Culture, Gardens and Song
Francis Cabrel wrote the song “Depuis toujours” as an adaptation of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now),” a 1965 song co-authored by Jerry Butler and Otis Redding (The “King of Soul”). Cabrel (The “Prince of Astaffort”) released it in 1999 on his album “Hors Saison” (“Off Season”). That was Cabrel’s first album in 5 years following “Sarbacane” and “Samedi soir sur la terre.” He did not simply translate Redding’s song. He borrowed the melody, contrived his own story, wrote the lyrics and provided vocals and instrumentation. He reportedly spent many years on-and-off working on the adaptation. The song was an “album track” and was not released commercially as a single or a promotional video.
As explained in this website’s post on “chanson adaptation,” the process of “adaptation” requires a greater plunge into cross-cultural matters than simple “translation” from one language to another. Successful “adaptation” entails a wholesale re-imagining of the song’s story and presentation from the perspective of another culture. On this website, most cases of “adaptation” are from French into English, while Cabrel’s “Depuis toujours” is from English into French. It therefore requires acute sensitivity to the themes, lyrical and melodic structures that appeal to French listeners. Francis Cabrel is well-equipped for the job.
The value propositions of national culture appear regularly across a wide range of human artifacts like music, gardens, social institutions and other forms of human behavior. The exploration of national cultures has been exhaustively accomplished by cultural anthropologists. From a cross-cultural perspective, listening in succession to Francis Cabrel (“Depuis toujours”) and Otis Redding (“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (and Can’t Stop Now”) is an aural experience that resembles the visual contrast between such cultural artifacts as English and French public gardens.
English gardens express and encourage the freedom of nature to grow and interface organically with an untamed look that accommodates meandering along curved paths. They include lakes, rolling lawns and groves of trees with occasional glimpses of statues, fountains or structures. French public gardens, by contrast, sit on flat terrain with symmetrical designs. Severely sculpted plants line straight alleys and walkways in geometric designs that achieve harmony and order through human control and rational intent. Both types of gardens express national cultural values.
A sequential comparison of the two songs under consideration reveals similar differences that reflect national culture but also musical genre. Cabrel’s “Depuis toujours” demonstrates a skillful and sensitive blend of the disparate music genres American “Soul” and French “Chanson.”
“Chanson” draws on long historical traditions of poetic format and the primacy of lyrics and story-telling. It carries the 12th century troubadour tradition of courtly love, structured lyrics, strong narrative, carefully curated words, clear rhyme patterns, calibrated diction, supportive melodies and limited instrumentation. Words, imagery, phraseology, and the arc of the narrative are the stuff of the trade. In comparison, American jazz, R&B and “soul” music are freeform. “Soul,” especially, shows a focus on gospel-influenced “shout-outs” of emotive personal expression and prolonged verbal voids filled with sounds of “oh,” “no” and “yeah.” It features dramatic “melismatic” vocal runs such as Redding’s song where words like “tired,” “long” and “please” are prolonged over several ascending or descending notes. They are strong on improvisation, emotion and rhythmic drive with heavy orchestration aligned with ad-libbed vocals.
Francis Cabrel, "Depuis toujours"
Francis Cabrel was born near the town of Astaffort, the “gateway to Gascony” in the department of Lot-et-Garonne in Southwest France where he continues to reside. He is steeped in the local culture, married a local girl, served as town councilor, established in 1994 an annual creative musical workshop (the “Rencontres d’Astaffort”), and records at his home studio in an antique renovated barn. On occasion, he tends the organic vines and wine at his winery Le Domaine du Boiron that his brother Philippe manages. On other occasions, he celebrates the resuscitation of European regional languages including his own langue d'oc.
Cabrel’s early musical inspirations included anglophone artists (Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Hendrix) and his personal style falls adjacent to James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Nevertheless, he is not especially known for adaptations of songs by other musicians apart from his 2012 tribute collection of 11 Bob Dylan covers in the album “Vise le ciel” (“Aim for the Sky”). Cabrel is the paramount French ACI (“auteur-compositeur-interprete”) troubadour who traditionally composes, writes and sings his own songs.
