Ça plane pour moi

Infobox Single
Name = Ça plane pour moi


Cover size =
Caption =
Artist = Plastic Bertrand
Album =
A-side = "Pogo Pogo"
B-side = "Ça plane pour moi"
Released = December 1977
Format = 7"
Recorded =
Genre = Punk
Length =
Label = AMC
Writer = Yvan Lacomblez
Producer = Lou Deprijck
Certification =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =
Misc =

"Ça plane pour moi" is a song released as a single in December 1977 by Plastic Bertrand. The song has the same melody as "Jet Boy Jet Girl", recorded previously in 11/1977 by Elton Motello with the same musicians which reached #39 in the USA. Three re-issues were edited backed with "Pogo Pogo" on A-side (77-78) then when the song reached the U.S. POP 100 'round May 1978, the said single was changed to "Pogo Pogo" as B-side. Same reference for all the re-issues.

Meaning

The lyrics are full of 1970s French slang, and are very difficult to translate exactly into English. Even native French speakers disagree on the exact meaning.

A rough translation reads:

Wham! Bam! my cat Splash
lies on my bed with his tongue puffed out
by drinking all my whisky.
As for me, not enough sleep, drained, persecuted,
I had to sleep in the gutter
where I had a flash
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
in four colours

Allez-oop! One morning
a darling came to my home,
a cellophane puppet with Chinese hair,
a plaster, a hangover,
drank my beer in a large rubber glass
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
like an Indian in his igloo

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This works for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! The chick***, what a gas!
what a vibration!
to be sent on the door mat
filed, ruined, drained, filled
You are the King of the divan!
she says to me in passing
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I am the King of the divan

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This works for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! Don't mind, don't worry
Don't affect me
It’s not today
that the sky will fall on my head
and I'll be without glue
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This life’s for me

Allez-oop! my chick has gone away,
flew away, finally had enough, to break
the sink, the bar, leaving me alone
like a complete jerk
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I've put my foot in it

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This works for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me
This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me

The main hook in particular, is ambiguous: "Ça plane pour moi" means "It is gliding for me", which could imply that having his head in the clouds, or possibly being high on drugs, works for him. Other suggestions are "It's all working out for me", "This works for me", "Everything's cool/groovy for me" or more loosely, "Things are going great" or even "I'm on cloud nine".

The basic theme is a chaotic, drunken sexual encounter with a girl, told in retrospect.

Leila K version

Infobox Single
Name = Ça plane pour moi


Cover size =
Caption =
Artist = Leila K
Album = Carousel
A-side = "Check the Dan"
B-side =
Released = 1993
Format =
Recorded =
Genre =
Length =
Label = Mega
Writer = "Ça Plane Pour Moi"
Lacomblez & Deprijck
"Check the Dan"
Denniz PoP & Carr & Deep Fried & Leila K
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Open Sesame"
(1992)
This single = "Ça Plane Pour Moi" / "Check the Dan"
1993
Next single = "Slow Motion"
(1993)
Misc =

In 1993 Leila K released "Ça plane pour moi" as a double A-side single with the song "Check the Dan".

Versions

* "Ça plane pour moi"
** Short 3:23
** Long 5:48
** Felix Mix 1 5:43
** Felix Mix 2 7:12
** 180 BPM Mix 5:15
** Champions Mix 4:47
* "Check the Dan"
** Short 3:55
** Long 6:35
** Plutonium Mix 5:14
** House Mix 4:32

Appearances in Mass Media

The song was heard in the 1985 hit comedy "National Lampoon's European Vacation" as the Griswold family are touring museums in France.

Ça plane pour moi was breifly featured in the 1986 movie "Ferris Buller's Day off".

This song was also heard in the 2001 Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie "Winning London" during when they are dancing at the club.

Another occasion heard in Broken Lizard's 2006 hit "Beerfest" during the competition.

It was also used for promos for the second season of The CW series "Gossip Girl".

Presidents of the United States of America version

Infobox Single
Name = Ça Plane Pour Moi


Artist = Presidents of the United States of America
from Album =
A-side =
B-side =
Released = 1995
Format = Vinyl
Recorded =
Genre = Post-grunge
Length =
Label = Columbia Records
Writer =
Producer = Presidents of the United States of America
Certification =
Last single = "Peaches"
(1995)
This single = "Ça Plane Pour Moi"
(1995)
Next single = "Dune Buggy"
(1996)
Misc =

In 1996 Presidents of the United States of America released "Ça Plane Pour Moi" as a single. In 2007, this version was featured in a Pepsi commercial.

Track listing

#"Ça Plane Pour Moi" - 1:53
#"Feather Pluckin (Live)" - 3:20
#"Boll Weevil (Live)" - 3:16
#"Dune Buggy (Live)" - 2:44

The former tracks were bundled with the French version of The Presidents of the United States of America's debut album.

References

*http://web.archive.org/web/20050214131930/tihlde.org/~ivara/leilak/cppm_ctd.html

See also

* Jet Boy, Jet Girl