La Mer (The Sea)
The Étang de Thau, from Sète
Charles Trenet was inspired to compose the tune for “La Mer” in 1943 while riding a train with pianist Léo Chauliac past the Étang de Thau, a lagoon on the Mediterranean coast between Montpellier and Perpignan. He was charmed by the changing visual perceptions of the landscape animated by the movement of the train. Afterwards, he combined the melody with lyrics he had written much earlier in 1929 as a poem when he was only 16 years old. During those intervening years, the lyrics lay undisturbed. Even after writing the melody in 1943, it lay fallow for 3 years before he recorded the song in 1946, one year after its first recording by Roland Gerbeau. He borrowed the title from Claude Debussy's symphony of the same name composed some 40 years before. He explained in one interview that he let it rest all those years because he had been told it was not “swing” enough to become a hit. It became a hit all right, and thirteen years later, many miles beyond the sea, Jack Lawrence and Bobby Darin in the US gave it "swing." It became a global hit with thousands of recorded versions by numerous artists.
Trenet’s song was a love song to the sea itself and the Mediterranean coastal waterways. Most French "chansons" address personal or interpersonal issues rather than inanimate objects, but in this song Trenet provides anthropomorphic qualities. He personalizes the sea as the principal actor and endows it with mothering qualities: it “dances,” “cradles,” “shepherds,” and sings a “chanson d’amour.” Lines in the song like “le long des golfes clairs,” and in fact the entire first stanza, have entered the French vernacular and inspired artistic expressions as shown below.
Trenet’s song was a love song to the sea itself and the Mediterranean coastal waterways. Most French "chansons" address personal or interpersonal issues rather than inanimate objects, but in this song Trenet provides anthropomorphic qualities. He personalizes the sea as the principal actor and endows it with mothering qualities: it “dances,” “cradles,” “shepherds,” and sings a “chanson d’amour.” Lines in the song like “le long des golfes clairs,” and in fact the entire first stanza, have entered the French vernacular and inspired artistic expressions as shown below.
Trenet’s perspective in his song is that of an observer caressing the sea with his eyes from afar and delighting in its changing aspects, much like Charles Baudelaire describes his Creole mistress Jeanne Duval in his poem “Le serpent qui danse.” Trenet depicts his image of the sea in finely drawn imagery. It dances with shafts of silver light that change in the rain. In the summer sun, its whitecaps blend with sheeplike clouds in the sky, all tended by La Mer-- the embracing shepherdess of endless blue. Tall, wet reeds, white birds and rusted houses line its banks and La Mer cradles them like it cradles Trenet's heart with its love song. This tender portrayal suggests that perhaps La Mer evokes in Trenet unconscious associations with "la mère" ("The mother").
Trenet's sharp images and metaphors (“golfes clairs,” “reflets d’argent,” “blancs moutons” “anges si purs,” “azur infinie,” “roseaux mouillés,” “oiseaux blancs,” “maisons rouillées”) are compelling, and the exuberant concluding vocal crescendo is a signature motif for the upbeat cabaret singer. As Will Friedwald observed, Trenet's version sounds "as if he were singing the national anthem."
In 1946, Jack Lawrence wrote completely different lyrics for an English language version that he called "Beyond the Sea." That adaptation is discussed below and it took many years before it achieved its destiny. A side-by-side comparison of Trenet's original, a translation, and Lawrence's version is here.
The song is in classic format of 4 stanzas of 4 lines each, repeated for a total of 8 stanzas. In the second go-round, a chorus chimes in for the last 2 stanzas, repeating each line in an echoing sort of way. There is no singular rhyming scheme.
In 1946, Jack Lawrence wrote completely different lyrics for an English language version that he called "Beyond the Sea." That adaptation is discussed below and it took many years before it achieved its destiny. A side-by-side comparison of Trenet's original, a translation, and Lawrence's version is here.
The song is in classic format of 4 stanzas of 4 lines each, repeated for a total of 8 stanzas. In the second go-round, a chorus chimes in for the last 2 stanzas, repeating each line in an echoing sort of way. There is no singular rhyming scheme.
