Une petite française
 "Une petite française" | |
|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 1977 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist(s) |
Michèle Torr |
| Language | |
| Composer(s) | |
| Lyricist(s) |
Jean Albertini |
| Conductor |
Yvon Rioland |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result |
4th |
| Final points |
96 |
| Appearance chronology | |
| ◄ "Toi, la musique et moi" (1976) | |
| "Les jardins de Monaco" (1978) ► | |
"Une petite française" (English translation: "A Little French Girl") was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in French by French singer Michèle Torr.
This was Torr's second Eurovision entry, she had first represented Luxembourg in 1966 with "Ce soir je t'attendais", then finishing in 10th position.
The song was composed by Olivier Toussaint and Paul de Senneville, a very successful team whose compositions were recorded by major French singers such as Michel Polnareff, Christophe, Dalida, Petula Clark, Claude François and Mireille Mathieu all through the 60s and 70s. In 1976 they had written Richard Clayderman's multimillion-selling instrumental "Ballade pour Adeline".
"Une petite française" is a mid-tempo ballad, with Torr describing herself as an average Frenchwoman, rather than the cosmopolitan types more commonly associated with that country. She confides that she is no Marilyn, she never reads about her own life in the magazines, she doesn't own a Rolls, she doesn't consider herself an idol, she hasn't read Pascal, she rarely visits Paris, she hasn't changed her name, she leads a quiet provincial life with her children - she just happens to be country girl from Provence who likes to sing. She asks her audience to be the judge of whether she should have left her home for a career in music.
Torr recorded the song in five languages; French, Italian ("La mia canzone", translated: "My Song"), Spanish (with the same title as the French original, "Une petite française"), German ("Die schönsten Blumen blühen auf dem Land", translated: "The Most Beautiful Flowers Bloom in the Countryside") and English ("I'm Just a Simple Country Girl from France").
The song was performed second on the night, following Ireland's The Swarbriggs Plus Two with "It's Nice To Be In Love Again" and preceding the Netherlands' Heddy Lester with "De mallemolen". At the close of voting, it had received 96 points, placing 4th in a field of 18.
It was succeeded as Monegasque representative at the 1978 Contest by Caline & Olivier Toussaint with "Les jardins de Monaco".
Sources and external links
- Official Eurovision Song Contest site, history by year, 1977
- Detailed info and lyrics, The Diggiloo Thrush, "Une petite française".