"Résiste" is a 1981

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song recorded by French singer

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, tenth edition of the Eurov ...

. Written by

Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...

, it was the first

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 ...

from her studio album '' Tout pour la musique'', on which it appears as the fifth track, and was released in November 1981. In France, it achieved a cult status, becoming one of Gall's most popular songs.

Background and lyrics

Initially, Berger was not satisfied with the studio album he had written for his wife Gall (album later titled ''Tout pour la musique'') and decided, after recording, to add two new songs, "Tout pour la musique" and "Résiste". These two songs were written in the couple's house in eight days and thus resulted from the very professional character of Berger, as explained by Gall. In 1981, two different 7" were released: the first one with "Tout pour la musique" as the A-side and "Résiste" as the B-side, and the other one with the reverse. Gall said she particularly liked the song as the message it conveys has remained relevant throughout years and that it marked the memory of many people; she added that she enjoyed singing it on stage, though very tiring to perform, as the energy it required was communicative. In 1996, a new studio version of the song was recorded for the album ''

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

'', on which it appears as the seventh track, and produced by Ricky Peterson and Kirk Johnson. In 2015, "Résiste" gave its title to a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

by France Gall and Bruck Dawit. Lyrically, "Résiste", which uses many verbs in the

imperative mood The imperative mood is a grammatical mood that forms a command or request. The imperative mood is used to demand or require that an action be performed. It is usually found only in the present tense, second person. They are sometimes called ' ...

in the refrain, is a call to individual resistance and self-affirmation by refusing calibrated and unmeaning lifes, which leads to protect one's freedom of choice. The idea is not to blame the political system, but to change the world little by little by changing one's self.

Critical reception

"Résiste" received positive reviews. Nathalie Lacube of '' La Croix'' considered that "Résiste" has deeper lyrics that it seems at first view and that a whole generation in search of more solidarity and generosity found itself in these words and appropriated them. Julien Goncalves of Charts in France deemed "Résiste" is "among the most emblematic" songs recorded by Gall. Thomas Messias of ''

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'' described it as "one of France Gall's most memorable songs" and a "sweet and universal hymn" which can be considered "

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

" and "revolutionary", and believed that it has spanned the decades and is the Gall's song which met its widest audience among French people.

Chart performance

Released in 1981, "Résiste" did not chart at the time, as the official singles chart only started on 4 November 1984; however, it earned a

Gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

awarded by the

Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

, which indicates it was a success at the time. In subsequent years, it charted on the official chart and reached number 34 on the chart edition of 13 January 2018, just after Gall's death, thus becoming her posthumously highest charting single. At the same time, it entered the singles chart at a peak of number 93 in Switzerland.

Cover versions and uses

"Résiste" was used in the 1997 film '' On connaît la chanson'' produced by

Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct short films including '' Night and Fog ...

. At three different moments, French actress

Sabine Azéma Sabine Azéma (born 20 September 1949) is a French stage and film actress and director. Born in Paris, she graduated from the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Career Her film career began in 1975. Azéma appeared in '' A Sunday in the C ...

, who portrayed Odile, lipsynched part of the song's refrain (sung by Gall) to her relatives and friends to do them understand that they should be actors of their own life. In 2013, "Résiste" was covered by

Jenifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) *Jenifer (singer), French pop singer *Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and televisio ...

on her album ''Ma Déclaration''; this version was released as the second single and peaked at number 85 in France where it charted for three weeks. In March 2020, Solène Pugnet, an educational assistant in

La Ravoire La Ravoire (; Arpitan: ''La Rovouère'' or ''La Ravouère'') is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. It is part of Grand Chambéry. Population Twin towns * Teningen, Germany, since 19 ...

asked on

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to film oneself singing "Résiste" to support

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in their management of the

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; produced in ten days, the music video posted on the Internet showed a total of 69 French anonymous singers.

Track listings

* 7" single - France, Benelux, 7" single France (France Gall – "Résiste"/"Tout pour la musique") (accessdate: 27 October 2021). # "Résiste" — 4:40 # "Tout pour la musique" — 4:40 * 7" single - France, Benelux, 7" single France (France Gall – "Tout pour la musique"/"Résiste") (accessdate: 27 October 2021). # "Tout pour la musique" — 4:40 # "Résiste" — 4:40

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Resiste 1981 songs 1981 singles France Gall songs Songs written by Michel Berger Atlantic Records singles 2013 singles Jenifer (singer) songs