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"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is a 1988 synthpop song by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was released on 12 September 1988. Very provocative, the song deals with sodomy and enjoys a very long music video which contains sexual and violent scenes. It achieved a great success in France, becoming Farmer's first number-one hit. [edit] Background and writingAfter the minimum success of "Ainsi soit je...", Farmer chose to release "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" as the third single from the album Ainsi soit je.... The song was released in a remixed version. The song was exported outside France under the title "Douces" in Germany and the Netherlands and had a less sexy cover photo. It was also released in Japan where it was marketed as a promotional 7" with another cover design. In 2003, Paul Oakenfold remixed the song which was added on the remix album RemixeS. [edit] Lyrics and musicThe music, very dynamic and effective, eclipses the words that are very daring (many people have not yet understood the theme of the song).[1] In the refrain, Farmer addresses her lover who thinks only of her buttocks.[2] The song has been said by fans, critics and Farmer herself to be about sodomy, while some consider it to be a logical sequel to her 1986 hit Libertine which is about prostitution. Farmer explained that "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is "a pamphlet written as we take revenge on men, taboos, childhood".[3] [edit] Music videoDirected by Laurent Boutonnat, the video was shot for seven days in the forest, in Rambouillet (France). It was censored on TV because of its depiction of female nudity - Farmer in particular - and sex. It is entitled "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces - Libertine II" because it was a continuation of "Libertine", and takes place during the Seven Years' War, in the 18th century. Some excerpts were shown in exclusivity on September 12, 1988 in the French television program Nulle Part Ailleurs, on Canal+. It appeared in the Book of Records in 1989 because it was at the time the videoclip the most expensive - it cost more than 3 million francs (450,000 euros)[4] -, the longest (17:52) and with the most of extras (about 500).[5] In the video, the scene takes place on 18 August 1757. A young English drummer discovers the still body of Libertine, covered in blood. He calls William, an older soldier, who believes that Libertine is a man, while the young boy says she is a girl. Soon they realize that she is alive and take her to the camp for treatment. Meanwhile, the captain of the British Army realizes that his troops have taken the wrong road and are in France rather than being in Prussia (the words, in English, are subtitled in French-language). Then, as the song begins, the captain brings a fruit bowl to Libertine who is sleeping in a tent. With his whip, he raises the sheet to look at her buttocks, but the young drummer enters the tent and surprises him doing that. To punish him, the captain flogs him in front of many other soldiers. He then hands the whip onver to Libertine, expecting her to also flog the boy, but she turns and whips the captain's face. In the tent, the man, very angry, throws some clothes to Libertine and looks at her when she undresses. Then she breaks a bottle over his head and runs away on horseback. The captain pursues her, finds her lying hurt near a tree, and carries her in his arms back to the camp. While they make love, the rival of Libertine, in connivance with the French army, brings prostitutes in the camp to distract the British troops. The next day, the French army bombs the English camp, while the rival shoots the captain and kills him. Libertine, who watches the scene, fights and eventually kills her with a bayonet. As the burning camps are left filled with dead bodies scattered on the ground, Libertine picks up the young drummer, while the soldiers of the French army watch at them leaving on horseback.[6] Initially, the video was to be shown in previews in movie theatres, but it was eventually cancelled because the film producers were afraid that the video was better than the film aired then.[7] However, the video was broadcast as an exclusivity on 6 October 1988 on the Champs Elysees.[4] The video was nominated at the 1989 Victoires de la Musique, but did not win. The music video is included on the videos albums Les Clips Vol. II and Music Videos I. [edit] Critical receptionIn France, the single debuted at number 34 on 8 October 1988, climbed every week on the chart and eventually reached number one where it stayed for five weeks, thus becoming Farmer's first of the nine number ones she has obtained in the country. Then, the single dropped slowly and stayed in the chart for a total of 23 weeks, which is her third longest-running single in French Top 50.[8] In terms of sales, "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is also Farmer's second biggest success ever, behind "Désenchantée". The single sold more than half a million copies in France by the time it was released, with 10,000 copies being sold every day at the peak of the song's popularity.[9] [edit] Promotion and live performancesIn 1988, Farmer actively promoted the song performing it in nine French television shows : Sacrée Soirée (5 October, TF1), Avis de recherche (14 October, TF1), La Une est à vous (22 October, TF1), Dimanche Martin (6 November, Antenne 2), Jacky Show (6 November, TF1), Cocoparadise (16 November, TF1), Interchallanges (20 November, TF1), Une Soirée pour les restos (17 December, TF1) and Avis de recherche (30 December, TF1).[2] Farmer also performed the song on a Dutch (on 2 December 1990), and a Danish (in January 1991) programmes, and on Tapis Rouge (11 September 1999).[10] The song was performed during the 1989, 1999 (but included in a medley) and 2009 tours. [edit] Cover versionsThe song was covered by Lorie in 2003,[11] by Réjane for a 1989 hits compilation, [12], and by some contestants of the French show Star Academy 1. The song was parodied by Les Caramels Fous under the name of "Pourvu qu'elles soient grosses". However, these cover versions were not released as singles. The song was covered by Lorie, Elsa Lunghini, Jenifer Bartoli and Patricia Kaas for Les Enfoirés' 2006 album Le Village des Enfoirés and included in a medley named "Medley Uniformes". [edit] B-side : "Puisque..."The vinyl's B-side contains a new song, "Puisque..." Composed by Laurent Boutonnat and written by Mylène Farmer, this song is mainly instrumental. As both beautiful and sad, it deals with the issues of depression, anxiety, boredom and the desire to die. It was performed on 7 November 1988 in the programme Du Côté de chez Fred on Antenne 2, as well as during the 1989 tour (on the album En concert, the title doesn't have its ellipsis), but was not included on Ainsi soit je... and on the best of Les Mots (but only available in the long box version of the best of). The song is played in a version instrumental in the closing credits of the video for "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces".[13] [edit] Formats and track listings
[edit] Release history
[edit] Official versions
1 CD single version
[edit] Credits and personnel
[edit] Charts, certifications and sales
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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