Music Doesn't Lie - Part 10 (Hymne a l'Amour)

"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world,

then it can only happen through music." – Jimi Hendrix

If you've been following my Music Doesn't Lie posts, you'll start to get the idea that I have eclectic taste in music. I listen to nearly all genres of music with the possible exception of country & western, heavy metal, and rap. The past couple of posts have been about some of the current top 10 songs on the charts that I've recently discovered. Now it's time to take a trip to the past... specifically, 1940s and 1950s Paris. This morning, my iPod Nano woke me with one of my favorite songs from that era - albeit sung by a performer from today, the brilliant Josh Groban.

A dozen years ago (or thereabouts), I was researching some French songs for a cabaret I was working on.  My vocal coach insisted that I have the perfect voice for French music and he's correct - in all modesty, I say this. Naturally, I looked at Edith Piaf because when you think of French chanteuses, you think Piaf!  Or at least you should.  I adore Edith and her music. She had so many great songs - the most famous, of course, being "La Vie en Rose."  Although, it's not my favorite Piaf song. Actually the song I choose to sing was much more upbeat and fun: "Mon Manège à Moi." But even that song wasn't the song I really, really wanted to sing.  I had wanted to sing either "Hymne a l'Amour" or "Mon Dieu" (killer video), but my vocal coach wouldn't let me add another ballad to my song list.  As usual, Steven was correct.  An overly ballad heavy cabaret show is tedious for both the singer and the audience. To this day though, I would kill to sing "Hymne a l'Amour." You can't imagine my excitement when I purchased Josh Groban's cd Closer in 2003 and it included "Hymne a l'Amour."  Much as I love Piaf, Josh Groban is a god! This song just makes me melt. I don't even care that I can never remember the song translation, it's that beautiful. Here's a link to the lyrics with English translation.  Sing to me, Josh!