#French Chanson

[adventuresofalgy]

The weather in the wild west highlands of Scotlands had turned decidedly unpleasant again, with a driving south-westerly pushing the saturating Scotch mist into every nook and cranny it could find – including the gaps between Algy's fluffy feathers – so Algy decided to retreat once more to his assistants' garden, where he thought he might be able to spend a relatively quiet Sunday afternoon resting from his adventures in as much comfort as conditions would allow…

Unfortunately, however, things did not turn out quite as he had hoped; although Algy tried to relax, he had a wee bit of bother… those autumn leaves which had looked so attractive on the trees now seemed determined to keep falling on him, no matter how often he attempted to brush them off…

They inevitably reminded him once again of the jazz version of the song Autumn Leaves, which he had recommended to his friends the day before, and Algy thought that perhaps some friends might also be interested in the very different original (sung here by Edith Piaf), from which all subsequent versions were adapted…

Algy wishes you all a very happy Sunday afternoon, and hopes that you do not have too much trouble with the leaves…

[What has become known as the jazz standard Autumn Leaves was originally a maudlin French chanson, Les feuilles mortes, composed in 1945 by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert. English lyrics were written by that prolific songwriter Johnny Mercer.]

[bitter69uk]

“Former sex kitten turned respected musician and actress – there’s no real equivalent to Jane Birkin on the American scene. The English bird who first gained notoriety doing the female Full Monty in Blow-Up, Birkin moved to France and fell in love with splay-faced boulevardier Serge Gainsbourg. They dueted on “Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus”, a hit single in which she performed what remains the most convincing orgasm in the history of popular culture, Donna Summer and Meg Ryan notwithstanding. Notoriety wears thin over time, but Birkin hung in there and carved out a real career in her adopted country, acting in increasingly well-received films and, with Gainsbourg (until his death in 1991), recording increasingly well-received albums that made the most of her wispy but effective voice.”

/ Vanity Fair magazine on Jane Birkin /

“Serge Gainsbourg, French pop’s leering Marquis de Sade, first cast a predatory eye over British starlet Jane Birkin in 1968. Their orgasmic 1969 duet “Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus” established them as a kinky Eurotrash Sonny and Cher. Even after their 1981 divorce, he continued to write songs for her until his death in 1991. While Gainsbourg composed songs for other French chanteuses (including Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Greco and Francoise Hardy), Birkin remains his definitive muse thanks to the intimacy of her fragile delivery in hesitant French of his toxic sweet nothings (often about herself) in a cut glass Chelsea girl accent. Now in her mid-50s, Birkin still looks every inch the ageless tomboy waif and is fiercely committed to maintaining the musical legacy of her mentor …”

/ Believe it or not, I wrote the above for The Guardian’s Weekend Guide in March 2003 (over twenty years ago!) when Birkin was performing her Arabesque album at The Barbican /

Wow – how sad to bid adieu to the truly great “Jane B” (14 December 1946 - 16 July 2023). I was lucky to see Birkin in concert many times over the years: she was reliably commanding, charismatic and exuded sheer elegance.

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

T'as vu • Amoureuse • Sur les horodateurs • Au bar de l'Oubli • Tristan • Déjà Venise • Nous perdre au Louvre • Des pas dans la neige • Porque te vas • Romy S. • Sous l'averse (en duo avec Ours)

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[yes-im-a-simple-man]

no bc i think tumblr would love this guy y’all just don’t know him yet

everyone say hi to Jordi Vidal Gómez 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

actor, singer, wears the hell out of a feather boa, no this isn’t sponsored i just found him down a youtube rabbit hole (thanks @sixty-silver-wishes) and now i’m telling you

from barcelona, mostly sings in catalan but sometimes in english and sometimes in french

i’m not even the biggest theater person you’ll meet, nor do i speak catalan but DAMN is this guy fun to watch

[prose2passion]

Francoise Hardy features prominently among the french chansons that are deeply buried in my childhood memories.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

NEW LÉA DESANDRE ALBUM!!!!!!!!!