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La mer qu’on voit danser Le long des golfes clairs A des reflets d’argent, La mer Des reflets changeants sous la pluie La mer au ciel d’été Confond ses blancs moutons Avec les anges si purs La mer, bergère d’azur infinie Voyez, près des étangs Ces grands roseaux mouillés Voyez ces oiseaux blancs Et ces maisons rouillées La mer, les a bercés Le long des golfes clairs Et d’une chanson d’amour La mer a bercé mon cœur pour la vie La mer qu’on voit danser Le long des golfes clairs A des reflets d’argent La mer des reflets changeants sous la pluie La mer au ciel d’été Confond ses blancs moutons Avec les anges si purs La mer bergère d’azur infinie {Chorus joins in} Voyez (voyez) Près des étangs (près des étangs) Ces grands roseaux mouillés (voyez ces roseaux) Voyez (voyez) Ces oiseaux blancs (ces oiseaux blancs) Et ces maisons rouillées (la-la-la-la-la-la) La mer les a bercés (les a bercés) Le long des golfes clairs Et d’une chanson d’amour La mer a bercé mon cœur pour la vie |
The sea that we see dance Along the clear gulfs Has silvery reflections. The sea Changing reflections under the rain. The sea under summer’s sky Blends its white sheep With angels so pure. The sea, shepherdess of endless blue See, near the ponds Those tall wet reeds. See these white birds And these rusty houses. The sea, has cradled them Along the bright bays. And with a love song The sea has cradled my heart for life. The sea that we see dance Along the clear gulfs Has silver reflections. The sea changing reflections under the rain. The sea under summer’s sky Blends its white sheep With angels so pure The sea shepherdess of endless blue {Chorus joins in} See (See) Near the ponds (near the ponds) These big wet reeds (See the reeds) See (See) These white birds (These white birds) And these rusty houses (la-la-la-la-la) The sea has cradled them (cradled them) Along clear gulfs. And with a love song The sea has cradled my heart for life |
NB:
- “Le long des golfes clairs:” this line has entered the French vernacular and is variously translated as “along the clear gulfs” or “along the bright bays.”
- "La mer au ciel d’été confound see blancs moutons aves les angels si pure:” the image here is of the blue sea and the blue sky merging or blending at the horizon so that the “blancs moutons” of the sea (whitecaps) co-mingle with the “anges si purs” of the sky, which might be either clouds or angels.
- “La mer bergère d’azur infinite:” Trenet personalizes the sea as a “shepherdess of the infinite blue” in light of his earlier characterization of whitecaps as “blanc moutons” which obviously need shepherding.
- “La mer les a bercés:” “The sea cradled them” refers back to the reeds, birds and houses in previous lines that are being cradled.
Beyond the Sea
Jack Lawrence
Jack Lawrence was an experienced lyricist with contacts in the Parisian publishing house Breton Music which published Trenet's songs. In 1946, Raoul Breton visited New York and conscripted Lawrence to do an English lyric. Lawrence did not want to do a simple translation of Trenet's admiring ode to the sea and crafted an entirely new song that lacks Trenet's verbal craft and poetry.
In 1946, Lawrence turned Trenet's hommage to the sea into a song of interpersonal love between two unidentified parties who share loss and longing through separation by the sea. Ironically, the sea stands as a barrier between these lovers rather than an object of adoration. As such, the song fits in the mold of songs like "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean," "Red Sails in the Sunset" or "Harbor Lights." Lawrence was undoubtedly familiar with the very popular "Red Sails in the Sunset."
In 1935, James (“Jimmy”) Kennedy wrote the lyrics for “Red Sails in the Sunset” with music contributed by “Hugh Williams.” That was a pseudonym for Wilhelm Grosz, a Jewish composer who in 1934 fled Austria to Britain. Kennedy based the song on a personal experience in the Northern Ireland town of Portstewart where he watched the sloop "Kitty of Coleraine" sailing off the coast when its white sails were bathed red by the setting sun. Kennedy also wrote lyrics for “Harbor Lights” and 2000 other songs. Numerous covers of the song in multiple genres proliferated over the years in the voices of the biggest stars: Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Paul Anka, Perry Como and countless others. Of particular resonance with Lawrence's lyrics is the repeated phrase in "Red Sails..:" "he goes sailing no more."
Harry James and His Orchestra first recorded an English version of Lawrence's song in 1947. Benny Goodman (1948) and Roger Williams (1955) did instrumental versions. It never really took off, however, until 1959 when 23-year old Bobby Darin released his snappy song with a melodic uplift. It became a huge hit and rose to #6 on the charts, following up his #1 "Mack the Knife" the year before.
The lack of specificity in Lawrence's lyrics prompts speculation about its meaning. On its face, Lawrence’s adaptation adopts the perspective of a sailor on the sea in a boat, surrounded by nothing but water. The sailor left his love behind "on golden sand" beyond the stars and beyond the moon. He envisions her waiting and watching for his return: "I know beyond a doubt my heart will lead me there soon." There is no explanation whether the principal is a ship’s mate, a fisherman, or whatever reason he is at sea. He alleges longing to return and kiss his beloved on the shore and vows that he’ll then go sailing no more.