Cabrel’s early musical inspirations included anglophone artists (Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Hendrix) and his personal style falls adjacent to James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Nevertheless, he is not especially known for adaptations of songs by other musicians apart from his 2012 tribute collection of 11 Bob Dylan covers in the album “Vise le ciel” (“Aim for the Sky”). Cabrel is the paramount French ACI (“auteur-compositeur-interprete”) troubadour who traditionally composes, writes and sings his own songs.
Cabrel’s rendition in “Depuis toujours” represents striking differences with Redding in meaning, style, instrumentation and vocal interpretation. While both songs focus on shared themes of love and time, they spotlight extreme differences in the kinds of love relationships, the effects of elapsed time, and the relationships between music and lyrics in song. Nevertheless, there is a close proximity between aspects of "soul" and Cabrel's music of the period.
The title “Depuis toujours” is an epitome of verbal distillation, in the manner of French poetic craft. It rivals Charles Aznavour’s “Hier encore” for an evocative two-word song title. “Depuis toujours” crystalizes the much longer Butler/Redding original title “I’ve been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now).” Cabrel crafted a new title and entirely new lyrics while adapting its meaning to his own reality. Cabrel's full studio band highlights guitar and subtle rhythm background with drums, keyboard and vocal backup.
Cabrel proclaims, in measured tones, the steadiness of his long-lasting amorous dedication with the repeated phrases “depuis toujours” and “pour longtemps encore.” Whereas time is an enemy for Redding, it provides the adhesive of relationships for Cabrel. These two expressions anchor Cabrel’s song and recur 11 times along with a third expression that appears 3 times (“Et je viens seulement te dire”). The repetitions convey a sense of stability and constancy, captured vividly in his image of a clock’s hands that return repeatedly to each other and in Cabrel’s vocal modulation. Parenthetically, it is worth noting that Cabrel plays lightly with "melisma" with a downtone of ending "ore"-sound words like "encore", "d'or" and "décor" as well as "toujours" in the final lines of the outro.
The song fits a current within Cabrel’s sea of songs that express love and admiration for his wife, Mariette. That current began with his first song “Petite Marie” in 1977 and continued with such titles as "Je l'Aime à Mourir" (1979), “L’encre de tes yeux” (1980), “Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerais” (1994) and now, “Depuis toujours” (1999). Lyrically, Cabrel’s song has rich texture and story along with bluesy melancholic strains shared with songs on the same album like “Octobre” and “Hors saison.”
Cabrel’s song embodies the contextual nature of the French language and provides an exercise in delicate nuance. France is a “high context” culture in which meaning in language depends on implicitly shared understandings and context rather than the explicit clarity of words. This can make French expressions puzzling for non-native speakers. Translating such a song requires rifling through a word drawer looking for the right fit in context. Understanding hinges on the interpretation of such adverbs regarding time as “toujours,” “depuis” and “encore.” These overlap in many ways. “Toujours” can mean “still” or “always” (“neverending”). “Encore” can mean “still,” “more” or “again.” “Depuis” can mean “since” (start time) or “for” (duration) with a present tense verb to designate an action with continuity into the present. “Depuis” can even be used in a spatial sense. In French, the meaning of words changes, depending on “context.”
In Cabrel’s song, “depuis toujours” is backward-looking while “pour longtemps encore” is forward-looking. “Depuis toujours” literally means “since always” but in context it can mean “from the beginning,” “from time immemorial,” “always,” or “forever.” For its part, “Pour longtemps encore” literally means “for a longtime again” or “for much longer” and in context can mean “for many years to come.” A nice alternative is “forevermore,” a concise word with some literary history and distinction. The same 3 words appear elsewhere in French literature in different sequence as “pour encore longtemps” (“for a long time more”) or “encore pour longtemps” (“for a long time to come”). Slight changes in word order bring subtle shifts in meaning.
