# Why Paris = horns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271 "2006-08-04T01:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/1 "2006-08-04T01:44:07Z")
Now, granted, I’ve only heard about 3 songs about Paris, spanning several genres of music. But all of them feature prominent use of horns. Is there some reason Paris or the French should evoke clarion musics? I don’t see songs about London or New York featuring them. Is it meant to evoke medieval pomp and circumstance or is there something I am not aware of? Or is this just coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/2 "2006-08-04T02:32:59Z")
I’m genuinely confused; are you talking about French Horns? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/3 "2006-08-04T06:04:25Z")
I’m also confused. Which songs are you talking about? The first song about Paris that comes to my mind doesn’t feature horns, at least not in the renditions I’ve heard – I’m talking about that old standard about “loving Paris in the springtime” and in the Fall. (Was that Porter? Gershwin?) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/4 "2006-08-04T06:41:07Z")
Cole Porter wrote _I Love Paris_ in 1953. **Ludovic** , do you have any examples? Are you talking about songs in the Tin Pan Alley/Broadway musical tradition? Most popular songs of this type don’t specify orchestrations or arrangements, and many of them have been performed and recorded dozens of times in different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/5 "2006-08-04T06:49:34Z")
Well, his betrothed _did_ sleep with another guy… ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/6 "2006-08-04T08:38:37Z")
Frank Sinatra’s version of _I Love Paris_ definitely contains horns. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/7 "2006-08-04T09:15:12Z")
Because **Paris Hilton is the DEVIL!!** Umm… wait a second… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/8 "2006-08-04T10:41:41Z")
Are we talking about car horns or musical horns? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/9 "2006-08-04T11:36:19Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Now, granted, I’ve only heard about 3 songs about Paris, spanning several genres of music. But all of them feature prominent use of horns. > > Is there some reason Paris or the French should evoke clarion musics? I don’t see songs about London or New York featuring them. > > Is it meant to evoke medieval pomp and circumstance or is there something I am not aware of? Or is this just coincidence? Anyone can put any instrument in any song. I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying here. It’s called an _arrangement._ ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/10 "2006-08-04T11:46:47Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Well, his betrothed _did_ sleep with another guy… ::Applause:: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/11 "2006-08-04T12:12:52Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Well, his betrothed _did_ sleep with another guy… Actually, wasn’t HE the other guy in that one? Helen was married to Menelaus before she ever laid eyes on Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/12 "2006-08-04T12:18:40Z")
Now I have an image of Priam in Joe Kennedy Sr.'s round glasses, with Joe Jr. insisting “back off, baby brother. I wanna taste of that sugar if I gotta get dragged around over this mess.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/13 "2006-08-04T12:34:40Z")
Songs about Paris always remind me of _L’ Anarchie Pour le UK_ from _The Great Rock And Roll Swindle_, which uses an accordion. So I often associate accordions with songs about Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/14 "2006-08-04T14:54:39Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > ::Applause:: Enthusiastically seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/15 "2006-08-07T01:07:34Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Actually, wasn’t HE the other guy in that one? Helen was married to Menelaus before she ever laid eyes on Paris. Yes, but Juliet was married to Romeo before SHE ever laid eyes on Paris. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-paris-horns/367271/16 "2006-08-07T01:54:29Z")
Gee, why would songs about Paris be accompanied by French horns? I’ll have to thing about that one.