Somewhere / Ailleurs
I’ve often listened to Tom Waits' version of Somewhere, not carried by the clear voice of a young tenor in love and confident in a radiant future, as in the musical from which it is taken (West Side Story), but by the dark voice of a man who has lived a lot and returned from his illusions... So, I was naturally inclined to give this song in French more of a twilight color: the same aspiration for a better place, but tinged with fatalism, with resignation. Hope is there, it has never ceased to be there; the patina of the years has not entirely covered its original brilliance; time has passed and although it has undoubtedly become more difficult to cling to, it does not die.
Somewhere
Written by
Leonard Bernstein
There’s a place for us / Somewhere a place for us / Peace and quiet and open air / Wait for us somewhere
There’s a place for us / Someday a time for us / Time together and time to spare / Time to learn / Time to care
Someday / Somewhere / We’ll find a new way of living / We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving / Somewhere
There’s a place for us / A time and place for us / Hold my hand and we’re half way there / Hold my hand and I’ll take you there
Somehow / Someday / Somewhere
Ailleurs
French kiss by
François Godin
Oui on tourne en rond / En butte aux mêmes questions / De quoi sera fait demain ? / À quoi bon gémir ?
Vrai qu’on tourne en rond / Saison après saison / À toujours rêver d’un ailleurs / Où tout pourra / Nous sourire
Une vie / Meilleure / On se l’est tant promise et puis / On est restés comme deux losers / Ici
Et on tourne en rond / On n’en voit pas le fond / Preuve de courage ou lâcheté ? / À quoi rime de tout quitter ?
Une vie / Meilleure / Ailleurs
Elsewhere
Translation of the
French adaptation
Yes, we're going around in circles / Facing the same questions / What will tomorrow bring? / What’s the use of lamenting?
It’s true, we’re going in circles / Season after season / Always dreaming of somewhere else / Where everything can / Smile at us
A life / A better one / We promised it to each other so many times and then / We stayed like two losers / Here
And we’re going in circles / We can't see the end of it / Proof of courage or cowardice? / What’s the point of leaving everything behind?
A life / A better one / Elsewhere
The voice/piano demos of the French versions were recorded for the strict purpose of presenting my adaptation work. No broadcasting or public sharing on social networks, media or any other platform is authorized.
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Any recording or public presentation by third parties of the songs in their French version is subject to my authorization as well as that of the rights holders of the original song.
