Patti LaBelle Says She Had 'No Clue' What French 'Lady Marmalade' Lyrics Meant Upon Recording the Hit

"I had no clue it meant, 'Will you sleep with me tonight?'" said LaBelle of the classic song's lyric, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

The lyrics of "Lady Marmalade" weren't always in Patti LaBelle's vocabulary.

During an interview on Sherri last week, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter revealed she didn't understand the French lyrics in the girl group Labelle's 1974 signature song upon recording it.

At the time, LaBelle, 78, simply knew the song would be iconic. "For once I can say 'yes' and really mean 'yes' because we were on our way to New Orleans with Allen Toussaint back in the day before he passed," she said. "Once we got this 'Lady M' song I said, 'We have to record this first, 'cause it's a hit,' and it was a hit!"

"I had no clue it meant, 'Will you sleep with me tonight?'" added the vocalist of the lyric, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

Related:Patti LaBelle Says She's Now Open to Dating at Age 78: 'I'm Too Good to Be Solo'

"I didn't know French," said LaBelle. "I didn't know no French. I knew it was a hit!"

"Lady Marmalade" was certainly a hit, as it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Over a quarter-century later, the song was covered by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya for the 2001 film Moulin Rouge! and topped the chart for a second time.

The Moulin Rouge! version earned a Grammy Award for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2002, and Labelle's original was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame the following year.

Related:Why Patti LaBelle Regrets Not Making Her Sister the 'Best Egg Sandwich' One Day Before Her Death

Earlier this year, LaBelle opened up about wanting to date during an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

When host Jennifer Hudson asked the legend if she was open to dating, she got right to the point. "Well sorta, kinda," she said. "How old am I? 78."

LaBelle continued, touching on her previous marriage to Armstead Edwards which ended in 2003. "I was married for 32 years to a wonderful man and we're still friends, good friends," she said.

"So I think in life I need to find happiness for myself, other than what I had back in the day with him, which was wonderful. But I'm too good to be solo," she added, to resounding cheers from the audience.

Hudson, 41, went on to ask the singer-turned-cookbook author if she ever does any dating apps.

Related:Patti LaBelle Says She Cooks to Make People Happy: 'When I Cook, It's Like a Concert on the Stove'

"What's that? What are dating apps?" LaBelle answered, while Hudson and the audience laughed. "Oh that stuff," she said after the Dreamgirls star explained. "I've seen that commercial!"

LaBelle has no need for those, though, the Godmother of Soul explaining that she already has a potential love interest on her radar. "I do have a nice person in mind," she admitted. "I really do."

Just don't expect her to reveal his name anytime soon. "That's my personal business," she quipped — Hudson quickly agreeing. "Yes ma'am! Moving on!" the talk show host and EGOT winner said.

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