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A collection of some of my favorite French songs with a few classic jazz tunes in English...here's a sample song list and description:
Gottingen (Barbara) -- French jazz waltz. Legendary songwriter Barbara wrote this song in honor of the German city of Gottingen and in spite of historical French- German animosity.
Si j'etais une cigarette (A. Salvador) - French sultry jazz. Perhaps my favorite French song of all time, "If I were a cigarette" uses metaphors to transform a woman into a cigarette, held between his fingers which with the strike of a match make her burn for him, held between his lips, leading his dreams with her trails of smoke....A truly hot, smoky song!
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (Washington/Bassman) - I discovered this jazz classic when I played piano for Aunt Janet's 90th birthday party and fell in love with the song.
Boum (Trenet) - This is the song that screams France to me. Trenet, known as the 'singing nut' is one of France's best songwriters, starting in the 1930s until he performed his last concert in the 90s. Boum sings of the Boum in your hear when you're in love and 'how the whole world goes 'boum' with it." Fun upbeat song.
Hymn de l'amour (Piaf/Monnot) - My favorite Piaf song has an English translation known as "If you love me, really love me."
Chanson pour l'auvergnat (G.Brassens) - Brassens could be called the Woody Guthrie of France. This waltz thanks everyone who helped in life from the person of the Auvergne region to the onlooker who did not mock him as he was being taken away by the police.
So in Love (C. Porter) - Beautiful melody, beautiful lyrics..can't get tired of this one.
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Je t'aime (Fabian/Allison) - This is modern torch song with dramatic lyrics--I love you like a crazyman, a soldier, like a movie star...
Qui sait (Farres/Larue) - This song with a Caribbean feel is well known in Spanish. A lover challenges his mate about the limits of flirting..."Who knows?" what he'll do if she flirts while dancing, he might just do the same.
Don't take your love from me (H. Nemo) - I found this in a jazz fake book and loved the lyrics and melody. Mel Torme and Sinatra did versions of this.
Paris, tu m'as pris dans tes bras (E. Macias) - "Paris you took me in your arms"...Macias is a Pied-Noir singing of how Paris took him in when he left his beloved Algeria.
I found paradise (D. Kuhl) - This is one of my recent original compositions. I think I was inspired by some of the 30s and 40s music I'd been performing, not to mention a delightful man!
Je ne regrette rien (Vaucaire/Dumont) - Piaf's "I don't regret anything" should be a familiar melody to most.
Over the Rainbow - needs no description!
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Je l'aime a mourir
Je ne regrette rien
Je t'aime (L. Fabian)
Je t'aime (J. Hallyday)
J'envoie valser
La vie en rose
L'amant de St. Jean
Le lundi au soleil
Les feuilles mortes
Les gens du Nord
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| French song list....here's an almost complete list of French songs I perform:
L'Auvergnat
Bambina
Beyond the sea (la mer)
La Boheme
Boum
Ca, c'est l'amour
C'est magnifique
Comme d'habitude
Darling, je vous aime beaucoup
Desir
Dream a little dream of me (je reve les yeux ouverts)
Evidemment
Gottingen
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| Les mots bleu
L'hymne de l'amour
Love me, please love me
Nathalie
Ne me quitte pas (if you go away)
Paris, tu m'as pris dans tes bras
Quand il est mort, le poete
Quand on a que l'amour
Qui sait?
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| S'il suffisait d'aimer
Si j'etais une cigarette
Un garcon pas comme les autres
Vivre
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