Bonjour mes Dearlings,

in honor of TODAY, which is obviously BASTILLE DAY, which is the greatest of all the holidays, as I am sure you well know, I have made for you a petite 4-song mix which you can download by clicking upon this link, and unzipping it: bastille day mix.

within you shall find the following:

1. edith piaf - non je ne regrette rien (in my measly unlearned opinion, THIS is the quintessential edith piaf song - it is epic and tragic and painful and powerful…she regrets NOTHING.)

2. jacques dutronc - les cactus (60’s french pop dude. Since i have amassed quite the collection of french pop, it was a challenge to choose just a few - dutronc is comparable to ray davies perhaps.)

3. plastic bertrand - ca plane pour moi (I love this song not only because it completely rocks out in a beach boys meet REM’s “End of the World” sort of way, but also because of its prominent placement in the National Lampoon’s European Vacation soundtrack).

4. marie laforet - toi mon amour, mon ami (more 60’s french pop - this song however transcends the genre.)

If you are not hosting (or attending) your very own bastille day celebration (as I do every year), here are your instructions for the remainder of today:

As you listen to the four songs above, do one (or all!) of the following:

• Buy butter, flour, eggs, salt, sugar and milk, make crepes and eat them.
• Get a tattoo of Gerard Depardieu… on your face.
• Replace your current clothing with a striped shirt, beret and a short neck scarf tied at the side. If possible, grow a thin mustache.
• Embroider the names of your enemies onto a blanket.
• Speak like zee french, be sure to pepper your phrasing with plenty of pauses and say “ehhh, how do you say..?”
• Form a bourgeoisie insurgency against the tyranny of the aristocracy.

AND anyway

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY TO ALL!

*Full credit to Bethany S. the artist.