An Adapted French Song by FH

The sun, the sea, the beach and a disenchanted lover’s reminiscence are woven together to create “Soleil” (“The Sun”), another ethereal gem performed by Francoise Hardy, which was adapted from the original English song “Sunshine” composed by Sandy Alpert (lyrics by Tash Howard). 

The French version lyrics were adapted from the English by Hardy herself and have a sad, realist, almost fatalistic ring with a romantic hue, while the original English lyrics are more like a dreamer’s plain prose. Probably unfair to the original title composer and lyrics writer, the French song seems to have an unmistaken “Francoise Hardy” signature to it.

Lyrics for “Soleil” (“The Sun”) (Adapted by Francoise Hardy):-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkhlD10gddY&list=FLlMBDFYTe8MGL_Z6TJc6LOg

Et c'était lui le soleil
Qui faisait nos réveils
Chaque matin
Et la mer était belle
Et nous courrions vers elle
Main dans la main

Et puis nous marchions sur la plage
Tu cherchais des coquillages
Comme un enfant
Les mettant à ton oreille
Pour entendre je me rappelle
L'océan dedans

(Refrain):
Soleil je t'aime
Et pour toujours
Tu es fidèle
Mais l'amour
N'est pas souvent comme toi
Pourquoi?

Tu avais toujours si faim
Les fruits mûrs et le vin

Etaient pour toi

Tu me grondais quelques fois
Lorsque je ne mangeais pas

Ce n'était rien

Et l'eau s'allongeait sur le sable
Nos rêves étaient semblables
Je me souviens
Nous parlions de la maison
Des enfants que nous aurions
Et nous étions bien

(Refrain)

Et c'est toujours lui le soleil
Qui fera mes réveils
Chaque matin
Soleil d'hiver ou d'été
Il voit les amours passer
Et les chagrins

Combien faudra-t-il de plage
Combien d'autres visages
Pour comme toi
Oublier la maison

Et l'enfant aux cheveux blonds
Que nous n'avons pas

(Refrain)

(Refrain)

My English Translation of the Lyrics:-

And it was the sun

That used to wake us up

Every morning;

And the sea was beautiful,

And we would run towards her

Hand in Hand.

And then we would stroll on the beach;

You would look around for seashells,

Like a child,

Putting them to your ears, I recall,

To listen to the ocean inside.

(Refrain):-

I love you, my sun,

And for always,

You are faithful.

But love, it’s often not like you,

Why?

And you were always so hungry;                        

The ripe fruit and the wine,

These were brought for you.

You would sometimes groan

When I was not eating;

It didn’t matter.

And the sea washed over the sand,

Our dreams used to be the same,

As I remember it.

We would talk about the house,

The babies that we would have;

And we were happy.

(Refrain)

And it’s still always the sun

That will wake me

Every morning.

The sun in winter or in summer,

It watches lovers go by,

And the sorrows too.

How many more beaches,

How many other faces must I see,

Before I can, like you,

Forget about the house

And the blond-haired babies

That we won’t be having.

(Refrain)

(Refrain)

 

The Poet in Francoise Hardy

Among Francoise Hardy’s older songs, “A Quoi Ca Sert” (1968) is one of my favorites because of its cool, elegant yet distantly melancholic qualities. She composed both the music and the lyrics, from which one can readily see her flair in blending sweet melody with simple French words. The bittersweet lyrics, added to the casual innocence in her delicate voice, make the song irresistibly engaging.

“A Quoi Ca Sert” is one of the four Francoise Hardy songs chosen to depict four seasons in Francois Ozon’s new movie “Jeune et Jolie” (“Young and Beautiful”), which was nominated for the Palme d’Or award at the May 2013 Cannes Film Festival and will be released in France this August. Marine Vacth, French model-turned-actress who plays the leading role of seventeen-year-old Isabelle, shot to fame as the film premiered at the Festival. The story follows Isabelle in a one-year span, who leads a double life as a student and a high-class prostitute.

The song title of the official English adaption is “Why Even Try”.

“A Quoi Ca Sert” (“How Would It Help”):-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZPriwkS7K4&list=FLlMBDFYTe8MGL_Z6TJc6LOg&index=1

Comme toi j'ai un cœur
Qui ne peut rien promettre
A qui l'amour fait peur
Mais qui t'aime peut-être
A quoi ça sert de le cacher?
A quoi ça sert d'y échapper?

Je n'ai rien à t'offrir
Que ce que mes yeux voient
Tu ne veux pas souffrir
Mais qui ne souffre pas?
A quoi ça sert de l'éviter?
A quoi ça sert de t'en aller?

A rester dans ta tour d'ivoire
En broyant du rose ou du noir
Tout seul - tout seul

Comme on n'est pas très malheureux
On oublie qu'on n'est pas heureux
Tout seul, tout seul

Je n'ai que les étoiles
Et rien d'autre pour toi
Si l'on doit se faire mal
C'est la vie qui veut ça
A quoi ça sert de rester seul?
A quoi ça sert de vivre seul?

Je n'ai que les étoiles
Et rien d'autre pour toi
Si l'on doit se faire mal
C'est la vie qui veut ça
A quoi ça sert de rester seul?
A quoi ça sert de vivre seul tout seul?

My English Rendition of the Lyrics:-

Like you I have a heart,

That can promise nothing,

That is frightened by love,

But that loves you perhaps.

How would it help, hiding from it?

How would it help, slipping away?

I have nothing to offer you,

Except what my eyes can see.

You don’t want to get hurt,

But who doesn’t get hurt?

How would it help, avoiding it?

How would it help, walking away?

Staying in your ivory tower,

Grinding to red or to black.

All alone, all alone.

When you’re not very unhappy,

You forget that you are not happy.

All alone, all alone.

I have nothing but the stars,

And nothing else to share.

If we must cause us pain,

It is life that wants that.

How would it help, staying alone?

How would it help, living alone?

I have nothing but the stars,

And nothing else to share.

If we must cause us pain,

It is life that wants that.

How would it help, staying alone?

How would it help, living alone, all alone?