Country France Selected entrant Isabelle Aubret Final result 3rd, 20 points | Selection process Internal Selection Selected song "La Source" 1968 • 1969► | |
France was represented by their 1962 Eurovision Song Contest winner Isabelle Aubret, with the song '"La Source", at the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 6 April in London. The song was chosen internally by broadcaster ORTF.
At Eurovision
On the night of the final Aubret performed 10th in the running order, following Finland and preceding Italy. "La Source" was a deceptively gentle-sounding song with a much-praised lilting musical arrangement which, to non-French speakers, hid lyrics often said to deal with the darkest subject matter – rape and murder – ever heard in a Eurovision song. In the early voting Aubret appeared to be on course to become the first performer to score two Eurovision victories, as after six juries had voted "La Source" held a seemingly commanding lead of 17 points over the United Kingdom on 10. Then the song suffered one of Eurovision's more spectacular voting collapses, gaining only 3 more points from the remaining ten juries – and none at all from the final six – to finish the evening in third place with 20 points. The French jury awarded 4 points apiece to eventual contest winners Spain and runners-up the United Kingdom.