Leonard Cohen - Vivre Tout Seul (Bird on the Wire) (live 1976)

Live recording from Paris 1976 of Leonard performing Bird on the Wire with verses incorporated from Vivre Tout Seul, a French translation originally recorded by the singer Serge Lama in 1971. Lyrics as follows:

Je veux vivre tout seul,
Libre comme un oiseau sur son fil
Sans femme, sans famille, et sans amis.
Je veux vivre, tout seul,
Libre comme un poète en exil ,
Sans visa, sans papiers et sans pays.

J'en ai marre
De toujours faire le beau,
De sourire quand j'ai mal dans mon cœur.
J'en ai marre
Je veux monter plus haut,
A l'abri des chiens et des chasseurs.


[English]

Certain soir,
Je trouve sur ta peau
Quelque chose qui ressemble au bonheur.
Mais hélas,
Tu t'endors aussitôt.
Le matin tu te lèves à 8 heures.

[English]

Translation:

I want to live all alone
Free like a bird on the wire
Without wife, family or friends
I want to live all alone
Free like a poet in exile
Without visa, without papers, without country
I'm tired
of begging every day,
Of smiling when I am sick at heart
I'm tired
I want to go up higher
With the shelter of the dogs and hunters
Some evenings
I find on your skin
Something that looks like happiness
But alas, you are asleep immediately
In the morning you wake at 8

For more rare Leonard Cohen tracks, visit DrHGuy's blog where the album Another Other Songs of Leonard Cohen has just been released!

http://1heckofaguy.com/2010/05/20/presenting-another-other-leonard-cohen-album/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• leonard
• cohen
• live
• concert
• tour
• bird
• on
• the
• wire
• vivre
• tout
• seul
• 1976
• serge
• lama

[natacha1957]

Very beautiful,

Léonard Cohen un grand Monsieur.

Chapeau bas.

Thanks.

[AltheaHekate]

This is so beautiful!!!!!!!!! Thank you!

It was already my favorite, but in French.......wauw!

[sweetgypsywife]

I absolutely love this...a looser sound to the guitar, and the beauty of the french language...

[messalina79]

@Af12007 I know - I don't think I would call it insipid! It's certainly different to LC's version though...

[Af12007]

@Af12007 Just read that others think the French is 'insipid'...oh well!

[WiggyTheCanuck]

Thanks a lot for adding this, it gives a interesting interpretation. The french lyrics give the song a whole new feel, much more depressed.

[eleninefeli]

I do not remember at all that Leonard had sung the version of Serge Lama, thank you for refreshing my memory :-)))