There is enough ambiguity in the lyrics to turn interpretations of the song's "real" meaning on their head. Some people feel that the beloved is actually dead and the narrator is fantasizing about a posthumous reunion. Others propose that the narrator is shipwrecked and delusional. Even Bob Dylan chips in from his book "The Philosophy of Modern Song" (2022) in a chapter on Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea." Dylan writes: "In this song your happiness lies beyond the wide sea, and to get there you have to cross the great unknown." How's that for a metaphor about hope and determination instead of separation and loss? It is perhaps not surprising since the title of Dylan's own 2006 song "Beyond the Horizon" resonates with "Beyond the Sea," explicitly borrows its melody from "Red Sails in the Sunset" (for which Dylan paid a royalty), and its theme is transcending the fear of death. Dylan's perspective is certainly congruent with the buoyant, finger-snapping, swinging interpretation that Bobby Darin gives the song. Dylan admired Darin's nimble shape-shifting ability to graze between genres. Darin was the prophet that "Beyond the Sea" awaited for 13 years.
Trenet's song and its progeny grew into a "chanson" classic and a jazz standard in both French and English versions. Even more, it became emblematic of France in numerous movies like “L.A. Story,” “French Kiss,” “Mr. Bean’s Holiday,” “Finding Nemo” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, and Spy.” In the US it became so popular that it named its own movie in 2004--a Darin biopic starring Kevin Spacey.
In 1935, James (“Jimmy”) Kennedy wrote the lyrics for “Red Sails in the Sunset” with music contributed by “Hugh Williams.” That was a pseudonym for Wilhelm Grosz, a Jewish composer who in 1934 fled Austria to Britain. Kennedy based the song on a personal experience in the Northern Ireland town of Portstewart where he watched the sloop "Kitty of Coleraine" sailing off the coast when its white sails were bathed red by the setting sun. Kennedy also wrote lyrics for “Harbor Lights” and 2000 other songs. Numerous covers of the song in multiple genres proliferated over the years in the voices of the biggest stars: Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Paul Anka, Perry Como and countless others. Of particular resonance with Lawrence's lyrics is the repeated phrase in "Red Sails..:" "he goes sailing no more."
Harry James and His Orchestra first recorded an English version of Lawrence's song in 1947. Benny Goodman (1948) and Roger Williams (1955) did instrumental versions. It never really took off, however, until 1959 when 23-year old Bobby Darin released his snappy song with a melodic uplift. It became a huge hit and rose to #6 on the charts, following up his #1 "Mack the Knife" the year before.
The lack of specificity in Lawrence's lyrics prompts speculation about its meaning. On its face, Lawrence’s adaptation adopts the perspective of a sailor on the sea in a boat, surrounded by nothing but water. The sailor left his love behind "on golden sand" beyond the stars and beyond the moon. He envisions her waiting and watching for his return: "I know beyond a doubt my heart will lead me there soon." There is no explanation whether the principal is a ship’s mate, a fisherman, or whatever reason he is at sea. He alleges longing to return and kiss his beloved on the shore and vows that he’ll then go sailing no more.
There is enough ambiguity in the lyrics to turn interpretations of the song's "real" meaning on their head. Some people feel that the beloved is actually dead and the narrator is fantasizing about a posthumous reunion. Others propose that the narrator is shipwrecked and delusional. Even Bob Dylan chips in from his book "The Philosophy of Modern Song" (2022) in a chapter on Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea." Dylan writes: "In this song your happiness lies beyond the wide sea, and to get there you have to cross the great unknown." How's that for a metaphor about hope and determination instead of separation and loss? It is perhaps not surprising since the title of Dylan's own 2006 song "Beyond the Horizon" resonates with "Beyond the Sea," explicitly borrows its melody from "Red Sails in the Sunset" (for which Dylan paid a royalty), and its theme is transcending the fear of death. Dylan's perspective is certainly congruent with the buoyant, finger-snapping, swinging interpretation that Bobby Darin gives the song. Dylan admired Darin's nimble shape-shifting ability to graze between genres. Darin was the prophet that "Beyond the Sea" awaited for 13 years.
Trenet's song and its progeny grew into a "chanson" classic and a jazz standard in both French and English versions. Even more, it became emblematic of France in numerous movies like “L.A. Story,” “French Kiss,” “Mr. Bean’s Holiday,” “Finding Nemo” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, and Spy.” In the US it became so popular that it named its own movie in 2004--a Darin biopic starring Kevin Spacey.
Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sand
And watches the ships that go sailing
Somewhere, beyond the sea
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then, straight to her arms, I'll go sailing
It's far beyond the stars
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again, I'll go sailing
Instrumental interlude
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we will be beyond the sea
And never again, I'll go sailing
No more sailing
So long sailing, bye, bye sailing
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