Le Chaland qui Passe - Lys Gauty

Le Chaland qui Passe
Sung by Lys Gauty

Music: Cesare Andrea Bixio (1931)
Lyrics: André de Badet
Recorded in 1933 (For Columbia in February and again in November).

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Lyrics:

(Lys Gauty version)

La nuit s'est faite, la berge
S'estompe et se perd...
Un bal musette, une auberge
Ouvrent leurs yeux pers.
Le chaland glisse sans trêve
Sur l'eau de satin,
Où s'en va-t-il ?... Vers quel rêve...
Vers quel incertain
Du destin ?...

REFRAIN

Ne pensons à rien... le courant
Fait de nous toujours des errants;
Sur mon chaland, sautant d'un quai,
L'amour peut-être s'est embarqué...
*Aimons-nous ce soir sans songer
*A ce que demain peut changer,
*Au fil de l'eau point de serments:
Ce n'est que sur terre qu'on ment!

Ta bouche est triste et je pense
A ces fruits mûris
Loin du soleil qui dispense
Leurs chauds coloris,
Mais sous ma lèvre enfiévrée
Par l'onde et le vent,
Je veux la voir empourprée
Comme au jour levant
Les auvents...

To REFRAIN...

* In the second refrain these lines are sung as "Tra la la", etc. See the lalalala web site for details of this!!

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The story of "Le Chaland" is bound up with that of the film "L'Atalante" by Jean Vigo (1934).

Both stories are fascinating and finding out about them is like conducting a detective investigation!

The original song was "Parlami d'amore Mariù" by Bixio and Ennio Neri.
It was translated into various languages, but the French version used completely different lyrics. To complicate matters, two versions of the lyrics appeared as sheet music: the Lys Gauty version and a version "pour la Rue". This latter version was recorded by Tino Rossi as well as "Mariù".

I would recommend visiting:

http://www.lalalala.org/chalandquipasse.html

to find out more!

The film made by Jean Vigo has been discussed very finely by Wendy Haslem on the "Senses of Cinema" web site:

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/06/41/atalante.html

Thanks to Ms Haslem for allowing me to include this extract from her article:

In distribution and exhibition, L'Atalante had a dynamic and stormy life. When post-production was completed in February 1934, Vigo and Nounez screened a rough cut of the film for cast, crew and associates in Paris. This was Vigo's final public outing, he died later that year at the age of 29 of tuberculosis. Nounez screened L'Atalante for Gaumont executives and Parisian cinema owners on April 25th. The distributor described the film as "commercially worthless" and demanded substantial changes, threatening to sabotage the release of the film. In an attempt to broaden its appeal, distributors and cinema owners made prudish cuts (including excising the shot of le père Jules' smoking tattoo) and re-named the film after Cesare Andrea Bixio's popular song "Le chaland qui passe" ("The Passing Barge"). With the fortuitous discovery of a copy of Vigo's original version in the British Film Institute's archives in 1990, L'Atalante was restored. Vigo's visual poetics, combined with the dynamic soundtrack, results in a film that can barely contain its passion and anarchistic fervour.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lys
• Gauty
• Bixio
• Badet
• L'Atalante
• Vigo
• Chaland
• French
• Music

[francerobert58]

Tout est beau! la chanson, la voix, l'époque, l'ambiance, enfin tout.

[gedengagedenga]

I'm really glad you liked it too. Thanks for commenting!

[genia106]

I just love this song. Every version is so beautiful, I am mesmerized. I want to go to Italy immediately. Thank you for another gem and your very informative text. I will visit those sites. Gracie.

[gedengagedenga]

Yes, a wonderful song!

But I must admit to finding the original irresistable.

(See matteoeoeo 's page) (You Tube will not take my reply if it contains a link to one of its own pages!!!)

I think the actress is entranced by De Sica, - look at her eyes - and in the last frame, De Sica seems to realise this. What do you think?!

[marmotte62fr]

magnifique

[toidonc]

Chantée par V. de Sica dans une version plus rapide, regarder la vidéo du film, où il danse. Magnifique.

[fgbect]

the original: Parlami d'amore Mariù

[shirla26]

Bliss beautiful in every way. Such a joy to listen to.

[madoulamadou]

merci pour cette chanson et les formidables illustrations !

[jkt159]

Merci pour partager cette belle chanson. Remarquable voix!

[MrMourice]

J'adore cette chanson beaucoup,merci .

[augustomarques65]

Thank you for post it! So wonderful!

[DancingBop]

Reprise par Tino Rossi "Parlami d'amore Mariu"...

Quelle sublissime chanson par Lys Gauty...

A son époque elle était la grande Star du music hall...

On ne se lasse pas de l'entendre encore et encore !

[LYSGAUTYVIDEO]

@MrCiveniv Jean Vigo was a French director (1905-1934). He made only 4 movies, but 2 of them are masterpieces ("Zéro de conduite" and "L'Atalante").