this "change" is NOT a good one and neither is the Belgian song.
3) It may be a risk but risk doesn't equal good, just like change you can have good and bad risks, this is the latter.
There is no way under France is going to do well this year, and to think it will shows a huge lack of understanding for what the large majority of people watching ESC watch it for! I hated Verka last year but the reason it did well was because it was kitch, camp and quite shockingly original. France lacks on ALL of these this year, the song is boring, it will not stand out in a field of 43 countries over all (25 in the final), no one can make out what he is saying, so the supposed advantage of singing in English is lost, at least if it was in French but a different song some people would understand it!, Its neither an up tempo song nor a ballad and its not catchy at all, you forget it almost instantly,it will be seen as an arty entry, and just because this type of music does well in France and because Sebastien is big in France really doesn't matter, France will be the only country that CANT vote for it! ALL of these things will mount up against France on the night and mean it will do no better this year than it did last year or the year before than or the year before that!
Its a Big Four country! taking a "risk" ANY RISK if your a big 4 country is basically ESC suicide.
France (just like ever other western country that has gone for a risk or a gimmick song) will be in the bottom of the scoreboard in Belgrade.
Listen to the intro of "Rock it" and you'll see what i mean...
Well, you said it - I can't think of a previous occasion when [i]Herbie Hancock[/i] got a mention on this site. It can only be a good thing. 
I think I may play "I Thought It Was You" and "You Bet Your Love", my favourite Herbie songs just now.
Ok you got the point lol
actually the Bulgarian song is far from being the worst one, it's quite original, though the beginning seems to be directly borrowed from an old Herbie Hancock song.
Concerning Armenia, they are Caucasian, but still, il will be their third entry, and like the first two ones, i don't like it.
Umm, Philippe (just for the record) - Bulgaria is sending a hi-tech reggaeton/broken beats/electro/turntablism blend without an "e" of ethno in it this year, whereas Armenia is not in the Balkans.
Oh, Happy Easter bunnies to everyone celebrating it today btw.
You have a very old fashioned way of considering French pop music, probably because your ears are stuck to a time which no longer exists (hopefully) in French music.
i do believe that this song is probably the best this year, along with Switzerland. Eurovision needs some evolution, we can't stay forever with formated tunes and some countries (unfortunately a few) have taken some risks and should be rewarded for that :
Belgium, though i don't like the song that much,
Finland,San Marin, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey.
At least those songs are not Europop disco trash (Iceland), boring balads heard a million times (Portugal) and so called ethnic music from the Balkans (Bulgaria and Armenia).
i don't like the idea of seeing Greece, Russia, Sweden and Norway winning the contest with unoriginal songs.
And actually it really IS one of the worst French songs I've ever heard, THATS and opinion! French and its DEFINITELY the worst French Electro-pop song I've ever heard!
I'm not saying that there aren't a lot of songs from France that I might dislike more, but its definitely down there at the bottom end of my list!
It doesn't sound French, just vaguely European, Israel could have just as easily come up with it!
My Top 5 (seeing as you ask) :
Iceland
Portugal
Switzerland
Bulgaria
Armenia
Poland is VERY close behind.
Nolan you are sooooooooooooo right!!
France is probably the best song this year (and i am not saying that because i'm French, for i hated our entries in 2005 and 2006) along with Switzerland.
For the rest, i haven't heard such uninteresting songs since Paris 1978.
To LIBERATO ANTONIO, please enable your account so we can all see what you are and that you stay behind your words like a man!
If some country don't take ESC seriously, then it's YOUR country! Italy withdrew a long time ago, I wont go to the details here anymore.
We all know how desperate and jelous Italy is against France, lika a small brother trauma... So, take it easy man!
The French song is the best entry this year, by far!
LS, are you talking about the French entry or the Spanish entry?
Stupid lyrics...
I don't get why it's OK with those lyrics, but not mentioning Chavez in a song...
If you believe that the Big Four should qualify for the final, well then maybe we should also quit paying for all the countries which take place to the contest because their contribution is less important than ours.
And believe me if the big 4 threatens to do that, the number of participating countries will drop, and it will be less money for Svante Stockselius... so there is really no way this would happen. And furthermore, keep in mind that without Germany and France, there would never have been a Eurovision contest in 1956...
FRANCE HAVE LOST THE PLOT ,WHEN IT COMES TO PICKING A GOOD ENRTY ,FOR THE ESC , THEY AGAIN LIKE THE OTHER THREE BIG ONES JUST SEND ANY RUBBISH ,BECAUSE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THEIR COUNTRY ,DOES'NT TAKE THE ESC SERIOUSLY ANYMORE ,I THINK THAT IF THE BIG FOUR DON'T GET IN THE TOP 10 , THEY SHOULD HAVE TO QUAILFY THE FOLLOWING YEAR ,
To Owen again... i'm curious to know what you consider traditional French Pop Music (if you have exemples, i'll be more than happy to read them)
Being French, i have no idea what can be labelled as "traditional French pop music"...
Owen, there's no problem for you not liking the song, but you CANNOT say that "Divine" is part of the worts French songs you've ever listened to.
i can give you names of French speaking artists, and then i'm sure you will hate their songs more than you hate Divine...
By the way, you still haven't given us your top 5 for this year...
Khalid and Nolan
did you not read my last comment, I said it wasn't French in a traditional sense of French pop music, and on a linguistic level! thats what I have always meant! I never said (or at least meant) that it wasn't French on its own.
My fault for not making myself clear.
I still hate the song though, and there is a hell of a lot of much better electro pop coming out of France at the moment, he may be a "big name" but this is one of the worst French songs I've heard EVER, and France happens to be one of my favourite countries of origin for music!
I have just bought an listened to Sebastien Tellier's album : it's a masterpiece! Congratulations France for that daring choice this year... I don't understand : there are so many people on that forum saying that this entry is one of the best, if not the best, of this year but that it won't win because it's not "Eurovision" enough... Was Lordi Eurovision enough? Not really but it won... So on the Big Night, you all, just vote for "Divine" and it'll get the first spot!!!
No country should sing in another language than its native language, Tom.
Berberes seems to have promised in Athens 2006 that France would always sing in French. He critized the countries that switched to English, it seems.
I say Paris 2009!
It's the best song this year! I don't understand the commotion about the English...
If every country can sing in English, then why France can't?
Beaucoup de succes, Sebastien!
On t'aime tellement beaucoup!
some people here talk about sandrine francois or natasha st pier every time and that France can only win with a ballad!!!!
They talk about everytime that France takes risks but with those risks won't win anymore (only if they send a ballad)!!!
but hey! Do you remember that France always took risks and manage to almost win.In 1990 and 1991 with joelle Ursull and with Amina, they weren't ballads but WORLD MUSIC!!!
fans of eurovision are not very curious and if you want to a ballad from France, listen to your MP3.
GO FRANCE !
Sebastien Tellier is very good (and don't need eurovision for his career)
Speaking of French house music....the best of them all, a true blissed-out stomp.
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=hrjOhQZWU7k]http://youtube.com/watch?v=hrjOhQZWU7k/url]
To my ears, this song is VERY French...couldn't be more so
The list of 103 reactions is divided into 4 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
