Chanson Du Jour: T’es Beau

English Translation by Frenchlations

You’re beautiful,
You’re beautiful because you’re brave
To look deep into the eyes
Of the one who challenges you to be happy

You’re beautiful,
You’re beautiful as a silent scream,
Strong as a precious metal,
who fights to heal its bruises,
It is like an old tune,
A few notes in torment,
That force my heart,
That force my joy,
When I think of you,
Now.

It is no good,
It is no good saying to myself that it is better this way,
Even if it still hurts,
I don’t have any silent refuge.

It is beautiful,
It is beautiful because it is stormy,
With this weather I know very little,
The words that stay at the corner of my eyes.
It is like an old tune,
A few notes in torment,
That force my heart,
That force my joy,
When I think of you.

You, you’re leaving the stage
Without a weapon and without hatred
I’m afraid to forget,
I’m afraid to accept,
I’m afraid of the living,
Now.

You’re beautiful…

Barbara “Nantes”

Monique Serf, dite Barbara (ou Barbara Brodi à ses débuts), est un auteur-compositeur-interprète français, née le 9 juin 1930 à Paris 17e et morte le 24 novembre 1997 à l’hôpital américain de Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine).

Sa poésie engagée, la beauté mélodique de ses compositions et la profondeur de l’émotion que dégageait sa voix lui assurèrent un public qui la suivit pendant quarante ans. Nombre de ses chansons sont devenues des classiques de la chanson française, notamment : Dis, quand reviendras-tu ?, Nantes, Göttingen, La Dame brune, L’Aigle noir, Marienbad ou encore Ma plus belle histoire d’amour.

Elle joua également dans nombre de films et de pièces de théâtre.

Juliette Gréco “Les feuilles mortes”

Juliette Gréco beautifully performs “Les Feuilles Mortes,” which was composed by Joseph Kosma in 1945, and recorded by Yves Montand in 1949, and later retitled “The Autumn Leaves” with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Mercer’s friend and former bandmate Jo Stafford to made the first English-language recording in July, 1950.

A half-French half-English version was released by Édith Piaf in 1951.

Monsieur Pas de Merde also recommends the brilliant version of “Autumn Leaves” recorded by Eva Cassady