Saturday, May 29, 2004

Something beautiful, for once 

I had a phase where I was a big fan of this old French-Canadian dude, Daniel Lavoie*. He was big in the 70's & 80's I believe, and came back into the limelight as Frollo in the hit musical Notre Dame de Paris (which is how I discovered him, I saw the English version of it in London in 2000). He was also the Aviator in Le Petit Prince. Anyway, he just released a new album which includes this song. The idea is simple but brilliant: turn nouns into verbs, and it becomes poetry. Well at least in French. "Come so I can cello you" just sounds vaguely dirty in English.

Violoncelle
Composed by Daniel Lavoie, lyrics by Brice Homs.

Viens que j'te violoncelle
Viens que j' te crépuscule
Ma petite hirondelle
Ma tendre libellule
Viens que je te dentelle
Viens que je pilule
Ma petite étincelle
Ma précise virgule
Viens que je te patience
Viens que je te mystère
Ma petite innocence
Mon obscure lumière
Viens que je te silence
Viens que je te frontière
Ma petite vacance
Mon étoile de mer

Reste que je te patience
Reste que je te serrure
Ma rebelle évidence
Ma douce enluminure
Reste que je te visage
Reste que je te matine
Ma volute volage
Ma voyelle voisine
Reste que je te rivière
Reste que je te voilure
Mon demain mon hier
Ma seconde qui dure
Reste que je te velours
Reste que je te racine
Mon féminin mon amour
Ma route ma routine

Pars que je te lointaine
Pars que je te rature
Ma douleur obsidienne
Ma petite blessure
Pars que je te semaine
Pars que je te parure
Ma si proche prochaine
Ma parfaite mesure
Pars que je te bye bye
Pars que je te magique
Mon tout dans le détail
Ma ligne mon oblique
Pars que je te chandail
Pars que je te musique
Que je vaille que vaille
Que je te sens unique

Viens que j'te violoncelle
Viens que j' te crépuscule

*I am a big fat dork. No really. Forget the Strokes and the Vines and whatnot, Manitoban 50-ish-year-old easy-listening performers float my boat. I swear I was born a middle aged housewife. For the record, I also like Anthony Warlow and John Farnham. I'm trying to get cooler tastes, I promise.

But damn ok, you have to admit Warlow has The Best Voice. Ever. Go listen to him do BOTH Jekyl & Hyde. Go listen to him do opera, pop, jazz...and just about every genre that doesn't involve head-banging.

# posted at 9:50 pm

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