Dominique

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title: "Dominique" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1963-singles", "billboard-hot-100-number-one-singles", "cashbox-number-one-singles", "number-one-singles-in-argentina", "number-one-singles-in-australia", "number-one-singles-in-canada", "number-one-singles-in-new-zealand", "number-one-singles-in-south-africa", "number-one-singles-in-venezuela", "soeur-sourire-songs", "songs-written-by-noël-regney", "songs-in-french", "philips-records-singles", "1963-songs", "number-one-singles-in-mexico", "cultural-depictions-of-saint-dominic", "songs-about-religious-leaders", "songs-about-real-people"] topic_path: "geography/argentina" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameDominique
coverDominique - The Singing Nun.jpg
typesingle
artistSœur Sourire
albumThe Singing Nun
B-sideEntre Les Étoiles
releasedOctober 1963
recorded1963
studioPhilips Studios, Brussels
genreFolk
length2:53
labelPhilips
writerJeanine Deckers
::

| name = Dominique | cover = Dominique - The Singing Nun.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Sœur Sourire | album = The Singing Nun | B-side = Entre Les Étoiles | released = October 1963 | recorded = 1963 | studio = Philips Studios, Brussels | genre = Folk | length = 2:53 | label = Philips | writer = Jeanine Deckers | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year =

"Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by Belgian singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest and founder of the Dominican Order, of which she was a member (as Sister Luc-Gabrielle). The English-version lyrics of the song were written by Noël Regney. In addition to French and English, Deckers recorded versions in Dutch, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese.

It was a top selling record in 11 countries in late 1963 and early 1964.

Commercial performance

"Dominique" reached the Top 10 in 11 countries in late 1963 and early 1964, topping the chart in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It reached the Top 5 in Norway, Denmark, Ireland and South Africa, with the song making it into the lower reaches of the Top 10 in the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom. The song reached and stayed at No. 1 on Top 40 radio station WABC in New York City for the four weeks of 19 November through 10 December. On WLS Chicago, the song was No. 1 for the three weeks 15–29 November 1963. On both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and "Easy Listening chart", "Dominique" was No. 1 for the four weeks 7–28 December 1963.

The song won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical) in 1964. It was also a nominee for Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and Sœur Sourire was a nominee for Best Female Vocal Performance. It was the second foreign language song to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1963, the first being "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto. For the next ten years or so, although there were a number of hits with most of the vocals in a language other than English (e.g., The Sandpipers' "Guantanamera", René y René's "Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero", etc.), no other purely foreign language song reached the Billboard Hot 100's top 40 until the Spanish language hit "Eres tú (Touch The Wind)" in 1974.{{cite book | first= Joel | last= Whitburn | year= 1990 | title= The Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Seventies (12 January 1974 through 4 May 1974) | publisher= Record Research, Inc | location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin | isbn= 0-89820-076-8}} "Dominique" outsold Elvis Presley during its stay on the Billboard Hot 100; it was the second to last No. 1 hit before the British Invasion.

The song

"Dominique" became a worldwide hit in 1963 and was the first, and only, Belgian number-one hit single in the American Billboard charts.

It is remembered chiefly for its refrain, which goes: : Domi-nique -nique -nique s'en allait tout simplement, : Routier, pauvre et chantant. : En tous chemins, en tous lieux, : Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu, : Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu.

A literal English translation is: : Domi-nic -nic -nic went about simply, : a poor singing traveller. : On every road, in every place, : he talks only of the Good Lord, : he talks only of the Good Lord.

The lyrics of the chorus of Regney's English-language translation are: : Domi-nique -nique -nique, o'er the land he plods along, : And sings a little song. : Never asking for reward, : He just talks about the Lord, : He just talks about the Lord.

