Inch'Allah (Adamo song) explained

Inch'Allah
Cover:Inchallah-song-by-adamo.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Adamo
B-Side:Sont-Ce Vos Bijoux?
Released:1967
Recorded:1967
Label:EMI
Prev Title:Ensemble
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:Notre roman
Next Year:1967

"Inch'Allah" is a song composed and sung in French by Salvatore Adamo in 1967. The lyrics were written by Adamo as a peace song[1] in the context of the Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab States.[2] The song was banned in virtually all Arab countries for what they perceived as its pro-Israel sentiments and the mentioning of Jerusalem as a Jewish city after it fell under Israeli control during the war.[3]

Title

Inch'Allah is the French equivalent of Insha'Allah (), which means "if Allah wills" (or, loosely, "God willing"), in Arabic

Track listing

The 45 rpm release include the following track list:

  1. "Inch'Allah"
  2. "Je vous offre"
  3. "Sont-ce vos bijoux?"

Versions

The song became a huge hit for Adamo in the French version, staying in the French Hit Parade for 8 months. It remains his best-known song, along with "Tombe la neige".

In 1993, Adamo recorded a new self-censored version of this song, where references to trembling children in Israel and especially the Shoah disappeared, replaced by a more neutral discourse.

He recorded the song with Amália Rodrigues, and it entered her repertoire as well. Adamo recorded versions of the song in English, Italian and other languages.

He had a comeback with the song in 2008, recorded as a duet with Calogero on Adamo's album Le Bal des gens bien.

Charts

Chart (1967–68)Peak
position
France[4] 1
Italy (Musica e dischi)[5] [6] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 35

Notes and References

  1. http://www.paroles-musique.com/paroles-Salvatore_Adamo-Inch_Allah-lyrics,p5937 Paroles-musique: Paroles - Salvatore Adamo "Inch'Allah"
  2. http://www.rfimusique.com/artiste/chanson/salvatore-adamo/biographie RFI: Salvatore Adamo
  3. http://sixties-story.kazeo.com/petites-histoires-des-chansons-dans-les-annees-60/inch-allah-1966-salvatore-adamo-amalia-rodrigues,a2103013.html Sixties Stories: "Inch'Allah"
  4. Hits of the World . Billboard. 4 March 1967 . 66.
  5. Hits of the World . Billboard. 8 July 1967 . 53.
  6. Web site: Hit Parade Italia .
  7. Web site: Adamo - Inch’Allah . Top40.nl.