Beyond My Control

Single infobox |
Name = Beyond My Control


Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = L'Autre...
Released = May 1992
Format = CD single
CD maxi
7" single
12" maxi
Cassette
Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded = 1991, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:24
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification =
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
(1991)
This single = "Beyond My Control"
(1992)
Next single = "Que mon cœur lâche"
(1992)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = 12" maxiExtra tracklisting
Album = L'Autre...
Type = album
prev_track = "Il n'y a pas d'ailleurs"
prev_no = 8
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 9
next_track = "Nous souviendrons-nous"
next_no = 10Extra tracklisting
Album = L'Autre
Type = Video
prev_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 4
next_track =
next_no = Extra tracklisting
Album = Dance Remixes
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Regrets"
prev_no = 5
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 6
next_track = "Désenchantée"
next_no = 7Extra tracklisting
Album = Mylenium Tour
Type = live
prev_track = "L'Âme-stram-gram"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Rêver"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos I
Type = Video
prev_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
prev_no = 11
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 12
next_track = "Maman a tort"
next_no = 13Extra tracklisting
Album = Les Mots
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
prev_no = 13
this_track = "Beyond My Control"
track_no = 14
next_track = "Que mon cœur lâche"
next_no = 15

"Beyond My Control" is a 1991 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Fourth single from her third studio album "L'Autre...", the song was released in May, 1992 and achieved a minor success in terms of sales, even if it reached the top ten in France. It probably remains well know for its music video that was censored at the time because of its sexual and violent content.

Background and writing

The fickle and ambiguous song "Pas de doute", already scheduled as the third single from the album "L'Autre...", ["L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer", Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 62-63 (ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7)] would have been released as the fourth single, but was finally replaced by "Beyond My Control", which was remixed to be more commercial.

The song was inspired by two characters in the 1782 French epistolary novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses", written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos : the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont."Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 52-57] In the song, the voice heard on the chorus of the song which repeats "It's beyond my control" is in fact a sample of John Malkovich's voice from the film "Les Liaisons dangereuses" by Stephen Frears. ["Beyond My Control" [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/singles/single.php?single=beyond-my-control Sans-logique] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)]

For the first time in Farmer's career, a CD single was marketed among the various media. At the time of the song's release, the radio NRJ prepared a 7" maxi with a collector picture disc in a limited edition (50 copies) and containing a new remix."Beyond My Control", L'histoire de la chanson : La première chanson scandale [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/beyondglobalite.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)]

The song was performed on "Mylenium Tour", but at this occasion, Malkovich's voice was replaced and the choreography initially scheduled was abandoned.

Lyrics and music

The song deals with the self-control, the love and the death. Farmer tells her own story from the Valmont's sentence ("it's beyond my control") : that of a woman who kills her unfaithful lover after a night of love. ["Mylène Farmer Influences", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Mascara Ed., p. 22,23 (ISBN 978-2351440261)]

Music video

The video was directed by Laurent Boutonnat who also wrote the screenplay based on the book "Les Liaisons dangereuses", by Choderlos de Laclos. ["Télé Poche", May 20, 1992, "Les Liaisons dangereuses de Mylène Farmer", Daniel Beaucourt [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1992/tele_poche_200592.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 26, 2008)] It was his last video for Farmer before that of "Les Mots", nine years after. The video was shot for two days at Studio Sets in Stains (where the video of "Plus grandir" was already shot in 1985) and cost about only 45,000 euros (the budget was limited because the film "Giorgino" was in preparation). This Requiem Publishing and Heathcliff SA production features Farmer, Frédéric Lagache, who was the puppeteer in the video of "Sans contrefaçon" and who there plays her flighty lover, and Christophe Danchaud, a dancer of Farmer's tours, who replaces this one for the bare scenes. ["Beyond My Control", videoclip [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/beyondclip.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)]

In the video, Farmer, tied on an ignited pyre, tries to struggle. Then she kisses for a long time her lover in torrid scenes, and then, wearing a long and wide dress, she walks on embers, with hands full of blood, while singing. These three scenes continue to intersecting until the end of the video. Then Farmer enters a home and surprises her lover making love with a fair-haired woman. The scenes are very erotic. Farmer bites her lover in the shoulder and some blood trickles along his back ; they kiss and some blood flows from their mouths. Two wolves voraciously tear apart the body of a dead man. ["Beyond My Control", music video [http://www.jukebo.fr/mylene-farmer_videos_beyond-my-control_3srmk.html?idtp=0 Jukebo.fr] (Retrieved May 15, 2008)]

The video, with many explicit scenes of sex and violence, was censored from its release, making a great to-do in the mass media which published many controversial images. ["France Soir", June 13, 1992, "Le clip scandale de Mylène Farmer", Florence tredez [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1992/France_soir_130692.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 27, 2008)] Michel Drucker categorically refused to air it in his show on France 2, M6 decided to bill it in full version only after midnight, Canal + agreed to broadcast it in the show Top 50, where the programmer confessed she didn't find the video so shocking ; as for the channel MCM, it asked advice of its TV viewers who had voted for or against. ["Instant-Mag", No. 6, 2001, p. 10]

Chart performances

In France, the single started at number 10 on May 9. It reached it highest position, number 8, twice : on May 16 and June 6. It left the Top 50 after only 11 weeks of attendance."Beyond My Control", French Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=62683&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved January 6, 2008)] The single peaked at number 10 on the Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop Singles Chart. Thus, its running and sales were disappointing in comparison with the three other singles from "L'Autre...".

Formats and track listings

Charts

References