Voyage in the 80's - YouLookFab Forum

For all of you old enough to have known the eighties, do you remember the singer Desireless and her international hit, Voyage, voyage ?

The androgynous look she sported in this vid represented, in its time, such a clash with what had come before, so new and different and dark and weird that it seemed to suddenly make everything possible. To us today, her look is very recognizable as something static, stuck in time, but back then, it appeared novel, daring and forward. It helped me imagine a “somewhere else” where all the rules were overturned, where old codes didn't apply anymore, and that was terribly attractive.

The video is interesting in that it also portrays other mid 80's prototypes from the "New Wave" trend: crinolines, oversize suits, Laura Ashley prints...
Desireless had been a fashion designer in a previous life, getting inspiration from her travels to India.

Voyage, voyage! (Travel, travel!) She urges, and her voice sounds like an echo from a forgotten, far away pre-9/11 land... I realize today I ended up doing just that in my life!

Listen to it and get help understanding the lyrics (in French) on my blog:
http://ouicestca.com/2014/05/0.....ge-voyage/

10 years ago

Anonymous

Wow, that takes me back! I do remember it. She's amazing. Love her look. I'm not surprised she was a fashion designer too. Thanks for the nostalgia trip Krishnidoux.

rachylou

Veteran

Ohmigosh. I *do* remember Voyage, voyage.

It's interesting. I think I always felt the song was poignant, and it's poignant to listen to again for me. To me New Wave, coming off of punk, wasn't about possibility but despair. Overturning rules and old codes wasn't attractive, because the problem with them was decay. The natural energy of youth notwithstanding.

I think your take is very very interesting, krishnidoux. You are indeed a sweet girl. Me, not so much

krishnidoux

Yes you are Rachylou! I didn't think of it that way. I remember how dark and depressive it all was, but at the time, let's not forget, a lot of things seemed to have us doomed (nuclear threat, for example). The New Wave was a bit auto-sarcastic I think.

chouette22

Oh, I love this song and had no idea that it was an international hit (I still lived in Europe at that time). I find the series with songs that you do on your language site wonderful! I will definitely play this one for my French college students this fall. Great fashion flashback as well, as you say.

Thank you so much Chouette!

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