![]() ![]() On "I'm a Fool to Want You," Sinatra plumbs the emotional depths of obsession and desire. "Laura" is a standard that was written more than a decade earlier by Johnny Mercer for a film of the same name, but it was defined forevermore by this recording. Nevertheless, the songs themselves include some of the most haunting in Sinatra's catalog. Where Nelson dramatically offset Sinatra's voice with almost pointillist orchestral applications, Jenkins puts a plush pillow under the singer, letting Sinatra luxuriate in the sonic surroundings. 1957's Where Are You? was the first of those to go without the angular, artful arrangements of Nelson Riddle, instead putting Gordon Jenkins in the arranger's chair. Photos courtesy of Pixabay, used under a Creative Commons CC0 license.Frank Sinatra's reputation as a masterfully melancholy "saloon singer" rests largely on the torch song concept albums he made for Capitol Records in the '50s. So what do you think? Which one do you prefer? ![]() I found a pretty good English translation of the Prévert’s original lyrics here: “Autumn Leaves”Īnd the sun burned more than it does today.įallen leaves can be picked up by the shovelful.įallen leaves can be picked up by the shovelful,Ĭompare the above to Johnny Mercer’s lyrics below, which connote wistfulness and longing, but not the somber feeling of the original French version: Now listen to Nat Cole’s version of “Autumn Leaves” in English: ![]() “ (Cole also recorded a version in French, but his French accent is even worse than his Spanish one, unfortunately.) ![]() Listen and compare Montand’s “ Les Feuilles Mortes” with Nat Cole’s recording of “ Autumn Leaves. Somehow, the French version sung by Yves Montand has always struck me as darker and sadder. In general, I find that the English versions lack the emotional depth of Prévert’s original. Johnny Mercer penned the most popular English version, recorded by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and others. Interestingly, many English variations of the lyrics exist as loose translations of the original poem. “ Les Feuilles Mortes” was originally set to music written by Joseph Kosma for another one of Carné’s films, Les Portes de la Nuit ( The Gates of the Night). Yves Montand, among other French chansonniers, recorded entire albums of Prévert’s poems. The 1945 French original was called “ Les Feuilles Mortes” (as in “Dead Leaves,” which might be more appropriately translated to “Dry Leaves” or “Still Leaves”), with lyrics penned by Jacques Prévert. The French poet and screenwriter ran with the bohemian left bank set after World War II and found fame writing the screenplay of Marcel Carné’s epic film, Les Enfants du Paradis ( Children of Paradise). “ Autumn Leaves“ has been covered many times by different singers. My previous shows in 20 featured seasonal playlists, so I thought I’d focus on one of my favorite autumnal songs this time around-the classic “Autumn Leaves.” That’s probably why we find so many bittersweet songs about the fall season. Some of the poets I read in school equated the coming of autumn, cold weather, and snow with impending death. Others lament the passing of long, summer days and warm, sunny weather. Some people love fall, especially in places where the autumn foliage explodes into a rhapsody of reds and oranges. It’s hard to believe that autumn will be here in just a few days, but the fading light of dusk has already begun to signal the end of summer. ![]()
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