Ca Plane Pour Moi

Album: King of the Divan: Best of Plastic Bertrand (1977)
Charted: 8 47
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Songfacts®:

  • Plastic Bertrand is a Belgian recording artist and television presenter whose real name is Roger Jouret. He also takes part in Scrabble tournaments at international level.
  • "Ca Plane Pour Moi" roughly translates as "This Life's for Me." However it appears the lyrics have no particular meaning, just sounding vaguely "Rock 'N Roll."
  • Besides the original French, there is also an English version, "Jet Boy Jet Girl," by Elton Motello, which was released around the same time. Captain Sensible of the Damned also recorded this English version.
  • It was co-written and produced by producer/songwriter Lou Deprijck. Later Deprijck took Plastic Bertrand to a Brussels court saying that he wanted to be recognized as the performing artist as well. He allegedly performed the vocals on the hit because Plastic Bertrand didn't make it to the studio the day they were recording it. However Deprijck had little evidence in support of his claim, while Bertrand had a signed contract and his name on the record-label. The judge fined him for what he described as a "groundless and vexatious" suit.
  • Plastic Bertrand sang "Amour Amour" for Luxembourg in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest in 1987 but only gained second-last place. The Final was held in his home country of Belgium. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above
  • In a 2010 interview with Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Roger Jouret finally admitted that Lou Deprijck performed the song's vocals. "I don't mind saying it wasn't my voice," he said. "I wanted to sing but he wouldn't let me into the studio."
    Bertrand added that Deprijck had asked him to "keep his mouth shut in exchange for 0.5% of the royalties, promising that he'd let me use my voice on another version, which, of course, he never did." He went on to say: "I'm the victim. I wanted to sing but he wouldn't let me into the studio. This is going to dog me till my dying days. I'm really fed up."
    Jouret's admission came a day after a linguist commissioned by a judge during a long-standing legal saga concerning whose vocals appear on the track, concluded that the Brussels-born Jouret's accent did not match the distinctive twang on the record.
  • The song was used in these movies:

    A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)
    We'll Never Have Paris (2014)
    The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
    Ruby Sparks (2012)
    127 Hours (2010)
    EuroTrip (2004)
    Me Myself I (1999)
    National Lampoon's European Vacation (1995)

    And these TV shows:

    Gold Diggers "The Baron And The Nun" – 2023)
    Ozark ("Ace Deuce" – 2022)
    Hitmen ("Birthday" - 2020)
    Wimbledon (Day 4, Part 1" – 2017)
    Imposters (Frog-Bikini-Eiffel Tower" – 2017)
    What's New, Scooby-Doo? ("Ready to Scare" 2005)
    Fastlane ("Wet" - 2002)
    The Lone Gunmen ("Eine Kleine Frohike" - 2001)
  • The Swedish singer and former rapper Leila K covered "Ça Plane Pour Moi" in 1993. Released as a single, it reached the Top 20 in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. Other artists that have covered the song include Sonic Youth and Presidents Of The United States of America.

Comments: 10

  • George Pope from BcCa plane pour moi can also be translated as "Let's get f***ed up" so "a f***ed up life for me"
  • Mike From Indy from IndianapolisThe song was used in Ozark season 4 episode 4
  • George Pope from British ColumbiaI'm curious now -- did he agree to cede the vocals in exchange for 0.5% of royalties, or was he refused the option to sing them?
  • Lisah from CaliforniaThe song was also on National Lampoon's European Vacation. Happened to see it recently
  • Sparks from Los Angeles, CaliforniaEpic song! Truly unique.
  • Nate from New York, NyThis was used in the movie 127 hours.
  • Charlie from Dublin, IrelandMoi aussi! Mais c'est en petit peu impoli non?
  • Ethan from Helsinki, -C'est absurd, mais je l'aime.
  • Dave from Liverpool, United KingdomPlastic Bertrand was lauded by no less a personage than Joe Strummer, who reckoned Bertrand really "got" the punk ethos..........
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis song is all kinds of awesome.
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