Chart history

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1963–1964) | Peak position | |---|---| | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iEUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 |title=Billboard Magazine, May, 1964 |publisher=Billboard |date= 9 May 1964|access-date=2018-07-03}} | 1 | | Australian Singles Chart | 1 | | Brazil Singles Chart (IBOPE) | 1 | | Brazil EP's Chart (IBOPE) | 2 | | Canadian (CHUM Charts Top 20) | 1 | | Danish Singles Chart | 2 | | Dutch Singles Chart | 6 | | German Singles Chart | 7 | | Finland Singles Chart (Suomen virallinen lista) | 23 | | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FUUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30|title=Billboard Magazine, February 1, 1964 |magazine=Billboard|date=1 February 1964}} | 3 | | Japanese Singles Chart | 2 | | Mexican Singles Chart (AMPROFON) | 1 | | New Zealand Hit Parade | 1 | | Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 | | South African Singles Chart | 1 | | Swedish Singles Chart | 12 | | Swiss Hitparade | 4 | | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_UQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28|title=Billboard Magazine, June 6, 1964 |publisher=Billboard |date= 6 June 1964|access-date=2018-07-03}} | 2 | | UK Singles Chart | 7 | | US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | | Venezuela Singles Chart | 1 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1963)Rank
US Cash Box100
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (1964)Rank
South Africa (Springbok)5
US Cash Box11
::

All-time charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1958–2018)Position
US Billboard Hot 100412
::

Cover versions

References

References

  1. Dominique, by the "Singing Nun", Lyrics and Music. National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved on 25 January 2009
  2. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-30-me-regney30-story.html Noel Regney, 80; Wrote Favorite Christmas Tune, Hit Song for Singing Nun] By Dennis Mclellan. 30 November 2002 for ''The Los Angeles Times.'' Retrieved on 25 January 2009.
  3. [https://www.musicradio77.com/Surveys/1963/surveydec1063.html Musicradio77.com/Surveys/1963 10 December 1963]
  4. (1963-11-15). "Silver Dollar Survey". WLS.
  5. "Grammy Award Nominees 1964 – Grammy Award Winners 1964".
  6. (9 May 1964). "Billboard Magazine, May, 1964". Billboard.
  7. (14 December 1963). "Billboard – Google Livres".
  8. "Cash Box - International Best Sellers". Cash Box. 7 March 1964. p. 62..
  9. "Cash Box - International Best Sellers". Cash Box. 7 March 1964. p. 62..
  10. "Chart #351 – Monday, December 2, 1963".
  11. (1964-02-29). "Billboard Magazine, February, 1964". Billboard.
  12. Steffen Hung. (2015-02-21). "Dutch Charts". dutchcharts.nl.
  13. (2001-01-22). "INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20". Ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de.
  14. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  15. (1 February 1964). "Billboard Magazine, February 1, 1964".
  16. "Cash Box - International Best Sellers". Cash Box. 14 March 1964. p. 46..
  17. "Cash Box - International Best Sellers". Cash Box. 7 March 1964. p. 63..
  18. "flavour of new zealand – Home". Flavourofnz.co.nz.
  19. Steffen Hung. "Sœur Sourire – Dominique". norwegiancharts.com.
  20. (1963-12-14). "Bästa låtar 1963". S0416.tripod.com.
  21. (2 May 1964). "Billboard Magazine, May 2, 1964". Billboard.
  22. (6 June 1964). "Billboard Magazine, June 6, 1964". Billboard.
  23. (2000-03-16). "UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts". everyHit.com.
  24. (2019). "The Singing Nun (Soeur Sourire) Chart History: Hot 100".
  25. [http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1963YESP.html Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, 28 December 1963]
  26. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1964".
  27. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".
  28. [http://www.sandlerandyoung.com/cd.htm Sandler & Young CD Collection] {{webarchive. link. (2008-12-10 . Retrieved on 25 January 2009)

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1963-singlesbillboard-hot-100-number-one-singlescashbox-number-one-singlesnumber-one-singles-in-argentinanumber-one-singles-in-australianumber-one-singles-in-canadanumber-one-singles-in-new-zealandnumber-one-singles-in-south-africanumber-one-singles-in-venezuelasoeur-sourire-songssongs-written-by-noël-regneysongs-in-frenchphilips-records-singles1963-songsnumber-one-singles-in-mexicocultural-depictions-of-saint-dominicsongs-about-religious-leaderssongs-about-real-people