"Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" ("He had just turned 18") is a song by French singer

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

, first released on album

Julien Julien may refer to: People * Julien (given name) * Julien (surname) Music * Julien (opera), ''Julien'' (opera), a 1913 poème lyrique by Gustave Charpentier * Julien (album), ''Julien'' (album), by Dalida, 1973 * Julien (song), "Julien" (so ...

in second half of 1973. The song was a success and has become Dalida's signature track. In 1974 Dalida released the song on the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of her

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

Gigi l'amoroso "Gigi l'amoroso" is a French song by Dalida first released on a single, with the song "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" on the side B, whose lyricists and composers are Michaële, Lana Sebastian and Paul Sebastian. It is one of the singer's biggest inter ...

". The song, which reached the 13th place in the German charts and 33rd in the Italian charts, won the Prize of the Academy of the French Record in 1975, and was later recorded in five languages (German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and English), benefiting from an exit single for each of them.

History

This song evokes Dalida's secret relationship, at 34 years old, with a young 18-year-old Italian student. At that time, she gets pregnant and chooses to have an abortion, but the operation makes her sterile. It is this tragedy which inspired her to sing about this impossible relationship. The text of the song makes a reference to love for young people felt by mature women. It is reminiscent of other works such as

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

's ''

Green Wheat ''Green Wheat'' (french: Le Blé en herbe) is a 1923 novel by the French writer Colette. The book was written during the vacation of the writer on her property Roz-Ven in Saint-Coulomb, between Saint-Malo and Cancale. Plot Phil and Vinca meet e ...

'', published in 1923. Dalida also recorded the song in Italian under the title "18 anni" ("Diciottanni").

Track listings

7-inch single Sonopresse IS 45 716 (1974, France)
7-inch single Omega OM 39.058 Y (1974, Belgium)
7-inch single Omega OM 39.058 (1974, Netherlands)
7-inch single Poplandia P-30573 (1974, Spain)
CD single Barclay 9240 (1999, France)
:A. "

Gigi l'amoroso (Gigi l'amour) "Gigi l'amoroso" is a French song by Dalida first released on a single, with the song "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" on the side B, whose lyricists and composers are Michaële, Lana Sebastian and Paul Sebastian. It is one of the singer's biggest inter ...

" (6:59) :B. "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" (2:50) 7-inch EP Zip Zip 10.057/E (1974, Portugal) :A. "

" (6:59) :B1. "Vado via" (3:40) :B2. "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" (2:50)

Charts

References

External links

Il venait d'avoir 18 ans on Youtube

Il venait d'avoir 18 ans, INA
{{authority control Songs about teenagers Songs about old age Songs about pregnancy Songs about abortion 1973 songs 1974 singles Dalida songs Ultratop 50 Singles (Wallonia) number-one singles Number-one singles in France Star Academy France songs Lara Fabian songs