Xavier Cugat et Yma Sumac
It was inevitable that for Worldwide Wednesdays I would eventually write about one of the most peculiar cultural phenomena to ever hit pop radio (in Europe, at least): “Joe Le Taxi.”
Vanessa Paradis was 14 when she released this song, which topped the French charts for 11 weeks and even reached #3 on the UK charts, despite being in French. Now, at 53, Vanessa Paradis is one of the most beautiful women in the world, but in 1987 her image was the most beautiful virginal teenager in the world. It was weird and uncomfortable, then and now. But this comes from the country that gave us “Lemon Incest” by Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg, a father and then-underage daughter (both of whom are incredible singers and performers).
Her debut single, “Joe Le Taxi,” is, as I mentioned, peculiar. It is an almost hopelessly sunny tune and gives you hope. The lyrical content is kind of light and fluffy, describing Joe, the taxi driver, who knows Paris better than anyone, its corners and bars, and loves listening to Xavier Cugat and Yma Sumac while driving (yes, I will cover both of them in the future because I get to talk about Charo and the Amy Camus conspiracy, respectively). It’s kind of the perfect type of song for a teenager to release: positive, uncontroversial, catchy, and leaves you wanting more. You want to dig into Joe’s life, which actually makes it appear quite mature. But, of course, Vanessa Paradis’s voice sounded so childlike when this was recorded that it actually makes her sound younger than 14.
Surprise! I didn’t only choose this song based on the original, although it is definitely worth listening to. Who would cover “Joe Le Taxi”? And why? Get ready for it.
Japanese singer and artist Hanayo covered “Joe Le Taxi” in 2000. It is one of the most bizarre covers ever, and one of my absolute favorites, for several reasons. First, she took a slow, sunny song and turned it into a hard-hitting experimental club banger, which is exceptionally hard to do well. Second, she sings in an even higher and more childlike register than Vanessa Paradis did, with a whispy quality that I can’t quite define, despite being 30 when she recorded it. Third, she shifted the song from Vanessa Paradis’s original F# major to G major, which is about the smallest shift you can make, but because it’s one half-step above where it was, it changes every note, every vibe, and, really, everything about the original. Instead of hopeful and bright it sounds plaintive and cold, while maintaining this childlike vocal register. It’s one of the most remarkable and fascinating covers of any song ever. It’s clearly the same song—every lyric is identical—but it could not feel more different.
Enjoy what might be an old favorite alongside what should be a new favorite. I’m up at 1:00 a.m. buying a ticket to see Tove Lo in Paris; good night! (Update: got it! In the pit and everything!)