Joe le taxi
Encyclopedia
"Joe le taxi" is a French song written by Franck Langolff and Étienne Roda-Gil
for French
singer Vanessa Paradis
. It was later included in her debut album, M&J
, which was released in 1988.
Paradis recorded the song in 1987, at the age of fourteen. It went on to top the singles chart in France for eleven weeks, and, uncommonly for a French
-language song at that time, was released in the United Kingdom the following year, where it peaked at number three. The song was included in her debut album, M&J (short for "Marilyn & John"), which, although peaking at number thirteen in France, drew limited interest in the UK when it was issued in August 1988. The music video for the song was produced by Lili Balian, Jake Hertz, and Addie Calcagnini.
driver, Joe, who works in Paris
. The song emphasizes the notion that Joe seems to know all of the French capital including the whereabouts of all the little bars, all of the Parisian streets, the Seine
, and bridges. The song's lyrics suggest that Joe enjoys drinking rum
, has a passion for Latin music
and his saxophone
, and dreams of going to the Amazon
. Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat
and Peruvian exotica
singer Yma Súmac
are also referenced in the lyrics.
was directed by Jean-Sébastien Deligny in 1987, and begins by glimpsing the side of Joe's taxi (Chevrolet Nova), which is a New York taxi (dollar denominated taxi rates can be seen in black ink). The silouhettes of two men playing the saxophone
in unison can be seen as well. The video then shows Joe in his taxi and afterwards, Paradis dancing to the beat of the song, next to a big yellow taxi similar to Joe's (she is wearing an oversized peach sweater with the words "Gross Stage" and the number twenty-six emblazoned across the front; she is also wearing grey pants).
Joe seems to be driving around town, either looking out for customers or simply enjoying a scenic journey across a bright and beautiful Paris.
The camera switches between Joe, Vanessa, and the two shadows playing their saxophones in perfect unison (in colour when focused on Paradis, in black-and-white when on Joe); it ends with a front view of Joe's taxi. Joe is of African descent.
Another music video of the song features Vanessa riding on top of a blue jeep
with Joe around Martinique
while singing the song.
When it was issued in South America and in Spain in April 1988, Vanessa recorded a Spanish version : "Joe el taxi".
"Joe le taxi" has been remix
ed and covered
several times by somewhat notable artists including Japanese singer Hanayo
, Japanese singer Jun Togawa, Hong Kong Cantopop
singer Priscilla Chan
, and Brazilian singer-actress and television personality Angélica (whose version, "Vou de Táxi"—Portuguese
for "I'm Going by Taxi"—, became a radio hit in Brazil, as well as her signature song
). It was also remix
ed by Sharlene Boodram of Trinidad and Tobago
featuring Mista Vybe. Several different versions of the song are available on popular video-sharing website, YouTube
. "Joe le taxi" has also been covered in its original language by the Japanese Electropop singer Immi
on her 2009 EP, WONDER.
In France, "Joe le taxi" is the eighty-fourth best-selling single of all time.
Étienne Roda-Gil
Étienne Roda-Gil was a songwriter and screenwriter. He was married to the painter Nadine Roda-Gil until her death in 1990.-Biography:...
for French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
singer Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi"...
. It was later included in her debut album, M&J
M&J
M&J is considered as one of the most successful French language debut albums in recording history. At the time of its release, Vanessa was only 15 years old, and had no creative control over the record. As a result, the album featured several childish and banal tracks that had little or no lyrical...
, which was released in 1988.
Paradis recorded the song in 1987, at the age of fourteen. It went on to top the singles chart in France for eleven weeks, and, uncommonly for a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
-language song at that time, was released in the United Kingdom the following year, where it peaked at number three. The song was included in her debut album, M&J (short for "Marilyn & John"), which, although peaking at number thirteen in France, drew limited interest in the UK when it was issued in August 1988. The music video for the song was produced by Lili Balian, Jake Hertz, and Addie Calcagnini.
