Les Mots

Single infobox |
Name = Les Mots


Artist = Mylène Farmer and Seal
from Album = Les Mots
Released = November 13, 2001
Format = CD single
CD maxi
7" maxi
Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded = 2001, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:50
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification = Gold France, 2002
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..."
(2001)
This single = "Les Mots"
(2001)
Next single = "C'est une belle journée"
(2002)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Background = khaki


Lower caption = 7" maxiExtra album cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = CD single - PromoExtra tracklisting
Album = Les Mots
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Que mon cœur lâche"
prev_no = 14
this_track = "Les Mots"
track_no = 1
next_track = "California"
next_no = 2Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos IV
Type = Video
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "Les Mots"
track_no = 1
next_track = "Pardonne-moi"
next_no = 2Extra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = live
prev_track = "Déshabillez-moi"
prev_no = 7
this_track = "Les Mots"
track_no = 8
next_track = "Fuck Them All"
next_no = 9

"Les Mots" is a 2001 song recorded as a duet by the French artist Mylène Farmer and the English soul singer Seal. It was the first single from her best of, "Les Mots", and was released on November 13, 2002. It was the third Farmer's duet, after those with Jean-Louis Murat in 1991 and Khaled in 1997, but her first international duet. In addition, "Les Mots" is a bilingual song, containing verses in French (sung by Farmer) and in English (by Seal). In terms of sales, "Les Mots" is the fourth Farmer's biggest success in France, behind "Désenchantée", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" and "Sans contrefaçon".

Background and writing

In October 2001, the release of the second single from the live album "Mylenium Tour", "Regrets", was cancelled because sales of the previous live single "Dessine-moi un mouton" were disappointing (however, the video of "Regrets" has been aired for one week on M6). ["Instant-Mag", No. 7, 2001, p. 8] But since the summer, various rumours were launched on the Internet about the next Farmer's single. Some said that she would record a song as a duet with an international star, perhaps Bono (singer of U2) or Elton John, since they are close friends of the singer."Les Mots", L'histoire de la chanson : Le premier duo international [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/lesmotsglob.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] Seal was eventually chosen to sing with Farmer, and at the end of October, the promotional CD single was sent to radio stations."Les Mots", duo avec Seal [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/singles/single.php?single=les-mots Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] At the time, the public learned of the name of the song : "Les Mots".

In an interview, Seal explained that Farmer had proposed to record a single as a duet with him. It felt flattered, but as he knew nothing about Farmer, he watched her DVD and listened to her albums to see if their two voices blended well. Cover's photographs and the recording were made in Los Angeles, while Farmer was visiting in this city."Instant-Mag", No. 16, 2004, p. 26] However, Seal said in another interview he didn't want to record other duets of the same kind because, according to him, his fans didn't appreciate "Les Mots" and have called this collaboration a "trick". ["Closer", No. 134, January 7-13, p. 22]

Three new visuals made by Isabel Snyder, showing half-naked Farmer into Seal's arms, illustrate the vinyl's cover."Jukebox", No. 179, June 2002 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2002/Jukebox_magazine_179_%20062002_4.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 22, 2008)] The only official remix available on the media, the 'strings's for soul mix', has been directed by Laurent Boutonnat. Following the success of the song, a CD Maxi was launched in Europe about one year after the release of the single, containing "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..." (single version, track 3), the previous Farmer's single.

The song was performed during the 2006 tour.

