Paris Is Burning

Album: Ladyhawke (2008)
Charted: 47
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about a nocturnal adventure in Paris was Ladyhawke's first single to reach the UK Top 75.
  • The French capital evidently made a huge impression on the Kiwi singer-songwriter. She told the NME that as soon as she arrived back in London, "I headed straight into the studio to record it."
  • Ladyhawke recorded a French version of this song and posted it on her MySpace site. She explained to Clash magazine: "The French version was just for fun. One of the guys I worked with on the album, Pascal Gabriel, is from Belgium, and he speaks French. I thought it might be cool to do a French version, and Pascal said, "Let me help you". So he did, and one day he translated everything and tried to teach me how to pronounce it. He wrote it out phonetically, but because English isn't his first language he wrote it out French phonetically, which didn't really help at all! It turned out… Well, it sounds like I did a good job, but to a French person apparently I sound Spanish! I tried though."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?