“Les Feuilles Mortes” is a popular song and jazz standard with original lyrics by French poet Jacques Prévert (1900-1977) and music written by Hungarian-French composer Joseph Kosma (1905-1969). It is one of many Prévert poems sung by Yves Montand who released it in 1949 and it became one of his biggest hits selling over one million copies.
Jacques Prévert was a poet and screenwriter and an active member of the Surrealist movement led by André Breton. His extensive collaboration with film director Marcel Carné led to a new style of cinema, “poetic realism,” that influenced American film noir. During WWII, Prévert settled in Saint Paul-de-Vence, northwest of Nice, where he worked with Victorine Film Studios and associated with many artists. Working with director Marcel Carné, in 1945 he delivered the screenplay for the film Les Enfants du Paradis. In 1946, he produced his first book of Poetry, Paroles. In following years, he published many collections of poems that are standard material in French textbooks. Many of those poems have been set to music and sung by prominent vocalists, including Yves Montand, Edith Piaf, Joan Baez and Nat King Cole.
Joseph Kosma was born in Budapest and emigrated to Paris in 1933 where he became a close collaborator with Prévert. Together, they set some 80 of Prévert’s songs to music, including “Les Feuilles Mortes.” Kosma had originally composed the melody in 1945 for a for a “pas de deux” in a 1945 ballet “Rendez-vous” by choreographer Roland Petit. Kosma then borrowed that piece for a film by Marcel Carné (“Les Portes de la Nuit”) where Montand hummed and sang the song briefly.
In 1950, an English language release with substantially shorter and different lyrics written by Johnny Mercer was titled “Autumn Leaves.” As one practical observer noted, referring to the literal translation of the French title, a song in English called “The Dead Leaves” would have fallen with a thud.
The song became so influential in many languages that in 1961 Serge Gainsbourg composed a tribute song-about-a-song called “La Chanson de Prévert” (included here in this website).
Joseph Kosma was born in Budapest and emigrated to Paris in 1933 where he became a close collaborator with Prévert. Together, they set some 80 of Prévert’s songs to music, including “Les Feuilles Mortes.” Kosma had originally composed the melody in 1945 for a for a “pas de deux” in a 1945 ballet “Rendez-vous” by choreographer Roland Petit. Kosma then borrowed that piece for a film by Marcel Carné (“Les Portes de la Nuit”) where Montand hummed and sang the song briefly.
In 1950, an English language release with substantially shorter and different lyrics written by Johnny Mercer was titled “Autumn Leaves.” As one practical observer noted, referring to the literal translation of the French title, a song in English called “The Dead Leaves” would have fallen with a thud.
The song became so influential in many languages that in 1961 Serge Gainsbourg composed a tribute song-about-a-song called “La Chanson de Prévert” (included here in this website).
{Spoken} Oh, je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes Des jours heureux où nous étions amis. En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle Et le soleil plus brûlant qu’aujourd’hui. Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle Tu vois, je n’ai pas oublié Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi {Singing} Et le vent du Nord les emporte Dans la nuit froide de l’oubli Tu vois, je n’ai pas oublié La chanson que tu me chantais C’est une chanson qui nous ressemble Toi tu m’aimais, et je t’aimais Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble Toi qui m’aimais, moi qui t’aimais Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s’aiment Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit Et la mer efface sur le sable Les pas des amants désunis La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s’aiment Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit Et la mer efface sur le sable Les pas des amants désunis |
{Spoken} Oh, I would like so much for you to remember The happy days when we were friends. During those times life was more beautiful And the sun more brilliant than today. The dead leaves gather in the shovel You see, I did not forget The dead leaves gather in the shovel Memories and regrets as well. {Singing} And the north wind carries them away In the cold night of oblivion You see, I didn’t forget The song you sang to me. It is a song that we resemble You loved me, and I loved you We lived together You who loved me, me who loved you. But life separates those who love each other Very softly, without making noise And the sea erases on the sand The steps of separated lovers. La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la La, la, la, la But life separates those who love each other Very softly, without making noise And the sea erases on the sand The steps of separated lover |