Music and lyrics

This melancholy song has lyrics pretty simple. Here, "Farmer pays tribute to the words which have enabled her to write her songs, which are also used to express her love". ["Mylène Farmer Influences", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Mascara Ed., p. 62-65 (ISBN 978-2351440261)]

About the song, the French magazine "Instant-mag" made the following analysis : "On an air melody and worthy flights of Boutonnat, the two voices, paradoxical but complementary, tell us the difficulty communicating and the immense power of words. Where the beautiful voice of Farmer will force up to the break, that of Seal evokes a quiet and sensual strength". ["Instant-Mag", No. 8, 2002, p. 5]

One of the verses of "Les Mots" ("And to lives that stoop to notice mine", sung by Seal) resumed the first verse of the Farmer's song "Nous souviendrons-nous" ("Aux vies qui s'abaissent à voir la mienne") which is on her third studio album "L'Autre...". [Elia Habib, "Muz hit. tubes", p. 547 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)]

Music video

The music video was filmed on October 8 and 9"Jukebox", No. 179, June 2002 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2002/Jukebox_magazine_179_%20062002_4.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 22, 2008)] by Laurent Boutonnat, the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer, whose last video, "Beyond My Control", was directed in 1992. The screenplay was written both by Boutonnat and Farmer, and it was a Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production. Shot for two days, it cost about 100,000 euros ["Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor", Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 44] and it was the first time that Boutonnat used special effects in a Farmer's video. Former teammates of this one did not wish to participate in the production of the video, whereas it was his wish."Les Mots", music video [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/lesmotsclip.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved December 23, 2007)]

The two singers have not met to shoot the video. According to some sources, because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Seal has refused to take a plane to come to France. However, Seal said to a French magazine the real reason is that their schedules disagreed. Thus, the images on which he appears have been filmed separately, in Los Angeles, while Farmer recorded it at Arpajon Studios, in Paris. So when, in the video, a man is on the raft along with Farmer, it is a body double. Seal stated that Farmer had suffered from the very cold water used during the video's shooting. The sea was restored in a studio in a large pool, with a machinery for waves, rain and lightning. Nearly fifty technicians were on the board."Télé Magazine", No. 2403 (Nov. 24-30 2001), "Le nouveau clip de Mylène Farmer - Méduse en son radeau", Caroline Bee]

The video features the two singers in the midst of an ocean. Farmer, dressed in a short black skirt, and Seal, stripped to the waist, are on a wooden raft with a small sail and start to row. While Farmer stretches out on the raft, a storm begins to arrive : the wind picks up, the rain falls and lightning illuminates the sky. Seal, standing on the raft, is destabilized and falls into the water. Farmer tries to save him giving him her hand, but without success. The night starts to fall and Famer, now alone on the raft, lights a match and puts off it immediately. ["Les Mots", videoclip [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/clips/clip.php?clip=les-mots Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved December 27, 2007)]

Initially announced as an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello", the video was inspired by "Le Radeau de la Méduse", a 1918 Théodore Géricault painting. ["Gala", "L'univers a ses mystères, les mots sont nos vies", Stéphane Collombier, 2001 [http://www.mylenorama.com/photos/index.php?album=press-cuttings-2000s&
] (Retrieved September 5, 2008)] ["L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer", Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 156,277 (ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7)] Indeed, "the main colors of the video are similar to that in the painting : yellow, sunset, dark, warning of misfortunes. The anatomy of the two singers is filmed with realism and precision (details on the bodies' parts, focus on the grains of skin) and may refer to those of the shipwreckeds in the painting. Finally, the replicas of the raft and the sailing are very resembling". ["Instant-Mag", No. 8, 2002, p. 8]

According to "Instant-Mag", "the video "Les Mots" - without real screenplay, but rather playing on the aesthetics of colors and the sensual bodies filmed - can be appreciated on two levels : the first, metaphorical (. ..), refers to the flow of life, its turmoil, its despair, its choices. The lovers are (...) in the "same boat", they "row". When Seal fell in the water, Mylène Farmer doesn't help or can't help him, all interpretations are free. The end of the video may also symbolize the grief, the loss and its ambivalence : Farmer lights a flame, then blows over, master of her own destiny and emotions". ["Instant-Mag", No. 8, 2002, p. 6] The journalist Caroline Bee considers the video deals about "the world of dream, with the ocean as a metaphor for life : the turmoil and the fullness, the danger and the calm".

