Je marche seul

Infobox Single
Name = Je marche seul


Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist = Jean-Jacques Goldman
Album = Non homologué
A-side =
B-side = "Elle attend"
Released = June, 1985
Format = 7" single
12" maxi
Recorded = France
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:03
Label = Epic
Writer = Jean-Jacques Goldman
Producer = Jean-Jacques Goldman
Marc Lumbroso
Audio sample? =
Certification = Gold France, 1995
Last single = "Long Is the Road (Americain)" (1984)
This single = "Je marche seul" (1985)
Next single = "Je te donne" (1985)
Misc = Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = 12" maxi

"Je marche seul" is the name of a 1985 song recorded by the French singer and songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman. It was released on June 1985 as the first single from his album "Non homologué", on which it features as the tenth track. Even if the song failed to reach #1 on the French Singles Chart, it remains to date one of Goldman's biggest hit singles.

Lyrics and music

The song begins with a long musical introduction played on piano. [Elia Habib, "Muz hit. tubes", p. 47 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)]

When the song was released as a single, Goldman explained in various interviews that the song was very hard to compose. [Interview of JJ Goldman, "Salut Magazine", December 8 to 15, 1990] It evokes the idea of walking alone in order to escape and forget all the problems, ["Jean-Jacques Goldman, antistar qui réussit !", "Girls", June 13, 1985] and also the pleasure to be an anonymous person. ["Grand Format", RTL, July 29, 1991] He said that "Je marche seul" is a bright song because according to him "the loneliness is not a punishment"."Les espoirs et les doutes", "Cool", October 1985]

The music video was well-received in the media at the time. It shows Goldman portraying a renegade from the Eastern Europe who has an affair in a train that crosses the border.

The song was included in Goldman's best of "Intégrale" and "Singulier". It was performed during the singer's tours, and thus is available in the original version on "Un tour ensemble", and in a medley version on "En public", "Traces" and "Intégrale".

Cover versions

The song was covered by Jean-Félix Lalanne in 1990, by Eric Landman in 2000 for his album "Eric Landman chante Jean-Jacques Goldman", and by Le Collège de l'Esterel in 2002. The covered the most known by the general public is undoubtedly that of Les Enfoirés, performed by Muriel Robin, Pierre Palmade, Gérard Jugnot, Axel Bauer, Zazie, Hélène Ségara and Natasha St-Pier and available on the 2004 album "2004: Les Enfoirés dans l'espace". ["2004: LesEnfoirés dans l'espace", track listing and charts [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Les+Enfoir%E9s&titel=2004%3A+Les+Enfoir%E9s+dans+l%27espace&cat=a Lescharts.com] (Retrieved May 9, 2008)]

The song was also recorded in Dutch-language by Bart Herman, under the title "Ik loop alleen".

Chart performances

The single had a long chart trajectory on the French Singles Chart : indeed, it stayed in it (top 50) for 30 weeks, from June 22, 1985, to January 11, 1985. After a debut at #25, it reached the top ten four weeks later and remained in it for 14 consecutive weeks, including a peak at #2 in its 11th and 15th weeks. Then it dropped slowly on the chart."Je marche seul", in French Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=8958&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved May 9, 2008)] The same year, it was certified Gold disc by the SNEP.French certifications [http://www.chartsinfrance.net/certifications/artiste-563.htm Chartsinfrance.net] (Retrieved May 9, 2008)]

Infodisc website reveals that the song is the 247th best-selling single of all time in France, with about 731,000 copies sold. [Best-selling singles of all time in France [http://www.infodisc.fr/S_ToutTemps.php?debut=200 Infodisc.fr] (Retrieved May 9, 2008)]

Track listings

; 7" single
# "Je marche seul" — 4:03
# "Elle attend" — 3:17

; 12" maxi
# "Je marche seul" — 5:58
# "Elle attend" — 3:15

Charts and certifications

{| class="wikitable sortable"! bgcolor="#ebf5ff"|Country! bgcolor="#ebf5ff"|Certification! bgcolor="#ebf5ff"|Date! bgcolor="#ebf5ff"|Sales certified
-
France
align="center"|Gold
align="center"|1985
align="center"|500,000
-

References

External links

* [http://www.parler-de-sa-vie.net/jean-jacques-goldman.html "Je marche seul", story, lyrics and anecdotes] ("Chansons" => "En un clic" => "Je marche seul")