Mélodie is the French word for “melody”. The word is used in music to mean songs written by French composers of classical music from the mid-19th century to the present. The "mélodie" in French music is similar to the "Lied" in German music. ""Mélodie"" is not the same as "chanson" (the French word for “song”). The word ""chanson"" is used for folksongs or popular songs.