L'oiseau Et L'enfant

Album: Ultimate Eurovision Party (1977)
Charted: 42
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • But for this song, Lynsey de Paul would have added a Eurovision title to her two Ivor Novello Awards.

    Written by composer Jean-Paul Cara and lyricist Joe Gracy, "L'oiseau Et L'enfant" the French entry for the popular 1977 contest was performed by Portuguese-born Marie Myriam, the last song on the show, capturing the title with 136 points.
  • Marie Myriam actually recorded it in five languages: French, English ("The Bird And The Child"); German; ("Der Vogel Und Das Mädchen"), Spanish ("El Zagal Y El Ave Azul") and her mother tongue ("A Ave E A Infância").

    In the UK it was released in French on the Polydor label with the English version on the B-side; the sheet music was published at 35p, on the front cover of which the English translation was given as "the child and the bird" with English lyrics by Helen Banks.
  • Although "L'oiseau Et L'enfant" is not a particularly strong song, it is certainly no worse than some of the doubtful ditties that have graced the Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 1956.

    That being said, the British public had better taste; the song entered the UK singles chart on May 28, 1977 and spent all of four weeks there, reaching only #42. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.