Former French first lady Carla Bruni (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/carla-bruni) apparently does not care much for France's current president, Francois Hollande (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/francois-hollande), if running interpretations of her new song are to be believed.
In the lyrics for "The Penguin," released Friday, Bruni seems to take a swipe at Hollande, calling him a penguin (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jxO1I1yA_z1TYSQbUvNEIU84lVBw?docId=CNG.1dd7a0a314ddfef6ca2109852ef6e2a7.591). (French speakers often use the term "penguin" as an insult, similar to "buffoon" in English.) Her lyrics were first picked apart (http://www.rtl.fr/actualites/culture-loisirs/musique/article/carla-bruni-sarkozy-le-pingouin-une-chanson-pimentee-pour-francois-hollande-7759483509) by French radio station RTL.
While Bruni does not explicitly reference Hollande (http://next.liberation.fr/musique/2013/03/15/carla-bruni-se-moque-t-elle-de-hollande-ce-pingouin_888799) by name, the lyrics seem to at least hint at references to the Socialist president.
"He takes on the air of a sovereign/ but I know, the penguin/ doesn't have the manners of a lord," she sings in French (http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2013/03/15/carla-bruni-pingouin-hollande-album_n_2883431.html), according to a translation by The Huffington Post. "Hey penguin!/ If one day you cross my path again/ I will teach you, penguin/ I will teach you to kiss my hand."
Bruni might be denouncing Hollande on behalf of her husband, ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as France's head of state from 2007 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nicolas-sarkozy/9085415/Timeline-Nicolas-Sarkozys-first-term-as-French-president.html) until he was unseated by Hollande (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/france-elections-2012-hollande-beats-sarkozy_n_1489482.html) in May 2012. As RTL notes, Hollande appeared to snub Sarkozy (http://www.rtl.fr/actualites/culture-loisirs/musique/article/carla-bruni-sarkozy-le-pingouin-une-chanson-pimentee-pour-francois-hollande-7759483509) during the official transfer of power by refusing to escort his predecessor down the steps of the Élysée Palace to a waiting vehicle.
While Bruni has neither confirmed nor denied that "The Penguin" is a reference to Hollande, she recently made it clear who the song is not about.
"It's a song about the ill-mannered, disagreeable people, who remain a mystery to me" she told French-language Le Nouvel Observateur (http://obsession.nouvelobs.com/musique/20130313.OBS1763/carla-bruni-nicolas-sarkozy-j-ai-failli-l-appeler-raoul.html). "Some think that I'm talking about journalists: that's false."
Bruni has reignited her singing career (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9252345/Carla-Bruni-Sarkozy-to-resume-singing-career.html) after taking a break to serve as first lady. "The Penguin" is a track on Bruni's upcoming album "Little French Songs (http://www.amazon.com/Little-French-Songs-Carla-Bruni/dp/B00BD62X14)," slated for an April release.
Via: HuffingtonPost