Regrets (song)

Single infobox |
Name = Regrets


Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = L'Autre...
Released = July 29 1991
Format = CD maxi
7" single
7" maxi
Cassette
Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded = 1991, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:45
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification = Silver France, 1990
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "Désenchantée"
(1991)
This single = "Regrets"
(1991)
Next single = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
(1991)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = 7" maxi - PromoExtra tracklisting
Album = L'Autre...
Type = album
prev_track = "Psychiatric"
prev_no = 5
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 6
next_track = "Pas de doute"
next_no = 7Extra tracklisting
Album = L'Autre
Type = Video
prev_track = "Désenchantée"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
next_no = 3Extra tracklisting
Album = Dance Remixes
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
prev_no = 4
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 5
next_track = "Beyond My Control"
next_no = 6Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos I
Type = Video
prev_track = "Désenchantée"
prev_no = 9
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 10
next_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
next_no = 11Extra tracklisting
Album = Mylenium Tour
Type = live
prev_track = "Medley"
prev_no = 9
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 10
next_track = "Désenchantée"
next_no = 1Extra tracklisting
Album = Les Mots
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Désenchantée"
prev_no = 11
this_track = "Regrets"
track_no = 12
next_track = "Je t'aime mélancolie"
next_no = 13

"Regrets" is a 1991 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer in duet with the musician Jean-Louis Murat. Second single from her third studio album "L'Autre...", the song was released on July 29, 1989. First Farmer's duet, this ballad became a top three hit in France and was also a hit in Belgium.

Background and writing

"Regrets" is the first Farmer's duet. He was scheduled as a second single of the album "L'Autre..." from ")]

At a while, the recording company had scheduled to release "Regrets" as a second single from the live album "Mylenium Tour". A promotional VHS had been sent to the media. However, given differences with Farmer who preferred rather release "Pas le temps de vivre" and the disappointing sales of the previous live singles ( "Ainsi soit je...", "Dessine-moi un mouton"), "Regrets" was finally not commercialized.

Farmer sand "Regrets" during the Mylenium Tour. On this occasion, Farmer performed the song alone on stage, while a red fire was lighted in the hand of the blue statue that was part of the decor.

Lyrics and music

It is a love song in which two lovers are answering tenderly and with melancholy, while they are separated by the death of one of them (Farmer)."Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 227-231] Indeed, the song deals with the "very romantic theme of the loss of [the lover] . This loss leaves an unfathomable lack in the one who remains, which invests the world of dreams to regain the lost happiness. Only memories then allow to savour the well-being of the past relationship"."Mylène Farmer, la part d'ombre", Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy & Benjamin Thiry, 2003, Archipel Ed., p. 308-309]

According to Elia Habib, a specialist of French charts, "Regrets" is "a slow [song] , which successfully blends the singer's voice [that of Farmer] , which merges into the melody to that of Murat, which stands out and thus puts her partner off the scent". [Elia Habib, "Muz hit. tubes", p. 217 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)]

Music video

The video is a Requiem Publishing and Heathcliff SA production whose length is 6:17. Directed by Laurent Boutonnat who also co-authored the screenplay with Farmer, the video was filmed for two days (in February 1991) in a Jewish cemetery abandoned in Budapest, with a budget of about 35,000 euros. The train, which leads to the cemetery was turned on only for the video which features, in addition to the two singers, a deer. ["Regrets", videoclip [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/regretsclip.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved January 2, 2008)] It was broadcast on televion for the fist time on September 9, 1991, in "Stars 90", on )] In an interview, Murat explained that he had been very surprised by the extreme severity and great professionalism shown by Boutonnat during the video's shooting.

At the beginning of the video, a tram stops in front of the entrance of a snow-covered cemetery. Murat gets off from the tram and pushes the front gate. He walks in the cemetery, passes a deer and meditates at a grave. When he sits, Farmer comes behind him and puts her hands on his eyes. Murat takes Farmer by the hand, then they run, laugh and huddled one against the other in the cemetery. They doze off on a tombstone, and after a last embrace, they say goodbye to each other and split off. The man then gets on the tram and goes away. ["Mylène Farmer - La part d'ombre", Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy & Benjamin Thiry, 2005, Archipel Ed., p. 308] ["Regrets", music video [http://www.jukebo.fr/mylene-farmer_videos_regrets_u38xu.html?idtp=0 Jukebo.fr] (Retrieved [May 15] ), 2008)]

According to the analysis made by the magazine "Instant-Mag", the video is the "metaphor of a past and regretted love". ["Instant-Mag", No. 7, 2001, p. 6] It "shows the indispensable link between two people, as well as the inevitability of this link : we can be attached to the other person, but also lose her". With this video, Farmer "reached the quintessance of elegant sadness which lives in her work". According to this analysis, the character played by Murat would be alive and would try to meet that played by Farmer who would be dead. To this end, the train would represent the transition from these two worlds. The deer who flees would be "the symbol of the woman's essence", and the bunch of thistles would evoke "the desire to provoke unconditional love with the other person". As for the immaculate snow, it would participate in the gloomy atmosphere of the video and would symbolize "a mild but deadly mask which isolates" the two opposing parties. ["Instant-Mag", No. 16, 2004, p. 14-17]

TV and chart performances

For the promotion of the single, one performance was recorded, on the TV show "Stars 90", broadcast on TF1 on October 7, 1991. ["Regrets", TV performances [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/repertoire-des-chansons.php?chanson=regrets Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved January 3, 2008)]

Although "Regrets" was released in the summer, its sales were on the whole satisfactory. In France, the single started at number 20 on August 24, 1991. Since the following week, it reached the Top 10 and stayed there for ten weeks. It peaked at #3 on September 21 and left the Top 50 after 16 weeks of attendance."Regrets", French Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer+%26+Jean%2DLouis+Murat&titel=Regrets&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved January 2, 2008)] "Regrets" was even certified Silver disc by the SNEP on December 19, 1991 ["Platine", No. 39, March 1997, p. 23] for a minimum of 250,000 copies sold.Mylène Farmer's certifications [http://www.chartsinfrance.net/certifications/artiste-850.html Chartsinfrance.net] (Retrieved January 2, 2008)] In Belgium, the song reached number 2.

Cover versions

In December 2003, SitolC participated in the national competition "Télé Poche," then in two castings : "Génération Métis" and "Graine de star". On these occasions, he recorded "Regrets", but his version was not a success.

Formats and track listings

; 7" singleA-side :
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45B-side :
# "Regrets" (classic bonus beat) — 4:50 ; 7" maxiA-side :
# "Regrets" (extended club remix) — 7:13B-side :
# "Regrets" (sterger dub remix) — 5:55

; CD maxi
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45
# "Regrets" (extended club remix) — 7:13
# "Regrets" (sterger dub remix) — 5:55

; CD maxi - Limited edition with a pin's
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45
# "Regrets" (extended club remix) — 7:13
# "Regrets" (sterger dub remix) — 5:55; CassetteA-side :
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45
# "Regrets" (classic bonus beat) — 4:50B-side :
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45
# "Regrets" (classic bonus beat) — 4:50

; Digital download
# "Regrets" (album version) — 5:14
# "Regrets" (extended club remix) — 7:13
# "Regrets" (2000 live version) — 5:11

; 7" single - PromoA-side :
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45B-side :
# "Regrets" (single version) — 4:45

Versions

; Official versions

References