WASHINGTON — Patti LaBelle said she didn’t know the meaning of the famous French line in “Lady Marmalade” when her group, LaBelle, recorded the hit in 1974.
In the song about a New Orleans prostitute, the group sings, “Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?” Translated into English, that means, “Will you sleep with me tonight?”
“I just knew it sounded cute. Soon after that we found out, but we said, well, let’s keep it anyway,” LaBelle told AP Radio. “There’s nothing you can do about that. You know, that’s someone’s lifestyle, and I’m just gonna sing about it.”
LaBelle, 57, said she’s thrilled with the version of “Lady Marmalade” that appears on the “Moulin Rouge” movie soundtrack.
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink did a cover of the song, which moves from No. 3 to No. 1 next week on the Billboard Hot 100 despite the fact that it is not available as a single.
“The girls who are doing it now, they’re doing such a wonderful job,” she said. “The video is beautiful and I’m really happy. Whenever I hear it, I get a glow.”
