NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
So many songs listed here are also on my list. "Smoke gets in your eyes" was one of my favorites when I was growing up, in my teenage years actually. Perhaps I aged before my time, but I rarely listened to the genre for my age group.
Do you notice that most of our favorite songs came from our youth, when we were growing up and still viewed life through romantic eyes? I cannot recall a recently released song that could move me as these oldies. It must be because when I listened to my favorite songs, I recalled the old moments and my sentiments then.
But then, I recently discovered this French song, called "Chanson des Vieux Amants" (Song of Old Lovers) by Jacques Brel. It is new to me, but was written by Brel in the 60s. Most Americans do not know Brel, a Belgian, although at least two of his hit songs were translated into English, "If you go away", and "Seasons in the Sun". Born in 29, Brel died young at the age of 49 of lung cancer.
I do not know French like a native to truly appreciate his lyrics, but his works are praised as poetry and revered in Europe. "If you go away" merits a lengthy entry in Wikipedia.
About the subject song, though the circumstances do not apply to my unstormy marriage I could appreciate the song lyrics and its melody. Note the phrase "bedroom without a cradle". He was describing the turmoiled love of a childless couple. The peculiarity about this song was its celebrating of the middle-age love of a couple who has not been immune from infidelity.
YouTube - Jacques Brel Chanson des Vieux Amants English & It. subtitle
Do you notice that most of our favorite songs came from our youth, when we were growing up and still viewed life through romantic eyes? I cannot recall a recently released song that could move me as these oldies. It must be because when I listened to my favorite songs, I recalled the old moments and my sentiments then.
But then, I recently discovered this French song, called "Chanson des Vieux Amants" (Song of Old Lovers) by Jacques Brel. It is new to me, but was written by Brel in the 60s. Most Americans do not know Brel, a Belgian, although at least two of his hit songs were translated into English, "If you go away", and "Seasons in the Sun". Born in 29, Brel died young at the age of 49 of lung cancer.
I do not know French like a native to truly appreciate his lyrics, but his works are praised as poetry and revered in Europe. "If you go away" merits a lengthy entry in Wikipedia.
About the subject song, though the circumstances do not apply to my unstormy marriage I could appreciate the song lyrics and its melody. Note the phrase "bedroom without a cradle". He was describing the turmoiled love of a childless couple. The peculiarity about this song was its celebrating of the middle-age love of a couple who has not been immune from infidelity.
YouTube - Jacques Brel Chanson des Vieux Amants English & It. subtitle