GILBERT BECAUD: 'Le Petit Oiseau de Toutes les Couleurs' (1966)

This one came up 'in the mix' today. It was one of the best-know French songs of 1966, and came from someone who was one of the biggest draws in French-language popular entertainment in his day. I love its brightness; the brass and strings bounce it along and Becaud's vocal has an irrepressible feel to it. It's a vaguely comic metaphor - the little bird in the song is clearly inviting the listener to invest it with their own meaning as it flits from street to street, with the narrator following it, wondering where it may lead him. It finally flies, singing louder and louder, out to sea, out of reach, leaving the narrator watching from the shore. He can't fly, he can't swim, he is a prisoner on the land.'Little bird of all the colours! Bon voyage! Come back quickly! is his final plea, before the last burst on the strings bring the song to a close.

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Translation of the lyric may be found here:

https://lyricstranslate.com/fr/le-ptit-oiseau-de-toutes-les-couleurs-little-bird.html

Music: Gilbert Bécaud Lyric: Maurice Vidalin