In Cabrel’s song, “depuis toujours” is backward-looking while “pour longtemps encore” is forward-looking. “Depuis toujours” literally means “since always” but in context it can mean “from the beginning,” “from time immemorial,” “always,” or “forever.” For its part, “Pour longtemps encore” literally means “for a longtime again” or “for much longer” and in context can mean “for many years to come.” A nice alternative is “forevermore,” a concise word with some literary history and distinction. The same 3 words appear elsewhere in French literature in different sequence as “pour encore longtemps” (“for a long time more”) or “encore pour longtemps” (“for a long time to come”). Slight changes in word order bring subtle shifts in meaning.
Cabrel's verses include lines with a repeating sequence of end-sounds (“….ours….ire….ore”). That 3-line end-sound sequence recurs 6 times throughout the song. It repeats twice in the first verse to establish the pattern and then recurs in all following verses in the last three concluding lines of each. Verses 2, 4, and 5 share the same number of lines (7), the same chord progression, and all of them conclude with the same 3-line sound sequence: “….ours….ire….ore.” The lines “depuis toujours” and “pour longtemps encore” recur 10 times. This solid lyrical architecture is matched by Cabrel's even vocals and supportive instrumentation.
Cabrel’s verbal imagery dazzles (shades of Charles Trenet in La Mer!), including such expressions as: “Tes mots de velours,” “Ta peau jusqu'à en éblouir,” “Tes yeux de chercheur d'or,” “mon éternelle éclaircie,” “ces horloges, Les mêmes aiguilles, jour et nuit.” Cabrel is not pleading or trying to persuade. He is quietly affirming commitment with vivid imagery. The melody that he adopts from Butler/Redding is mellow and shows affinity with Cabrel’s usual fare.
The French original lyrics and English translation below, following the video clip, can be scrolled while listening to the music.
Cabrel’s verbal imagery dazzles (shades of Charles Trenet in La Mer!), including such expressions as: “Tes mots de velours,” “Ta peau jusqu'à en éblouir,” “Tes yeux de chercheur d'or,” “mon éternelle éclaircie,” “ces horloges, Les mêmes aiguilles, jour et nuit.” Cabrel is not pleading or trying to persuade. He is quietly affirming commitment with vivid imagery. The melody that he adopts from Butler/Redding is mellow and shows affinity with Cabrel’s usual fare.
The French original lyrics and English translation below, following the video clip, can be scrolled while listening to the music.
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Verse 1 Je t'aime depuis toujours Et je viens seulement te dire Je t'aime pour longtemps encore Tes mots de velours Ta peau jusqu'à en éblouir Tes yeux de chercheur d'or Verse 2 Toutes ces nuits d'hiver Ces longues, longues journées de pluie J'en entends parler chez les autres Moi, quel que soit le ciel T'es mon éternelle éclaircie depuis toujours Oh je viens seulement te dire Pour longtemps encore Verse 3 Le monde autour N'est rien qu'un brumeux souvenir Rien qu'un lointain décor Verse 4 Comme sur ces horloges Les mêmes aiguilles, jour et nuit S'en retournent l'une vers l'autre Moi comme tu vois Je retourne vers celle que j'aime depuis toujours Pour seulement lui dire Pour longtemps encore Verse 5 Même au bout du monde C'est le même ciel, le même lit La même chaleur qui m'entoure Les mêmes parfums Qui enveloppent mes nuits depuis toujours Oh je viens seulement te dire Pour longtemps encore Outro Je retourne vers celle que j'aime Depuis toujours Je retourne vers celle que j'aime Depuis toujours... Depuis toujours... |
Verse 1 I've always loved you And I come just to tell you I love you for a long time to come Your velvet words Your dazzling skin Your eyes of a gold hunter Verse 2 All these winter nights These long, long rainy days I hear about it from others Me, whatever the sky You are my eternal sunbeam forever Oh I come just to tell you For a long time to come Verse 3 The world around Is nothing but a hazy memory Just a distant setting Verse 4 Like on these clocks The same needles, day and night Return the one to the other Me, as you see I go back to the one I love forever To just tell her For a long time to come Verse 5 Even at world’s end It's the same sky, the same bed The same warmth that surrounds me The same perfumes That have enveloped my nights forever Oh, I come just to tell you For a long time to come Outro I go back to the one I love Forever Oh I go back to the one I love Forever… Forever... |
NB:
J'en entends parler: this common phrase means “I hear about it” and “chez les autres” clarifies that it comes from others,” implying a second-hand source of information. It refers to the previous two lines (“Toutes ces nuits d'hiver, Ces longues, longues journées de pluie”/”All these winter nights, these long, long days of rain”) and contrasts with the next two lines that express his own personal experience (“Moi, quel que soit le ciel, T'es mon éternelle éclaircie depuis toujours”/”Me, whatever the sky, you are always my eternal sunbeam”).