[l-homme-triste-qui-rit]

Когато си хоум офис, работиш с френски език и изведнъж чуеш позната и любима френска песен, идваща право от строежа на кооперацията отсреща. Е нямаше как да не надам ухо... 👂🏽 🇫🇷 😌

[mellowchouchou]

Barbara - La Solitude

Lyrics & Translation:

Je l'ai trouvée devant ma porte Un soir, que je rentrais chez moi Partout, elle me fait escorte Elle est revenue, elle est là La renifleuse des amours mortes Elle m'a suivie, pas à pas La garce, que le Diable l'emporte Elle est revenue, elle est là Avec sa gueule de carême Avec ses larges yeux cernés Elle nous fait le coeur à la traîne Elle nous fait le coeur à pleurer Elle nous fait des matins blêmes Et de longues nuits désolées La garce ! Elle nous ferait même L'hiver au plein coeur de l'été Dans ta triste robe de moire Avec tes cheveux mal peignés T'as la mine du désespoir Tu n'es pas belle à regarder Allez, va t-en porter ailleurs Ta triste gueule de l'ennui Je n'ai pas le goût du malheur Va t-en voir ailleurs si j'y suis Je veux encore rouler des hanches Je veux me saouler de printemps Je veux m'en payer, des nuits blanches A coeur qui bat, à coeur battant Avant que sonne l'heure blême Et jusqu'à mon souffle dernier Je veux encore dire je t'aime Et vouloir mourir d'aimer Elle a dit Ouvre-moi ta porte Je t'avais suivie pas à pas Je sais que tes amours sont mortes Je suis revenue, me voilà Ils t'ont récité leurs poèmes Tes beaux messieurs, tes beaux enfants Tes faux Rimbaud, tes faux Verlaine Eh ! bien, c'est fini, maintenant Depuis, elle me fait des nuits blanches Elle s'est pendue à mon cou Elle s'est enroulée à mes hanches Elle se couche à mes genoux Partout, elle me fait escorte Et elle me suit, pas à pas Elle m'attend devant ma porte Elle est revenue, elle est là La solitude, la solitude

Translation (Source):

I found her outside my door, One night, when I was going home. Everywhere, she’s escorting me. She’s back, here she is, The dead-loves sniffer. She has followed me, step by step. This bitch, to Hell with you! She’s back, here she is, With her fasting face With the rings under her big eyes, She makes us feel like lagging behind, She makes us feel like crying, She turns our mornings wan And our nights long and desolate. This bitch! She would even Turn midsummer into winter. In your sad taffy dress, With your blowzy hair, Your expression is that of despair; You’re not nice to watch. Come on, go and show somewhere else Your sad bored face. I have no taste for unhappiness. Go fly a kite! I still want to swing my hip, I still want to get drunk on spring, I want to have sleepless nights, With my heart racing on the loose. Before tolling for the dead And until my last breath, I still want to say “I love you”, And I want to die of love. She said: “Open the door for me. I have followed you, step by step. I know that your love is dead. I am back, here I am. They declaim their poems to you, Your fine gentlemen, your fine kids, Your fake Rimbaud, your fake Verlaine. Well! It’s over, now.” From now on, she makes me stay awake all night. She’s hanging around my neck, She’s coiled around my hip. She lies down on my knees. Everywhere, she escorts me, And she follows me, step by step. She’s waiting for me outside my door. She’s back, she’s here, The loneliness, the loneliness…

[morningsaidthemoon]

Excerpt from The Song of Roland, translated by Norma Lorre Goodrich (Medieval Myths)

[haveyouheardthisband]

[bitter69uk]

“Raffish, joli laid French balladeer revered by kitsch-loving Rock Snobs for his sleazy-listening pop of the 1960s and 70s. Despite hangdog looks and an inability to actually sing, Gainsbourg embodied the pungent flower of French manhood in all its Gallic glory, duetting and getting busy with such hotties of the period as Brigitte Bardot and English dolly bird Jane Birkin …”

/ From Serge Gainsbourg’s entry in The Rock Snob’s Dictionary in the November 2000 issue of Vanity Fair magazine /

Born on this day: musical genius, ultimate dissipated lounge lizard and French pop’s Marquis de Sade, Serge Gainsbourg (né Lucien Ginsburg, 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991). Guzzle some vin rouge and chain-smoke Gitanes in his memory!

[shisasan]

Françoise Hardy - Mon amie la rose

Rest in peace you beautiful soul 🌹

[a-secretkey]

Françoise Hardy 🤍

(x)

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

y’all this album is SO GOOD it’s kept me sane since yesterday

[alloutshirt]

not the usual content but i feel the need to share, lots of protests currently happening in france against macron and his government but these images of firefighters joining after they were called to turn off fires set by protesters are Everything. they were heavily cheered on by crowd who started chanting "tout le monde aime les pompiers" (everyone loves firefighters) in ref to the "tout le monde déteste la police" slogan (everyone hates cops)

to the point of protecting people from them <3