QUE RESTE-T-IL DE NOS AMOURS?

QUE RESTE-T-IL DE NOS AMOURS? by Charles Trenet.

The other day Chris asked to borrow "Stolen Kisses," which put me in mind to revisit some of these Truffaut soundtrack songs. That, and I noticed the other week they're using a Charles Trenet in some commercial. (The song is Boum! and it's in that Absolut pillow fight commercial. Pretty great, I have to admit!)

I don't have much to say about this song, except that it's about my favorite in that language, and maybe the only one I can sing along with en français (a little bit at least!)

That's all for today (and this week in fact!)

LISTEN.

Photo: Washington Street.

CHARLIE (from Shoot The Piano Player)

CHARLIE (from Shoot The Piano Player) by George Delerue.

Charlie's theme opens Truffaut's second film, Shoot The Piano Player. I've long known this movie as "Bob Dylan's favorite movie" on the basis of having heard that somewhere. (Or possibly because Dylan namechecked it in the liner notes to The Times They Are A-Changin':

there's a movie called
Shoot the Piano Player
the last line proclaimin'
"music, man, that's where it's at"
it is a religious line
outside, the chimes rung
an' they
are still ringin')

Be that as it may, this tune is so mesmerizing. The way it's written and played it seems to loop around on itself so as soon as it comes to the end, I have an impulse to start it up again. Usually when I read about this tune it's described as "honky-tonk." I don't really agree. I mean, maybe it has some formal characteristics of honky-tonk, but there's something so twitchy and nervous about it. It's catchy but it doesn't really swing like I would think honky-tonk piano should. Who knows. Fun stuff regahdless. P.S. Charles Aznavour is a god. Off to D.C. for the day, so see you Friday morning!

LISTEN.

Photo: Houston median.

PLAYING HOOKY

PLAYING HOOKY (from the 400 BLOWS) by Jean Constantin.

The very first week of this blog's existence we posted a song from the 400 Blows. In it I talked about sneaking over and catching a double feature of Truffaut films at the Film Forum. I wouldn't say we've come full circle or anything, but I thought I'd post another song from that soundtrack. This one's called Playing Hooky.

It's a little more typical go-go French early 60s style, just little variations on a jazzy riff (just like Cassius Clay's tune from a couple years later, as a matter of fact).

LISTEN.

Photo: DC Office.