mon éternelle éclaircie: a “sunbeam” or clearing between bouts of rain or clouds. As explained above, it explicitly contrasts with the first 2 lines of the verse (e.g. “Toutes ces nuits d'hiver, Ces longues, longues journées de pluie”).
J'en entends parler: this common phrase means “I hear about it” and “chez les autres” clarifies that it comes from others,” implying a second-hand source of information. It refers to the previous two lines (“Toutes ces nuits d'hiver, Ces longues, longues journées de pluie”/”All these winter nights, these long, long days of rain”) and contrasts with the next two lines that express his own personal experience (“Moi, quel que soit le ciel, T'es mon éternelle éclaircie depuis toujours”/”Me, whatever the sky, you are always my eternal sunbeam”).
mon éternelle éclaircie: a “sunbeam” or clearing between bouts of rain or clouds. As explained above, it explicitly contrasts with the first 2 lines of the verse (e.g. “Toutes ces nuits d'hiver, Ces longues, longues journées de pluie”).
Otis Redding, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)”
Otis Redding (1941-67) was a foundation artist in American soul and rhythm & blues music, sharing the “King of Soul” monicker with James Brown and Sam Cooke. His signature attributes were his hoarse, gritty voice and vocal ability to project emotion. Stax, a record studio in Memphis that contracted Redding on its sister label Volt, was a pillar of soul music that became famous for its house band and the distinctive sound of its recording studio. The song “Loving You Too Long” appeared first as a single in April 1965 and then that summer on the album “Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul.” Redding recorded an extended live version at the Monterey Pop Festival, shortly before his tragic death in a plane crash in December 1967. The song stands second in popularity only to Redding’s “The Dock of the Bay,” released posthumously in 1968.
Redding reportedly co-wrote his song at a hotel with Jerry Butler, the lead singer of “The Impressions.” Soul singers not only improvised their vocals but leveraged time on the road for creative endeavors. Redding deployed his raw, pleading and emotionally intense vocal style with the Stax house-band ensemble (Booker T. & the M.G.s) of rhythm (drums, guitar, organ), layered horns (The Mar-Keys and Memphis Horns), and Isaac Hayes on keyboard. In his song, Redding laments his lover’s flagging ardor and seeks to breathe life into a dying fire. They have grown apart over time, she is “tired” and wants to be “free.” For him, time resembles a sunk investment and a habit gone “too long” to stop. He falls on his knees to persuade his partner to return. It echoes Jacques Brel’s desperation in his 1959 hit “Ne me quitte pas” (“Don’t Leave Me”). Some wags referred to Redding as “Mr. Pitiful,” to which Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper responded by recording a song with that same name.
Butler/Redding’s melody, shared by both songs, is fulsome and floral, with sweeping loops and pauses of tone with peaks and valleys of volume. Butler/Redding have repetitive content with identical phrases, and lingering intervals. There is little structure to the lyrics and little narrative, virtually no rhyme and slim imagery, but lots of emotion.
I've been loving you too long to stop now
You are tired and you want to be free
My love is growing stronger, as you become a habit to me
Ooh, I've been loving you too long
I don't want to stop now, oh
With you my life has been so wonderful
I can't stop now
You are tired and your love is growing cold
My love is growing stronger as our affair, affair grows old
I've been loving you oh too long, to stop now
Oh, oh oh
I've been loving you a little too long
I don't want to stop now, oh, oh, oh
Don't make me stop now,
Oh, baby
I'm down on my knees,
Please, don't make me stop now
I love you, I love you, I love you with all of my heart
And I can't stop now
Please, please, please, oh
Don't make me stop now, girl, no