{"id":1950,"date":"2010-10-20T03:57:57","date_gmt":"2010-10-20T03:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=1950"},"modified":"2017-10-18T12:23:15","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T10:23:15","slug":"les-feuilles-mortes-autumn-leaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/les-feuilles-mortes-autumn-leaves\/","title":{"rendered":"Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes,\u00a0one single\u00a0song takes a whole\u00a0life of its own in le fleuve du temps <\/em>(in the stream of time), and tracing its\u00a0avatars<\/em> can\u00a0prove to be\u00a0un exercice instructif et amusant\u00a0<\/em>(a fun and educational exercise.)<\/p>\n

After\u00a0hosting a few encores<\/em> of\u00a0\u00c9dith<\/strong> Piaf<\/strong><\/a>‘s masterpieces\u00a0in\u00a0your favorite\u00a0French Blog<\/strong>, it was of course\u00a0seulement<\/em> une question de temps<\/em>\u00a0(only a matter of time) to reintroduce you to\u00a0another\u00a0master of the French song: Yves Montand<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0son plus\u00a0fidel<\/em>\u00a0h\u00e9ritier <\/em>musical <\/em>(her most\u00a0faithful\u00a0musical heir.)<\/p>\n

There’s maybe no better introductory song\u00a0interpreted by Montand, for those who don’t know him yet, than the one entitled “les Feuilles Mortes<\/strong>“<\/em>, which\u00a0made its foray into the\u00a0English-speaking world\u00a0as “The Autumn Leaves<\/strong>.”<\/em>http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_pCzERtfddo<\/a>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A last but not least avatar<\/em>: Eric Clapton’s “Autumn Leaves” (2010)
\n<\/strong>
\nIn French,\u00a0une\u00a0feuille morte<\/em> means a “dead leaf”, which is the state of the once green but now falling leaves\u00a0of the Fall season.<\/p>\n

Naturellement <\/em>(naturally), the lyrics\u00a0symbolic reach goes au-del\u00e0<\/em>\u00a0(beyond) the literal meaning. It\u00a0explores\u00a0the\u00a0successive existential phases, “les quatres saisons de l’\u00e2me<\/strong>“<\/em>, or the “four seasons of the soul” if you will,\u00a0that\u00a0humans experience\u00a0en eux-m\u00eames <\/em>(within themselves), entre eux m\u00eames<\/em>\u00a0(between\u00a0themselves), and avec le monde qui les entoure<\/em>\u00a0(with the world that surrounds them.)<\/p>\n

“Les Feuilles Mortes”<\/em> was released\u00a0immediately after the Second World War.\u00a0Its music was composed by Joseph Kosma<\/strong>,\u00a0famous for having\u00a0produced the\u00a0score of\u00a0what is viewed by\u00a0many critiques<\/em>\u00a0as one of the greatest French movies ever made, “Les Enfants du Paradis<\/a>“<\/strong><\/em>, which the New York Times movie review introduced to the American audience as “la r\u00e9plique fran\u00e7aise<\/em>\u00a0(the French reply) to\u00a0‘Gone with the Wind.<\/strong>‘“<\/em>http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9IDUxk9sSXI<\/a>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Eminent Jazz pianist and \u00a0American “Crooner”,\u00a0Nat King Cole,\u00a0singing “Autumn<\/strong>\u00a0Leaves.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Montand’s song\u00a0was actually\u00a0featured on another successful\u00a0post-WWII\u00a0movie, called “Les Portes de la Nuit<\/em>” <\/strong>(“Gates of the Night”), and\u00a0has since known\u00a0several interpr\u00e9tations <\/em>(covers.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Let us start with a new and moins \u00e9vidente <\/em>(less obvious) of these covers: The UK\u00a0“chillout”\u00a0version of\u00a0the musique ambiante\u00a0<\/em>group called Mixmaster Morris<\/strong>, which\u00a0still\u00a0knows today\u00a0a\u00a0considerable success\u00a0among\u00a0the amateurs <\/em>of\u00a0this musical\u00a0genre<\/em>:<\/p>\n