Sometimes, we listen to old stuff. Today, I talk about something by Michel Fugain for A Year In December.
At some point this year, I had an apple pie. I don’t remember the details of the dessert but I know that I had apple pie because I listened a lot to Michel Fugain’s 1972 hit ‘Une belle histoire.’ I was first introduced to this song somewhere in Amsterdam, where I had the aforementioned dish. While it was the best apple pie I have ever had, I have fond memories of the pie because the Dutch owner of the restaurant who also tended bar kept singing to himself “C’est une belle histoire” followed by something unintelligible. He either didn’t know the lyrics or the language, but I watched the earworm go around and around his brain, never letting go. Back at my hostel, I looked up the words and managed to find the song rather easily. From then on, every time I had apple pie, I would relate the story about the bartender with my dining partner and also play the song on repeat for a few months. These days, my French is good enough that I understand the lyrics. It reminds me of Bob Dylan’s ‘Simple Twist Of Fate’ in its imagery of romantic chance. It also, of course, reminds me of apple pie.
Joel Mak 