As François Brunet and Guillaume were shooting the Serenade 3 in Saint Germain des Prés, I saw my girlfriend's favorite french persona waiting for a taxi, the actress and singer Arielle Dombasle. A very generous person, who accepted to sign an accessory I was carrying for the Serenade. Arielle was using Alton's cheesy pen, with a man getting naked as she was signing.

Serenade is a video project by Joseph Whitt. The artist asks people he loves (not only musicians) to celebrate his love with Alton. I am the third one and I think that Joseph wants to have about 7 different serenades done. I wrote one special song for them, "Alabama Gay". Casey Spooner covered a popular song and Bobby Conn made a live performance with songs from his repertoire.

This is a love project; but since the couple lives in the Bible Belt and Alton being black, it becomes by accident a political project. When the Serenade 2 was shot in Chicago, it was the day of the spanish bombings. When we shot it in Paris the last week, we had the suburbs riots. What will come next?

A serenade is not an aubade: a serenade is being sung at night, below the windows of the bien-aimé(e), while an aubade is being sung in the morning.

ALABAMA GAY

You're like Indians
Neighbours on a good land
The white man comes and tells you
This is not your world anymore
It's the kingdom of God and his son

Go away, go away
Go live on the border
Go away and let us play
This is not your world anymore

Alabama Gay…

Like Adam and Adam
Chased like Saddam
Heading for the Badlands
This is our land our home
Nothing but rock and rugged bone

Lonely, lonely
Gay but not happy
Our feathers dirty
Tarred babies walking alone
Nothing but love holding hands
We're melting like puddles in the sun


Music: Toog
Lyrics: Toog with Noura Wedell's assistance