Song information
"Joe le taxi" is a song about a taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver, Joe, who works in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The song emphasizes the notion that Joe seems to know all of the French capital including the whereabouts of all the little bars, all of the Parisian streets, the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, and bridges. The song's lyrics suggest that Joe enjoys drinking rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, has a passion for Latin music
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
and his saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and dreams of going to the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
. Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat was a Spanish-American bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a key personality in the spread of Latin music in United States popular music. He was also a cartoonist and a successful businessman...
and Peruvian exotica
Exotica
Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny album of the same title, popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s, typically with the suburban set who came of age during World War II. The musical colloquialism, exotica, means tropical ersatz: the non-native, pseudo experience of Oceania...
singer Yma Súmac
Yma Súmac
Yma Sumac was a noted Peruvian soprano. In the 1950s, she was one of the most famous proponents of exotica music. She became an international success based on her extreme vocal range, which was said to be "well over four octaves" and was sometimes claimed to span even five octaves at her peak.Yma...
are also referenced in the lyrics.
Music video
The videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Jean-Sébastien Deligny in 1987, and begins by glimpsing the side of Joe's taxi (Chevrolet Nova), which is a New York taxi (dollar denominated taxi rates can be seen in black ink). The silouhettes of two men playing the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
in unison can be seen as well. The video then shows Joe in his taxi and afterwards, Paradis dancing to the beat of the song, next to a big yellow taxi similar to Joe's (she is wearing an oversized peach sweater with the words "Gross Stage" and the number twenty-six emblazoned across the front; she is also wearing grey pants).
Joe seems to be driving around town, either looking out for customers or simply enjoying a scenic journey across a bright and beautiful Paris.
The camera switches between Joe, Vanessa, and the two shadows playing their saxophones in perfect unison (in colour when focused on Paradis, in black-and-white when on Joe); it ends with a front view of Joe's taxi. Joe is of African descent.
Another music video of the song features Vanessa riding on top of a blue jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
with Joe around Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
while singing the song.
Remixes and cover versions
"Joe le taxi", in its French version, exists in a 'single version' 3:54 and a 'long version' 5:30.When it was issued in South America and in Spain in April 1988, Vanessa recorded a Spanish version : "Joe el taxi".
"Joe le taxi" has been remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed and covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
several times by somewhat notable artists including Japanese singer Hanayo
Hanayo
is a Japanese musician and artist. She is known for her playful and subversive artwork, often deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Hanayo currently lives and works in Berlin.- Career :...
, Japanese singer Jun Togawa, Hong Kong Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
singer Priscilla Chan
Priscilla Chan
Priscilla Chan Wai-han is a female Cantopop singer in Hong Kong.-Background:Chan has a younger brother and sister. Her father is a retired senior officer of Hong Kong Immigration Service. She attended Marymount Secondary School in Happy Valley, Hong Kong...
, and Brazilian singer-actress and television personality Angélica (whose version, "Vou de Táxi"—Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for "I'm Going by Taxi"—, became a radio hit in Brazil, as well as her signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
). It was also remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by Sharlene Boodram of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
featuring Mista Vybe. Several different versions of the song are available on popular video-sharing website, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. "Joe le taxi" has also been covered in its original language by the Japanese Electropop singer Immi
Immi
Mayu Nakazawa , currently known by the stage name immi, is a Japanese Electronica singer and songwriter. She is currently signed onto DefStar Records. While she writes and composes her own music, she is also regularly produced by N.A.i.D. and JETBIKINI.-History:Nakazawa has had experience with the...
on her 2009 EP, WONDER.
Chart performance
"Joe le taxi" debuted at number twenty-one on the French Singles Chart, reaching number one in its fourth week, and remaining there for eleven weeks. It was also number one in Belgium (for 13 weeks), Canada and Israel. It reached the top five in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Norway and the top ten in Germany and Sweden.In France, "Joe le taxi" is the eighty-fourth best-selling single of all time.
Track listings
7" single- "Joe le taxi" – 3:54
- "Varvara Pavlovna" – 3:28
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
23 |
| French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Singles Chart |
1 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
8 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
5 |
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 11 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Platinum | 1987 | 1,000,000 | 1,025,000 |