Country France Language French Lyricist(s) Guy Mardel | Artist(s) Guy Mardel Composer(s) Françoise Dorin Conductor Franck Pourcel | |
"N'avoue jamais" ("Never admit") was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in French by Guy Mardel. Mardel also wrote the lyric and the melody was composed by Françoise Dorin.
The song was performed eleventh on the night under the baton of Franck Pourcel. The performance followed Sweden's Ingvar Wixell with "Absent Friend" and preceded Portugal's Simone de Oliveira with "Sol de inverno". At the close of voting, it had received 22 points, placing 3rd in a field of 18.
The song is sung as words of advice to young men, with Mardel counselling them never to admit their feelings to their lovers. He contends that "you have to sow doubt to reap love" - in other words, the lovers will receive favours in order to earn their love if they don't give it openly. Mardel also recorded the song in Spanish and Italian, as "Jamás, jamás" and "Non dire mai" respectively.
It was succeeded as French representative at the 1966 Contest by Dominique Walter with "Chez nous".