France Gall and Lio trapped with sweet and too daring songs

Double sense songs are legion in the French variety. Behind a sweet and light rhythm hide words with more or less obvious innuendo. While it is young women who interpret them, one wonders if the authors did not serve the naivety of the artists. Two examples for this new duel: “Les Apcetes” by France Gall and “Banana Split” by Lio. Be careful, not to put in all ears.

After his victory at Eurovision with “wax doll, her doll”, France Gall, 19, returns with a new title signed Serge Gainsbourg: “Les Labies”. From her Poupin face, the singer tells the story of Annie who loves “anise lollipops” which give her kisses “a viced taste”. For those who have not seized the subtleties, Gainsbourg leaves other clues: “For some pennies, Annie has her lollipops in anise. They have the color of her big eyes, the color of happy days […] When barley sugar, flavored with anise, flows into Annie’s throat. She is in paradise. “No comment”, as the other would say. The lyrics pass all the more since the melody, sweet at will, is a little gem sublimated by the childish voice of France Gall. The problem is that the interpreter did not go a word about this song because she did not understand the double meaning. “I recorded it very, very, very innocently. Contrary to what we could say. I went to Japan while the disc came out in Paris. The radio programmers yelled: “She is completely crazy, she will ridicule herself”. I didn’t know anything, ”said the singer in 1968. An abuse of weakness.

My lio fault

In 1979, another erotic year, Lio was 17 years old. The girl performs this song signed Jay Alanski and Hagen Dierks and Jacques Duvall on a “love of dessert”, the “Banana Split”. On an frantic electro rhythm, Lio wiggles: “It is the dessert that the abominable man of snow in the abominable teenage child serves. A love of dessert. The allusions are linked in the verses: “Frosty kisses on the white mountains, Na-Na-Na. It looks like things are triggered, na-na-na. The whipped cream collapses in avalanche, Banana. No need for drawing. A little more subtle than the title of Gainsbourg, the song provokes very little controversy because, major difference, Lio immediately understood the innuendo. Above all, he launches the career of Lio which will chain the hits and will be one of the queens of the 1980s. But 23 years later, the singer of “brunettes count for plums” backtrack in a book (“all for music”, of Chloé Thibaud): “I know that I completely opened the door to pedocriminals and that I brought water to their mill. I realize it today. »»

Difficult and controversial match. From a musical point of view, “Banana Split” can only prevail. The song is an excellent title carried by a heady melody and a formidable interpretation. And since Lio regrets it, we can encourage you to another double -meaning song and on the same theme: “More than everything in the world” by Pascal Obispo.