Foreigners in England/France

Damian   Sunday, June 06, 2004, 23:45 GMT
Before I shoot, I have got to say...I just adore hearing songs sung in French! Any kind of song, but my real absolute fave is "La Mer" sung by Charles Trennet.....I think it must be decades old as I think he died a long time ago but I heard it on the radio yesterday. The wording is lovely, too.
Jordi   Monday, June 07, 2004, 11:47 GMT
Damian,
Charles Trenet only died a couple of years ago and he was quite an old man. Anyway, I'm just writing to congratulate you for such wonderful taste.: "La mer, qu'on voit danser, le long, des golfes clairs, a des reflets d'argent...
You've made me dream...
Damian   Monday, June 07, 2004, 14:05 GMT
Jordi....merci mon ami!

................cont
La mer des reflets changeants sous la pluie.

La mer au ciel d'ete confond
Ses blancs moutons
Avec les anges si purs
La mer bergere d'azur
Infinie

Voyez
Pres des etangs
Ces grands roseaux mouilles
Voyez
Ces oiseaux blancs
Et ces maisons rouillees

La mer
Les a berces
Le long des golfes clairs
Et d'une chanson d'amour
Le mer
A berce mon coeur pour la vie

Sadly my keyboard is British or something and I'm unable to print the appropriate "accents" :-(

I'm sorry I spelt M Trenet's name incorrectly!

je reviens aussi...les chansons francais
Might Mick   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 07:51 GMT
Cheers :)
Might Mick   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 07:54 GMT
That cheerio was directed at Damian.

Have you heard it sung by Kevin Kline? (the American actor) He's got an excellent French accent.
opi   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 10:36 GMT
you the americans and brits always think we french only listen to edith piaf and charles trenet.what a pity! don't you know we also have rock, ska, punk, reggae, rap, techno, etc etc.... groups??? Do you know Noir Désir (its lead singer is actually in gaol in Lithuania), Les Cadavres (famous french punk band), Manu Chao (yes! manu chao is french), Pleymo, Kargols, Massilia Sound System......................
Might Mick   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 11:31 GMT
...La Ruda Salska, Kermess, Matmatah, Manau... there are plenty more.
nic   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 11:58 GMT
the Sex Pistols!
Might Mick   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 12:14 GMT
That's almost as old as Charles Trenet.
nic   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 12:35 GMT
charles trenet was a "zazou" and the S Pistols were punk.
Might Mick   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 13:21 GMT
(les zazous et le swing LOL !)
We were naming French artists... the Pistols were Brit.
nic   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 13:23 GMT
Les zazous were a music style in the 40'S in France, C Trenet was 1 of them
Damian   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 13:51 GMT
Opi: of course I know about the punk, rock, techno, rap etc that you have in France! What I meant and referred to was the lyric of the French song....the words. This site is about words and language and I think a French lyric is great to listen to even though I do not understand some of it. The one I referred to..La Mer... I heard about a month ago on BBC radio and the words were clear and understandable. They are beautiful to my ears. I had not heard of Charles Trenet before that so I looked him up on the net and the song and words were listed. I still say it is my fave French song!

When I go to clubs I dance to the sound and then words mean nothing.

Les zazous? Expliquez svp! :-)

Mick: I never realised Kevin Kline had an excellent French accent.
nic   Tuesday, June 08, 2004, 14:32 GMT
The "Zazou" style was as i wrote a style in France in the 40's like there are some rappers, punks, ska, rasta etc, they had special kind of clothes, they used to go in some precise places in Paris and listened C Trenet's songs. .
Might Mick   Wednesday, June 09, 2004, 00:54 GMT
Damian, re: Kevin Kline - Maybe only in that song he sings.

http://www.ralphmag.org/BR/gurdjieff2.html

"How did the Paris juveniles react to the war and occupation? Not unlike the Mexican "zoot suiters" of California of exactly the same period:

A number of the young rebelled by adopting Zazous or "hepcat" look. The name Zazou came from a song sung by Charles *Grenet with a chorus of Je suis swing, zazou, zazou."

*Grenet ~ Trénet