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Je n'ai Paris

from Everything has Changed by Hemlock Smith

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This one really deserves a fair amount of explanation. Although I speak French since my 10th birthday, I had always refused to sing (or write) in this language, because I probably felt that it was impossible to compete with Jacques Brel anyway. This, of course, is still true but, as it happened, I woke up one night with this song almost completely formed in my head. Those events are very rare, so I embraced it, wrote it down and went back to bed! The next morning, I found out, to my bewilderment, that I had written a French chanson! Of course, coward that I am, I tried to dismiss and bury it a bunch of times, but it just wouldn’t go away! I finally recorded it to regain my peace of mind. Fabrizio Di Donato wrote a wonderful string arrangement for this and I’m so glad that he happens to be my friend!

lyrics

Je n’ai Paris

Je n’ai Paris
Je n’ai Bordeaux
Et New Delhi
Autant qu’ Tokyo
Je n’ai Paris
Pas Chicago
Et il fait trop gris
A Toronto

Je n’ai pas ri, car tu n’es pas restée
Je n’ai pas ri, car j’ai pleuré
Je n’ai Paris, car je n’ai plus rien
Que mon dépit, et l’amour de mon chien
Je n’ai pas ri, Paris m’a avalé
Tout nu – Tout cru
Et m’a recraché
Je n’ai Bordeaux
J’suis en morceaux
Tu n’es pas ici, donc
Je n’ai Paris.

Je n’ai Paris
Je n’ai Bordeaux
Et pas Berlin
Ni Bilbao
Je n’ai pas plus Paris
Que Bamako
Et il fait trop nuit
Du côté d’Oslo

Je n’ai pas ri, car tu n’es pas restée
Je n’ai pas ri, car j’ai pleuré
Ce n’est pas gai, Paris, même pas en canoë
N’en ai cure du Louvre, j’n’en ai pas la clé
Je hais Paris, Paris m’a avalé
Tout nu – Tout cru
Et m’a recraché
Je n’ai Poitiers
Je suis cassé
Tu n’es pas ici, donc
Je n’ai Paris.

credits

from Everything has Changed, released September 5, 2012
Michael Frei—Vox
Fabien Sevilla-Upright Bass
Annick Rody-1st Violin
Camille Stoll-2nd Violin
Laurence Crevoisier-Viola
Sara Oswald-Cello

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Hemlock Smith Lausanne, Switzerland

Hemlock Smith come from Lausanne (Switzerland). Since 2002, they’ve released 7 regular albums with intelligent pop, as well as 2 soundtracks for silent film and 2 collaborations with Noise duo Les Poissons Autistes. Fronted by singer-songwriter Michael Frei, Hemlock Smith's distinctive voice is complemented by a talented band seamlessly blending Pop, Folk, Rock and Trip-Hop Sensibilities ... more

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