Quelqu'un m'a dit debuted at number one on the French Album Chart, spending thirty-four non-consecutive weeks in the top ten. The album also reached the top ten in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal and Chile. Three tracks appeared in Hans Canosa's 2005 American filmConversations with Other Women, and the song "Le plus beau du quartier" was used in H&M's Christmas 2006 commercial. The title track was played over the closing credits of Mensonges et trahisons et plus si affinités..., included on the Days of Summer soundtrack released in 2009, and appeared in the 2010 Carte d'Or Muffin commercial. The song "Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre" also appeared in an episode of Skins, series 3.
Details
The second track, “Raphaël”, is named for Bruni's then-lover, philosophy professor Raphaël Enthoven, with whom she had a son, Aurélien Enthoven, in 2001. Bruni has further collaborated with the producer, Louis Bertignac, in 2005 duetting with him on the song "Les Frôleuses" on his new album.
Track listing
Song summaries
;1. Quelqu'un m'a dit : This melancholy song from which the album draws its name speaks of the sadness of life – "On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand chose, / Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses." – and that time and fate care nothing for us. She forlornly hopes that "you still love me" – "quelqu'un m'a dit / Que tu m'aimais encore," – recalling that somebody told her, but she cannot remember who. ;2. Raphaël: In this lively and playful song, Bruni sings of her love for her then-lover Raphaël Enthoven, first reveling in his name – "Quatre consonnes et trois voyelles / c'est le prénom de Raphaël," – then delighting in his wickedness and their time together. The middle of the song features mysterious lyrics – "Peau de chagrin, pâtre éternel / Archange étrange d’un autre ciel", alluding to the magical skin that is slowly used up in Balzac's novel La Peau de chagrin. She later sings of their love being in the moment – "Pas de promesse à l’éternel" – compare the title of her next album, No Promises, and the eventual end of her relationship with Raphaël. ;3. Tout le monde : This melancholy song tells of how everyone has known disappointment – forgotten childhood memories, remains of dreams, and devastation – and then absurdly suggests that this solitude should be fixed by passinga law – "Il faudrait que tout l'monde réclame auprès des autorités, / Une loi contre toute notre solitude,", musing on French socialism. ;4. La noyée : This is a cover of a song by Serge Gainsbourg, which Bruni heard on the soundtrack to the movie Romance of a Horsethief ; another cover was released near the same time in the 2002 album C'était ici. ;5. Le toi du moi : This love song consists of various pairings of the form "You are my X, I am your Y", "I am the X, you are the Y", or "You are the X of my Y", beginning "Je suis ton pile / Tu es mon face", passing through over fifty pairs, climaxing 2/3 of the way through and again ending with "T'es le jamais de mon toujours / T'es mon amour t'es mon amour." ;6. Le ciel dans une chambre : ;7. J'en connais : ;8. Le plus beau du quartier : ;9. Chanson triste : ;10. L'excessive : ;11. L'amour : ;12. La dernière minute : The last song is one minute long,. It features a metronome tick-tock beat. The lyrics refer to someone at the end of her life, not yet ready to die / Que je la verrai sourire de ma si petite vie / Je lui dirai “écoute ! laisse-moi juste une minute”.
