Mylène Farmer - A quoi je sers... (english version)

In June 1989, after having met her public live while going on tour for the 1st time in the Palais des Sports a Paris, Mylene goes back to the recording studio with Laurent Boutonnat to record two new tracks, A quoi je sers... (what is my purpose) and La veuve noire (the dead widow).

Mylene will divulge a few details about the creation process of the song during an interview with Tele 7Jours:
"I wrote "A quoi je sers..." shortly after the beginning of the tour. Because it was the question on my mind. (...) About this: to scream out loud what others won't dare do."


Mylene had strongly been influenced while reading Luc Dietrich's master piece, which will provide her with the expression "poussiere vivante" (living dust), the first line of the song which the theme also seems to be inspired by two quotes of "L'apprentissage de la ville": "Si je ne sers a rien, ce n'etait pas / La peine de m'empecher de mourir" (If I have no purpose, then it wasn't worth preventing me from dying).

Three commercial formats were available at the end of July: one 7'' single, one maxi-CD (the old maxi CD's had paper covers, not yet in crystal covers or digipak) and a 12" maxi-single.
(more details about formats)
 

The track will be # 16 on the French Top 50 and will sell approximately 120 000 (more details about charts)

The video was shot by Laurent Boutonnat and seems to announce the end of an era.

All about the video A quoi je sers...


Photo: Mylène Farmer - Clip A quoi je sers... réalisé par Laurent Boutonnat - Capture

Mylene will sing A quoi je sers... three times on French TV in the fall before going on tour: September 2nd during "J'y crois dur comme terre", September 5th during "Sacree Soiree" and September 15th during "Avis de recheche".
(more details about TV and the Videos)



It's actually during the Tour 1989 that people will be able to hear the song live

      
Photos: Mylène Farmer - A quoi je sers... - En concert 1989 - Captures

In 1999, the song was originally supposed to be included in the Mylenium Tour setlist, but they will end up using Rever instead. 

In 2009, to everyone's surprise, Mylene once again sings A quoi je sers... during the French portion of the Mylene Farmer Tout 2009.
 For the Russian portion of the tour, in St Petersburg and Moscow, they will play L'amour n'est rien... instead, which had been a big hit in that country.

Photo: Mylène Farmer - Tour 2009 - A quoi je sers... - Photo d'un fan greg-007


 À quoi je sers... on the albums:  En concert (1989) in live version, Dance Remixes (1992) in a remixed version and Les mots (2001).

Press about A quoi je sers...