The French Collection 法国歌曲
When you are retired, and nearing seventy-nine years of age, you will find that you have time. You have time to reflect - on your past, on your achievements, and most important of all, of your failures. This is simply because your failures are the ones you want to document in order that your grandchildren and others like them can learn from.
One of my failings of my past is the fact that I did not learn French - the French Language and the French Culture. Growing up in a British colonial system of Singapore, my eyes and my thoughts had been prejudicially influenced that France, and anything French, like Napoleon or even Moulin Rouge, are ‘bad’. How wrong was I?
I hasten to correct this image from my mind as I discover that a lot of our British hit songs either started in France or modified with a lot more emotional feels by French singers.
Let us start first with the French version of “The Last Waltz” sang by Mireille Mathieu in November 2005.
The French name for the song is ‘La derniere valse’. Watch this at: https://youtu.be/wYEqD84wSrU
The Translation of the French lyrics to English: The ball was about to end / Should I leave or stay? / The orchestra was going to play the last song / When I saw you passing near me ... / It was the last waltz / My heart was no longer without love / Together this waltz, / We danced it forever./ We loved each other for a long time always stronger / Our joys our sorrows had the same agreement / And then one day I saw change your eyes / You broke my heart saying "goodbye" / It was the last waltz / My heart was left alone without love / And yet this waltz, could have lasted forever / So is life, all is well finished / I still have a waltz and my tears ... / La la la la la la la / It was the last waltz / My heart was left without love / And yet this waltz, could have lasted forever / La la la la la la la la la
The Lyrics: in French: Le bal allait bientôt se terminer/ Devais-je m’en aller ou bien rester ?/ L’orchestre allait jouer le tout dernier morceau/ Quand je t’ai vu passer près de moi…/ C’était la dernière valse/ Mon cœur n’était plus sans amour/ Ensemble cette valse,/ Nous l’avons dansée pour toujours./ On s’est aimé longtemps toujours plus fort/ Nos joies nos peines avaient le même accord/ Et puis un jour j’ai vu changer tes yeux/ Tu as brisé mon cœur en disant “adieu”./ C’était la dernière valse/ Mon cœur restait seul sans amour/ Et pourtant cette valse, aurait pu durer toujours/ Ainsi va la vie, tout est bien fini/ Il me reste une valse et mes larmes…/ La la la la la la la la la la/ C’était la dernière valse/ Mon cœur restait seul sans amour/ Et pourtant cette valse, aurait pu durer toujours/ La la la la la la la la la la
Now for the English version of the same song, “The Last Waltz” sung by Engelbert Humperdinck https://youtu.be/vf4mWO06wlw
Kindly take a note of the differences in the emotional faces of the two singers, and, the manner in which the two singers delivered the same song. I must admit that I find the French singer’s body language is more sincere although of course, Englebert Humperdinck is more popular.
Read about the life of Mireille Mathieu from Wikipedia here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mireille_Mathieu
Let us move on to another French song, “La Vie en rose”. Listen first to the French version by Andrea Bocelli https://youtu.be/4REbp0s_G9w and then the English version by Daniela Andrade https://youtu.be/qUl6gf-6ol8 Michael Bluble had an English version of this song to at: https://youtu.be/jwLFGlP1hio
La Vie en rose: Lyrics in French with English translations: Eyes that bring down mine
Des
A laugh that gets lost on his mouth Un
He whispers to me Il me parle tout
And it does something to me Et ça me
Il est entré
A slice of happiness Une part de bonheur
That I know the reason
He told me, swore it for life Il me l’a dit, l’a juré pour la vie And as soon as I see him Et dès que je l’aperçois
So I feel Inside me Alors je sens en moi
My heart beating Mon cœur
A great happiness that takes its place Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place
Trouble, sorrows fade away Des ennuis, des chagrins s’effacent
Happy, happy to die Heureux, heureux à en mourir When he takes me in his arms Quand il me prend dans ses bras
He whispers to me Il me parle tout bas
I see life in pink Je vois la vie en rose
of the Des…
The English song with the same La Vie En Rose music has the following lyrics: https://youtu.be/7sc44v82b5A
“La Vie En Rose (English)”
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I’m in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak angels sing from above
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
And when you speak angels sing from above
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
Our next song is “Le Mer” by Charles Trenet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXQh9jTwwoA
“La Mer” means “The Sea” and is a song composed by Charles Trenet, first recorded by French singer, Roland Gerbeau in 1945. Charles Trenet recorded his own version in 1946 and it became an unexpected hit song. It has been a favourite French song ever since.
The song from Moulin Rouge as recorded by Melachring Strings Orchestra and another version recorded by Giselle Mackenzie are two versions that are popular. View the Moulin Rouge Feerie at https://youtu.be/V66X7EIAnoY
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Then there is the song composed by French Composer Francis Lai entitled “Love Story”. Listen to the lovely music here: https://youtu.be/XCzwlSPTnr4
The music and the lyrics of “The Autumn Leaves” is another song I love. I did not even know that this song has its French origin way back in 1945 in the name of Les Feuilles Mortes” literally “The Dead Leaves”. https://youtu.be/Pr8n8EN2rQE and https://youtu.be/xXBNlApwh0c
Listen now to two singers singing together in “If You Go Away”. Put our hands together for a round of applause to Tony Sandler and Ralph Young. https://youtu.be/kdCvj-P9PHM
If you go away on this summer day
Then you might as well take the sun away
All the birds that flew in the summer sky
When our love was new and our hearts were high
When the day was young and the night was long
And the moon stood still for the night bird’s song
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
But if you stay, I’ll make you a day
Like no day has been or will be again
We’ll sail on the sun, we’ll ride on the rain
We’ll talk to the trees and worship the wind
Then if you go, I’ll understand
Leave me just enough love to hold in my hand
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s’oublier
Qui s’enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perd
Finally, there is the song “C’est Is Bon” that I would like to share with you. https://youtu.be/OFCS7kZwxug
English