Meaning of “Ella, elle l’a” by France Gall

French singer France Gall took both her home country France and Europe by storm in 1987 with her hit single “Ella, elle l’a”. But what really is the meaning of this classic? The song pays tribute to iconic African American singer Ella Fitzgerald. In addition to paying homage to Fitzgerald, the lyrics also strongly condemn racism in all forms while sending messages of empowerment to the listener.

Meaning of “Ella, elle l’a”

The phrase “elle l’a” is French. In English, it means “she has it”.  The “Ella” is a name. Here, it is obviously referring to Ella Fitzgerald. So when you add “Ella” to “elle l’a”, you get the phrase “Ella, she has it”. That’s basically what you get when you translate the song’s title from French to English.

Facts about “Ella, elle l’a”

• “Ella, elle l’a” was solely composed and written by French singer and songwriter Michel Berger. Berger was Gall’s husband and collaborator. In 1992 (about 5 years after writing and producing this song), Berger died from a heart attack. He died the same month (in August) that the song was released 5 years prior. He was 44 at the time of his tragic death.
• Gall died on January 7, 2018 – about 31 years after “Ella, elle l’a” was released. She was 70.
• Both artists (Gall and Berger) who worked on this song are dead.
• “Ella, elle l’a” was released by Warner Music Group on August 24, 1987. It went on to become one of the biggest hits in France and Europe in 1987 as well as in 1988.
• The massive success of the track made it a live favorite among fans of France Gall.
• “Ella, elle l’a” peaked at number 1 in both Austria and Germany. It reached number 2 in France. In Switzerland and Sweden, the song peaked at numbers 5 and 4 respectively.
• Ella Fitzgerald’s name isn’t mentioned in the song despite the fact that it pays tribute to her.

Was Ella Fitzgerald alive when this song came out?

Yes. The song came out in 1987 and Fitzgerald died in 1996.

Did “Ella, elle l’a” win a Grammy Award?

No.

Are there any cover versions of this song?

Since the late 1980s, the song has been covered a number of times by different artists. For example, in 2002, singer Alizée covered it live on a TV show. In 2008, singer Kate Ryan released her cover version of the song. Just like the original version, Ryan’s version was also a hit across Europe. For example, it went to number 1 in Spain.

Here’s Ryan’s version of this classic: