- Comment te dire adieu? (song)
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"Comment te dire adieu?" Single by Françoise Hardy from the album Comment te dire adieu? B-side "L'anamour"[1] Released 1968 Genre French pop Label Vogue Writer(s) Serge Gainsbourg
Arnold Goland
Jack Gold"Comment te dire adieu?" (English: "How to Tell You Goodbye?") is a French adaptation of the song "It Hurts to Say Goodbye". It was recorded by Françoise Hardy in 1968[2] and remains one of Hardy's most popular songs.
Contents
Background
The song, originally called "It Hurts to Say Goodbye", was written by Arnold Goland and Jacob Gold and was recorded by Margaret Whiting on her album The Wheel of Hurt (1966).[3] It was also recorded by Vera Lynn in 1967; this version reached #7 in Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.[4][5] Hardy heard an American instrumental version of the song and her manager asked Serge Gainsbourg to provide suitable lyrics for it.[6] Gainsbourg's French adaptation of the original lyrics, "Comment te dire adieu?", was recorded on Hardy's album of the same name, released in 1968.[2] Hardy also recorded the song in Italian ("Il pretesto", 1968) and German ("Was mach' ich ohne dich", 1970; collected in the album Träume, 1970.) The lyrics are notable for their uncommon rhymes in "ex", within the subject of the song having a sense of "ex" as in "ex-boyfriend".
Jimmy Somerville version
"Comment te dire adieu" 
Single by Jimmy Somerville featuring June Miles-Kingston from the album Read My Lips B-side "Tell the World" Released 1989 Format 7" single Genre Pop Length 3:35 Label London Writer(s) Serge Gainsbourg
Arnold Goland
Jack GoldProducer Pascal Gabriel Jimmy Somerville featuring June Miles-Kingston singles chronology "Comment te dire adieu"
(1989)"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
(1990)In 1989 it was covered by former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville in a single featuring June Miles-Kingston. The song was a hit in the UK, reaching #14 on the UK singles chart, and helping Somerville's solo career take off.
Track listings
- 7" single
- "Comment te dire adieu (7" version) — 3:35
- "Tell the World" — 4:12
Certifications
Country Certification Date Sales certified France[7] Silver 1990 200,000 Charts
Chart (1989/90) Peak
positionDutch Mega Top 100[8] 26 French SNEP Singles Chart[8] 3 German Singles Chart[8] 25 Irish Singles Chart[9] 3 UK Singles Chart[10] 14 Other cover versions
Apart from Jimmy Somerville, a number of artists have covered the song:
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad, later a member of Abba, recorded the song in Swedish as "Så synd du måste gå" (1969). It was collected on her album Anni-Frid Lyngstad (1972).
- Hana Hegerová recorded the song in Czech as "Rýmováni o životě".
- Ilona Csáková also recorded a Czech version, "Jedno Tajemství", collected in Blízká i vzdálená (1999).
- Jane Birkin, collected on her album Versions Jane (1996).
- Taxi Girl's frontman Daniel Darc, collected on Sous influence divine (1987).
- Jun Togawa recorded a Japanese version, さよならをおしえて (Sayonara wo oshiete, literally "Teach me goodbye"; 1985).
- Scottish indie group Belle and Sebastian have performed the song live in concert.
- In 2003, the song was also covered in France by Annie and Valérie, two contestants of Star Academy 3 and included on the album Star Academy fait sa bamba.[11]
- in 2009 Amanda Lear recorded her version for her double-cd Brief Encounters.
References
- ^ Serge Gainsbourg, biography, RFI Musique. Accessed on line May 7, 2009.
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Vera Lynn - Billboard Singles, Allmusic. Accessed on line May 5, 2009.
- ^ [3]
- ^ p. 50, Serge Gainsbourg: a fistful of gitanes: requiem for a twister, Sylvie Simmons, Da Capo Press, 2002, ISBN 0306811839.
- ^ French certifications Chartsinfrance.net (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ^ a b c "Comment te dire adieu", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ^ "Comment te dire adieu", UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ^ Star Academy fait sa Bamba, track listing and charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
External links
Categories:- 1968 songs
- 1989 songs
- Françoise Hardy songs
- Songs written by Serge Gainsbourg
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