Comme d'habitude

"Comme d’habitude" (French for As usual) is a French song written in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibaut.

"For Me"

Originally titled "For Me" with lyrics in English, the song was initially refused by numerous artists (most notably Michel Sardou), until Hervé Vilard finally agreed to record it.

"Comme d'habitude"

Revaux reportedly not satisfied with Vilard's version of the song, approached Claude François to re-record it. François accepted but asked that an underlying theme of a couple in a strained relationship be included, in reference to his recent breakup with fellow French singer France Gall. Revaux agreed and with some rewriting from Gilles Thibaut the song became "Comme d'habitude" and was released by Claude François in 1968.

"My Way"

Paul Anka, after hearing the song while watching French television in Paris, got the rights to it^[1] for his American production company. After rewriting with English lyrics – unrelated to the original – Frank Sinatra recorded a cross-Atlantic version of it in 1969 under the title "My Way". "Comme d'habitude" has reputedly been recorded in more languages, by more artists than any other song in contemporary music history.

Cover versions

Many artists sang Comme d'Habitude in French after Claude François's success (and international success through My Way), notably:

Michel Sardou, who had refused the first version of the song offered to him by Claude François and Jacques Revaux but sang it a bit slower and reorchestrated.
"Florent Pagny covered the song in 1989 and released as a single in France.
"Rachid Taha, Khaled and Faudel, three French-Algerian artists sang it live in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The live version produced and arranged by Steve Hillage, was included in joint Taha / Khaled / Faudel live album 1, 2, 3 Soleils was released by Barclay in 1999 reaching #4 in French Albums Chart and #14 in Belgium's French (Wallonia) Albums Chart. The cover of "Comme d'habitude" found on the album as performed by the trio proved very popular and was released in 1999 as a single in France and it reached #40 on both SNEP, the official French Singles Chart and on Belgium's French Wallonia Singles Chart.

Adaptations

The tune of "Comme d'habitude" is also the musical basis for a song David Bowie wrote in 1968, but never recorded, called "Even a Fool Learns to Love". Bowie had previously been asked to write English lyrics to "Comme d'habitude" by his manager Tony Defries – the year before Paul Anka acquired the French song – but declined, believing there was no commercial or artistic merit in the projectTemplate:VH1 Storytellers. The unfinished work would later inspire his 1971 song "Life on Mars?".