Béatrice Martin, a.k.a Coeur de Pirate and other French music

Lisnaholic · 06-07-2015, 07:23 PM

Good to see you posting in this forum again, VEGANGELICA.

That first song is really nice; soothing voice and beautiful piano with nothing else to clutter it up. Yes, "I carry you around like a belt of explosives or a baby kangaroo" is certainly an unusual take on romance.

I'm curious as to why a song in French has been titled "Mayday". As I understand it, this otherwise inexplicable distress call is an Anglicization of the French original, "M' aidez", meaning "Help me", which is a far more logical thing to say when you are lost at sea. Has Émile P-C's song title been changed in the same way, I wonder?

VEGANGELICA · 06-08-2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

Good to see you posting in this forum again, VEGANGELICA. [...]

I'm curious as to why a song in French has been titled "Mayday". As I understand it, this otherwise inexplicable distress call is an Anglicization of the French original, "M' aidez", meaning "Help me", which is a far more logical thing to say when you are lost at sea. Has Émile P-C's song title been changed in the same way, I wonder?

Thanks, Lisnaholic.

I checked on Émile Proulx-Cloutier's French websites to see if his song "Mayday" was originally titled "M'aidez," which certainly would make sense! However, it always appears as "Mayday," one of only two of his songs given English titles.

If ever there were a time, as a French speaker, to title a song using a French word, one would think it would be for "Mayday," since that distress call was created simply because it sounds like "M'aidez," like you said!

I looked up the origin of the "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call and learned this:

Quote:

The Mayday procedure word originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897–1962). A senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the word "Mayday" from the French "m’aidez" (Translates to: "help me!"). Mayday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisnaholic · 06-10-2015, 10:42 AM

Hey, thank you for doing the research into the real origins of “Mayday” VEGANGELICA

At last, Frederick Stanley Mockford gets his fifteen minutes of fame !

A lot of the French-language songs that get international recognition seem to come from sultry-voiced pin-ups singing about love:-

........

Spoiler for lyrics for Alain and Francoise:

Recent releases from Souad Massi might give the impression that she is just following in that same romantic tradition:-

Spoiler for lyrics for Houria:

… but that’s deceptive because she is concealing an earlier, troubled career as a female rock singer in Algeria. For seven years she fronted a rebellious band called Atakor, for which she was effectively hounded out of the country. Unfortunately, I can’t find any evidence of that on YouTube; this is about the closest I can find to Souad Massi rockin’ her Algerian roots. Enjoy!

06-07-2015, 07:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Good to see you posting in this forum again, VEGANGELICA. That first song is really nice; soothing voice and beautiful piano with nothing else to clutter it up. Yes, "I carry you around like a belt of explosives or a baby kangaroo" is certainly an unusual take on romance. I'm curious as to why a song in French has been titled "Mayday". As I understand it, this otherwise inexplicable distress call is an Anglicization of the French original, "M' aidez", meaning "Help me", which is a far more logical thing to say when you are lost at sea. Has Émile P-C's song title been changed in the same way, I wonder? __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

06-10-2015, 10:42 AM	#13 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Hey, thank you for doing the research into the real origins of “Mayday” VEGANGELICA At last, Frederick Stanley Mockford gets his fifteen minutes of fame ! A lot of the French-language songs that get international recognition seem to come from sultry-voiced pin-ups singing about love:- ........ Spoiler for lyrics for Alain and Francoise: Leticia by Alain Delon Laetitia je ne savais pas Que tu étais tout pour moi Un oiseau chantait tout près de moi Mais je ne l'entendais pas Et tu vivais innocente, éphémère Tu habillais nos printemps de chimère Laetitia je ne savais pas Que la vie n'est rien sans toi L'oiseau fragile un jour s'est abattu La mort ne l'a pas rendu Et tu reposes dans le bleu de la mer Toi qui colorais de bleu nos chimères Un oiseau chantait près de moi Jamais il ne reviendra Laetitia, non je ne savais pas J'étais amoureux de toi ! Fais-moi une place by Françoise Hardy Fais-moi une place Au fond d'ta bulle Et si j't'agace Si j'suis trop nul Je deviendrai Tout pâle, tout muet, sans vie Pour qu'tu m'oublies Fais-moi une place Au fond d'ton cœur Pour que j't'embrasse Lorsque tu pleures Je deviendrai Tout fou, tout clown, gentil Pour qu'tu souries J'veux q't'aies jamais mal Qu't'aies jamais froid Et tout m'est égal Tout : à part toi Je t'aime Fais-moi une place Dans ton avenir Pour que j'ressasse Moins mes souvenirs J'aurai jamais Mon air éteint, hautain Pour qu'tu soies bien Fais-moi une place Dans tes urgences Dans tes audaces Dans ta confiance Je s'rai jamais distante, distraite, cruelle Pour qu'tes des ailes J'veux pas q'tu t'ennuies J'veux pas q't'aies peur J'voudrais q'tu oublies L'goût du malheur Je t'aime Une petite place Ici, maintenant Car le temps passe A pas d'géant Je me ferai Toute neuve, toute belle, tout ça... Pour être à toi Je me ferai Toute neuve, toute belle, tout ça... Pour être à toi Recent releases from Souad Massi might give the impression that she is just following in that same romantic tradition:- Spoiler for lyrics for Houria: J'aurais aimé te chanter d'éternelles histoires Et des soleils tombés et des lunes pleines, des nuits noires et sur le bord des lacs où dorment des anges brulés J'aurais aimé te chanter d'éternelles histoires Et des soleils tombés et des lunes pleines, des nuits noires et sur le bord des lacs où dorment des anges brulés j'aurais posé sur ton front des brasiers j'aurais aimé sculpter d'incroyables poèmes des oiseaux enflammés déchirant des nuits blèmes et sur le toit des montagnes quelques anges de passage auraient taillés dans la pierre des nuages il se pourrait qu'on ne croise plus jamais l'amour il se peut qu'il soit mort avant mon retour j'aurais aimé te donner des rêves fins et bleus des étoiles éclairées perdues dans tes cheveux à l'endroit de ton nom de ces lèvres mouillées écouter la vie murmurer il se pourrait qu'on ne croise plus jamais l'amour il se peut qu'il soit mort avant mon retour J'aurais aimé chaque nuit t'offrir un bout de ciel caresser la lumière, lisser un peu tes ailes des parfums déchirant les lueurs du matin j'aurais bâti pour toi chaque lendemains il se pourrait qu'on ne croise plus jamais l'amour il se peut qu'il soit mort avant mon retour j'aurais aimé que le brouillard ne touche rien que les vents cruels ne coupent pas mes mains il se pourrait qu'on ne croise plus jamais l'amour il se peut qu'il soit mort avant mon retour … but that’s deceptive because she is concealing an earlier, troubled career as a female rock singer in Algeria. For seven years she fronted a rebellious band called Atakor, for which she was effectively hounded out of the country. Unfortunately, I can’t find any evidence of that on YouTube; this is about the closest I can find to Souad Massi rockin’ her Algerian roots. Enjoy! __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953 Last edited by Lisnaholic; 06-10-2015 at 03:59 PM.