Paris Lyrics

Flanders & Swann Paris

Both: Paris they say you have not changed They say you never will - You are my Paris still! Tonight I seem to see them all again: MF. That small hotel! DS. The taxi-cabs! MF. The rain!

Both: The boulevards were busy The champagne sweet and fizzy And we felt safe MF. Inside that little cafe (DS.Winces - What?) Along the Champs Elizzy (DS. No, no - the Champs Elysées!)

DS. The Louvre famed in story MF. The Mona Liza's glory (DS. The Mona Lisa) DS. The Folies Bergère MF. The jolly Gaire Lazaire (DS. Winces) Both. The Faubourg Saint ... (DS. Saint Honoré)

DS You're still the same MF. Old Notre Dame (DS Indignant. Nôtre Dame) Your farm - fame - they'll never spoil Both. A fishing far line MF. Floats in the Sine (DS. Seine) Close by the Place d'Etwoil (DS. Place d'Etoile)

DS. The chestnut trees in flower MF. Give shelter in a showée And flashing bright Both. At night MF. it's little licht (D. light) Both. On high - the Eiffel Towée! (M. looks pleased)

DS. Paris in spring is easy to sing (MF. Ah oui) Among my souvenirs I still recall The Marseilles MF. The Comedie Frankés DS. Les Deux Margots MF. All this - and General de Gaulle

Both. A box of Marrons Glacées MF. With half a demi-tassie Both. Just me and you. MF. To stroll along the Bou (DS. Bou?) - Levard de Montparnasse DS. The smart montmartre apache MF. The films, the films of Guitry (DS. Who's Guitry?) You remember Guitry - Sacha!

Both. The lamp that shines On little painted signs MF. Messieurs .. DS. Messieurs! MF. Mes-dames .. DS. Mesdames! MF. Defence .. DS. DÉFENCE DE CRACHER!

MF. What a stupid language!

You know, it is a curious thing, all the many many years we have been working together, Donald and I, on this songwriting lark, we have never actually had a song in the hit parade. Not in the top ten, anyway. We did have one in the bottom five. We cannot think why this is, as old Vincent Van Swann here and I have made quite a study of music during the two years we spent in a hospital near Arles trying to find out what it is that makes - (to DS) you know what the chap said when he undid the packet?

DS: No

MF: He said what's this ear. We've tried to find out what makes a hit a hit. What is it that distinguishes a hit from good music. Well, this undoubtedly is just get hold of a really catch tune, preferably a tune everybody knows already. Well, Swann set to and after a great deal of research he's ended up with the most fantastic tune, a tune I know is going straight to the top of the hit parade, a tune which he has plage - er - adapted from the works of - who was it?

DS: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

MF: Mozart, yes. He's doing very well in europe just at the moment, don't you know. Carriage trade stuff, mostly. I've set some words to this, and it goes like this: