Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now

Avril Lavigne has all the habits of the collector, but none of the etiquette.

We of Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now! have already explained our objections to Avril Lavigne’s song “Girlfriend”: it is a mean-spirited attack designed to put down other girls and justify stealing their boyfriends. In our response, “G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N. (You Know I’ve Got A)”, the boyfriend in question tells Avril to leave him alone once and for all.

Ironically, her song about stealing boyfriends is, itself, stolen. Fans of the 1979 Rubinoos hit “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” will notice that the chorus in Avril’s song is nearly identical, save for the change in gender. The Rubinoos sued Avril in 2007 for stealing their song. It was eventually settled out of court, hopefully involving a huge cash settlement for The Rubinoos.

We of The French Resistance…Now! are raising the banner of solidarity with The Rubinoos. The b-side for “G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N.” is a cover of the original song, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Have a listen on our Myspace (www.myspace.com/fixingthecharts) to hear how Avril ripped their song off. Then, show your support for the wronged Rubinoos by purchasing our single and b-side on iTunes HERE. We promise we will send the publishing royalties to their rightful owners.

HERE is the video for our single, streamed on Stereogum. It is an homage to the French New Wave films “Cleo from 5 to 7” and “Band of Outsiders,” and was directed by singer Nathaniel Fregoso of The Blood Arm.