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

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Jello Biafra

Jello BiafraSongwriter Interviews

The former Dead Kennedys frontman on the past, present and future of the band, what music makes us "pliant and stupid," and what he learned from Alice Cooper.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.