It seems that the first French song that clearly called for the liberalization of abortion was this one. In 1966, Antoine of course recorded his rantings which end with a famous phrase: “Put the pill on sale in Monoprix”.
But, on the same album, there is this song which tells that a woman living in misery with nine children – one for each year of marriage – decides to commit suicide with all her family by turning on the gas. And Antoine thus ends his song The Law of 1920: “We could have thought, however, of finally reviewing the Law of 1920”.
This law prohibits in France any publicity of the contraceptive means and especially punishes of the bases the abortion. And the whole song makes it clear that a tragedy would not have happened if this woman could not have had nine children.
In the first episode of These songs that make the news this weekend, you hear excerpts from:
Anthony, The 1920 Act1966
Pierre Perret, She is expecting her babynineteen eighty one
Flowters Breakers, Not just any toon2015
Crazy Seahorse, Shouldn’t be kidding2018
Anne Sylvester, No you don’t have a name1973
For women’s songs, State abortion1975
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Remember: during the summer of 2019, La Playlist de Françoise Hardy was a crossing of the musical baggage of an author, composer and performer considered as the arbiter of the elegance of pop in France.
In July and August 2017, we spent A Summer in Souchon, during which Alain Souchon guided us on a tasty walk through a lifetime of love for song.
All summer 2016, in the company of Vincent Delerm, we wandered around in La Playlist Amoureuse de la Chanson, truant exploration of popular heritage. You can also extend the delicacies of this summer chronicle with the French song lovers dictionary, co-published by Plon and franceinfo.