Des mots qui sonnent (song)

"Des mots qui sonnent" (meaning "Words That Sound") is a song from the Dion chante Plamondon album by Celine Dion. It was released as the first (but radio only) single in November 1991 in Canada.

Dion interprets the words of Luc Plamondon, pop lyricist of French-speaking Canada. The music was written by Aldo Nova who already collaborated with Dion on her 1987 Incognito album.

"Des mots qui sonnent" was later included on Dion's Canadian maxi-single "Beauty and the Beast."

Although "Des mots qui sonnent" was a radio release only, a music video was made, featuring Luc Plamondon and Aldo Nova as guest appearances. This video was directed by Alain Desrochers in October 1991. It was included later on the On ne change pas DVD (2005).

Live versions of "Des mots qui sonnent" can be found on Dion's 1994 À l'Olympia album and the Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 CD/DVD. The song also became a part of Dion's 2005 greatest hits CD, called On ne change pas.

"Des mots qui sonnent" entered the Quebec Airplay Chart on 25 November 1991 and peaked at number 10, spending seventeen weeks on chart in total.

The title of the song is a play on words. Although literally meaning "words that sound", it can also mean "words that have meaning" (the French verb "sonner" meaning either "to sound" or "to have meaning"). The song is a narrative by Dion to a songwriter, in which she asks him or her to write her a hit song that will reach the top 10, and also mentions the accompanying video she will have to film among other things. The song is upbeat and has a rock feel, characteristic of a lot of Dion's early work and straying from the powerful ballads for which she has a reputation.