“Poulet No. 728 120” is Philippe Katerine’s tongue-in-cheek ode to a very specific roast chicken. By reciting the bird’s full identification number, birthplace in the Vendée countryside, diet, slaughter date, and even the exact price paid, the singer turns an everyday supermarket item into a fully documented character. The meticulous details sound almost like a love letter or a police report, inviting us to notice how absurdly bureaucratic, yet strangely intimate, the modern food chain can be.
Behind the humor lies a gentle critique of consumer habits. Katerine shows how quickly a living creature is transformed into a product, efficiently “electrocuted, gutted, plucked, washed” then packaged for our convenience. Yet once on his plate, the artist declares his affection: “I loved it, the chicken… I love you, I think of you.” With playful irony, the song asks listeners to reflect on the thin line between affection and consumption, reminding us that every meal has a story—even if it’s stamped with a number instead of a name.