# French songs converted into English **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189 "2008-12-21T14:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/1 "2008-12-21T14:29:15Z")
I’ve been looking at some French songs on youtube and seeing some lame English versions but remembering some songs that were famous in their English versions but originally French. eg. [My Way](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=bMoY5rNBjwk) [I Will Follow Him](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=wFDxIU4P0kc) [Seasons in the Sun](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TbhvoYYIdnQ) anyone know anymore or discuss or something ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/2 "2008-12-21T14:45:09Z")
My older daughter had confiscated my cd of “Jaques Brel is Alive and Well” to copy over to her mp3 gadget. (Seasons in the Sun is a maudlin, glurgy song regardless of the language.) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/3 "2008-12-21T14:47:34Z")
Scott Walker did lots of Jacques Brel’s songs in English. [Scott Walker - My Death](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfvFa8KexRw) [Scott Walker - Mathilde](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbhGyD4ZZzY) [Scott Walker - Jackie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnay0gMT2_I) These versions aren’t bad but some of Brel’s songs have never been translated adequately in my opinion. Quand on n’a que l’amour’s english versions suck. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/4 "2008-12-21T15:55:19Z")
_Ne Me Quitte Pas_, another Brel song, had an English version with much less moving lyrics called _If You Go Away_. Michel Legrand’s song from _Les Parapluies de Cherbourg_ (not sure of the French title, possibly the same as the film?) has an English version called _I Will Wait For You_. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/5 "2008-12-21T16:34:26Z")
I don’t think that an English translation of [Alouette](http://www.songsforteaching.com/french/parapluie/alouette.htm) would go over very well, except among the Dexter and Hannibal Lecter types. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/6 "2008-12-21T20:02:49Z")
[La Mer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd_nopTFuZA) –\> [Beyond the Sea](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=SEIDep_UMmk) ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/7 "2008-12-21T20:13:54Z")
Of course, you also have the reverse : [Penny Lane](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwK33G-yOC8), [Doo Wah Diddy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9lkw4YchM&feature=related) or even [Les portes du pénitencier](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlzH1zBbNqQ&feature=related) (House of the Rising Sun) ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/8 "2008-12-21T20:16:17Z")
Jacque Prevert’s Les Feuilles mortes did rather well as an English translation sung by Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, among others: “Autumn Leaves” ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/9 "2008-12-21T20:37:08Z")
Vikki Carr’s “It Must Be Him” was originally the French song “Seul Sur Son Etoile” ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/10 "2008-12-21T20:44:29Z")
“I Wish You Love” Written by Léo Chauliac, with French lyrics under the title “Que reste-t-il de nos amours?” by Charles Trenet. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/11 "2008-12-21T21:25:04Z")
“She” by Elvis Costello, off the "Notting Hill soundtrack, is based on a French song. I think it was originally performed by Charles Aznavour. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/12 "2008-12-21T22:41:12Z")
I’m sure there’s a few by Celine Dion that are better known in English but have French versions. I have English and French versions of _If That’s What it Takes, I don’t know_ and _Fly_. I’m fairly sure the French versions came out first, but not certain. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/13 "2008-12-21T22:43:37Z")
'Tis the season, I believe my favorite carol is “O Holy Night” which was a french writer and a different french composer. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/14 "2008-12-21T23:09:03Z")
That wasn’t worded correctly. “O Holy Night” is my favorite carol and it has French origins. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/15 "2008-12-22T01:48:29Z")
The Canadian national anthem. [As indicated in Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_canada), the anthem has its roots firmly in Quebec, with the English lyrics not appearing until some decades has passed. Also as noted in Wikipedia, the French and English lyrics are vastly different, the English being far less expressively and expansively poetical French lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-songs-converted-into-english/478189/16 "2008-12-22T02:20:21Z")
The popular Anthrax song [“Antisocial”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNRpNUucoto) was originally recorded by the French band [Trust](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkUXZTVh0tI).