It's Better In French

In my hey-day, I studied French for about 10 years and, while I don't get to practice it enough, I understand enough of it to enjoy sultry songs that fill you with smoky heartache ~~ and, as one of my favorite (true!) stories, I like to tell people that when I was in Paris celebrating Bastille Day one night many years ago with David and Clay, as the fireworks blasted up into the sky and reflected the revelry off the Seine, under the solemn shadow of Notre Dame, I knew enough French to understand that the cute couple talking to me was actually propositioning me and asking me to go home with them ~ and I knew enough French to politely say, "um, why thank you, but no I do not want to go home with you for a ménage à trois."  They didn't teach me that in my high school French Club!  Ahhh, but I digress.  Tonight, after dragging myself out of the office at 8 pm, mind still reeling from all those murder cases I have been reading, I drove over to my favorite East Bay sushi  haven, Drunken Fish to meet a friend for dinner.  I was listening to the the best jazz station in the Bay Area, 91.1 KCSM, when this amazing song came on by Karrin Allyson ~~ she was singing Nina Simone's "Ne Me Quitte Pas."  I parked the car, and then sat there....listening.....and falling in lust with this woman's voice....and her somber, seductive refrain... ♪♪ ne me quitte pas, ne me quitte pas....♪♪

Ne. Me. Quitte. Pas.   

Ai, her voice was amazing.  Lovely.  Lightly Wrenching, and isn't love, especially in a foreign language, always that way?  The song also included an accordion and a guitar, and so these Spanish and French and Portugese elements graced every corner of her lush voice, and I remembered my short visits to Paris and Spain and my favorite rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," in French, the one by that old, old French man in a basement bar somewhere in the heart of Paris, filled with cigarette smoke and flirty glances across the table.....and dammit where  can I find that again?  How do you say in French.....comment vous dites.....

♪♪ Someday I'll wish upon a star, And wake up where the clouds are far, Behiiiiind me.  Where troubles melt like lemon drops,  Away above the chimney tops, That's where you'll fiiiiind me.... ♪♪♪♪

Damn, I digress again....anyway, back to me....in the car....alone on a dark street listening to a French song....after the song ended, the D.J. described this "French singer" Karrin Allyson ~~ except I came home and looked her up and she's from Kansas City!  You MUST check her out!  The song I fell in love with tonight is from her CD entitled "From Paris to Rio."  She is on tour right now so if you can, see her live!  For me, I'm going to see how much change I can find under the sofa cushions to see if I can afford her CD!  ~~ :)   

Or maybe, I go make lemonade because you know what they say....when life hands you lemons.....

Yeah, I dunno how I got from Bastille Day to a rejected-threesome to sushi to jazz to the Wizard of Oz to lemonade, either......well, maybe I do.....but ain't this great?  ~ :)

Comments

[Ayse Ozkaya]

Hi,

I discvoered your blog by accident when I was writing about art and its function. I have to say, you're inspiring writer and I love how passionate you are about the things you believe in.

I agree with you on many topics, especially empowering women.
In a modern society like ours, I really don't understand why women still take second place. Just the dwindling number of female nobel prize winners tells you something.

I really wanted to email you but my macintosh wouldn't recognize your e-mail address.

I live in San Francisco for eight months and you really bring back a lot of memories.
Hope to hear from you
ayse
PS Congrats on your BRANDspanking new BABY!

[cindylu]

i really like the "somewhere over the rainbow" version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. if you've seen 50 first dates or meet joe black it's on there. by the way, this post makes me want to learn french.