The video was first broadcast on M6 on November 7, 2001. There were two versions of this video : one for the television, the other for the collector DVD "Les Mots"."Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 117-119]

Critical reception

"Les Mots" was generally very well-received by the public, but was moderately appreciated by the fans. The song has also been nominated as the best duet in the 2002 "NRJ Music Awards", but the price was gained by Garou and Céline Dion for their song "Sous le vent". Farmer, however, obtained for the third time the prize 'Francophone Female Artist of the Year'.

Chart performances

Entered the French SNEP Singles Chart directly to #3 on 17 November, the single managed to maintain for many weeks in the top 10. On 26 January, thanks to the performance of the song in the show NRJ Music Award on TF1, the single jumped from #9 to #2. However, it was unable to dethrone Star Academy's "La Musique" who topped the chart then. The single then dropped, first slowly, then faster, totaling after all 17 weeks in the Top 10, 22 weeks in the Top 50 and 28 weeks in the Top 100."Les Mots", French SNEP Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer+%26+Seal&titel=Les+mots&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] Certified Gold disc by the SNEP on December 19, that is to say only one month after its release, for selling over 200,000 copies in France,2001 certifications [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/certifications/single.asp?suite=3&forme_certif=7&annee=18 Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] "Les Mots" only peaked respectively at #32 and #33 in the 2001 and 2002 French singles year end chart, since its running was overlapping the two years.2001 French Singles Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/discannu/single01.stm Ifop.com] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] 2002 French Singles Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/discannu/single02.stm Ifop.com] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)]

In the Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop Singles Chart, the single went straight to number 7 on November 28, and jumped to #2 the week after. It stayed another week on this place which was its peak position, and appeared in the Top 10 for a total of 12 weeks. It left the chart after its 18th week of attendance."Les Mots", Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?key=13962&cat=s Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 3, 2007)] So, with "Les Mots", Farmer obtained in the Belgian Singles Chart both her best performance and her single's longest running. The song was certified Gold disc and, as in France, it ranked in average positions on 2001 and 2002 Annual Singles Charts (respectively #36 and #81), due to its release at the end of the year.2001 Belgian Ultratop Singles Chart [http://www.skynet.be/index.html?l1=entertainment&l2=ultratop&l3=yearview&new_lang=fr Skynet.be] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)] 2002 Belgian Ultratop Singles Chart [http://www.skynet.be/index.html?l1=entertainment&l2=ultratop&l3=yearview&fetchlist=grab&type=100_singles&yr=2002&new_lang=fr Skynet.be] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)]

Performances and cover versions

There was only one TV performance : in the NRJ Music Awards 2002, broadcast on TF1, on November 19, 2001. ["Les Mots", 2001 [http://www.mylene.net/mylene/d_s_lesmots.php Mylene.net] (Retrieved December 22, 2007)]

"Les Mots" was performed each evening at the time of 2006 Farmer's concerts, but it was Abe Laboriel, Jr., the drummer, who replaced Seal to sing English verses.

In 2003, the song was covered by the Swedish singers Christer Björkman and Shirley Clamp on their Swedish CD maxi. Their version is similar to the original one.

Formats and track listings

; CD single
# "Les Mots" (single version) — 4:47
# "Les Mots" (strings for soul's mix) — 4:44

; 7" maxi
A-side :
# "Les Mots" (single version) — 4:47B-side :
# "Les Mots" (strings for soul's mix) — 4:44

; CD maxi - Europe
# "Les Mots" (single version) — 4:47
# "Les Mots" (strings for soul's mix) — 4:44
# "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est..." — 5:00; Digital download
# "Les Mots" — 4:44
# "Les Mots" (live 2006) — 5:06

; CD single - Promo
# "Les Mots" (single version) — 4:35

; CD single - Promo - Luxurious edition
# "Les Mots" (single version) — 4:35

; VHS - Promo
# "Les Mots" (video)

Versions

; Official versions

References