Lyrics to "Tears"

Mac Hack

From the book Django--The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend page 127: On the other end of the spectrum was "Tears," based on an old Gypsy tune, "Muri wachsella an u sennelo weesh." Django fingerpicked the song, creating a mournful minor-major melody against a backdrop of descending harmonic chords that moved along like a New Orleans funeral parade. Django and Stéphane's interpretation was unique in jazz--a Gypsy song harmonized with jazzy diminished, minor sixth, and minor seventh chords, casting a dark mood, bittersweet and melancholy.

Man, I love this tune. "Tears" has become one of my favorite tunes to play on the guitar. It just cries out for some lyrics. Does anyone know if lyrics exist for this one?

musicofanatic

I would cry if I heard lyrics! Fully aware of the risk of offending someone, I hafta say some of my favorite tunes (that I naively presumed were strictly instrumentals) have been absolutely and utterly forever ruined when I would finally hear a vocal version (examples, unfortunately, too numerous to list). I am given to understand that there are those who actually recognize singing as a legitimate part of jazz. Imagine that!
While I am no huge fan of his, other than for the following, I remember reading a Gtr Player mag interview with John Scofield some years back. The interviewer, in discussion of John's latest project, inquires, "Will there be any vocal tracks on your new record?". To which Sco emphatically replies, "Oh, no. It will be strictly jazz." I was reading this in a quiet hotel lobby, and surprised even myself when I impulsively hollered, "Yeah!"
Good luck with your search for the lyrics, anyway. If you are a depressed, introspective type perhaps you could compose your own!
p.s.hopefully the preceding will be taken in the tongue-in-cheek fashion in which it is intended. I do not employ them smiley face things!

RKatz

Billie Holliday, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn, Manhatten Transfer and Bireli Lagrene on the album 'Blue Eyes', would consider singing a legitamet part of jazz, for that matter why should jazz exclude any type of insrumentation, be it yodaling or the tin whistle.

dennis

it's originally a folk tuine and yes it has lyrics... obviously not in english... and i dont have the lyrics....

Barengero

Mac Hack wrote:

Does anyone know if lyrics exist for this one?

Yes, there have been contemporary lyrics, written by Francis Blanche (under the title "Larmes").

The dutch Orkest Polytour discovered them (and some other Django-lyrics, too) and recorded them on their CD "Django Chanté". I think it is still available: <!-- e --><a href="mailto:info@polytour.com">info@polytour.com</a><!-- e -->. There are lyrics of Swing 42, Nuages, Swing 39, Melodie au crepuscule, Douce Ambiance, Manoir de mes reves, too.

This are the lyrics:

LARMES

1Parlé:
Cést triste, la pluie, dans la cour d´une prison…
On dirait les larmes de tous les jours qu´on a gachés…

Sur les murs tout noirs de suie
je revois ma pauvre vie…
Pauvre vie couleur de pluie
Larmes, larmes, larmes
Mon enfance á la maison
et puis "l age de raison"…
et puis la cour de la prison
où je tourne, tourne en rond
Larmes de la pluie… Larmes de la nuit
Y a bien eu, dans tout c´gachis,
un amour qui m´a souri…
Ca aussi, ca mal fini. Larms…larmes…larmes…

non, c´était pa un dimanche
Ca n´était meme pas l´printemps,
mais y avait pourtant du beau temps…
du beau temps…du beau temps
C´est toujours comm´ca qu´on flanche,
on croit qu´ca s´ra pour tout l´temps…
On croit sincèr´ment les serments, les serments.

2. Parlé:
C´est triste, la pluie, dans la cour d´une prison…
Ca donne presque envie de regretter ce qu´on a fait…

Car le jour où j´ai compris
Qu´il m´avait volé ma vie,
pendant, qu´il dormait j´ai pris
L´arme, l´arme, l´arme
Un coup sec, et puis la fin
Sans un cri il s´est ètaint
Alors, la tete entre les mains
J´ai pleuré jusqu´au matin
Larmes de la pluie…Larmes de la nuit
A présent, tout est fini
J´ai bet´ment gache ma vie,
pauvre vie couleur de sule
Larmes… larmes…larmes

Hope that helps,

Best,

Barengero

Mac Hack

Awesome! Thanks, Barengero.

In my search I did find this CD which includes lyrics to a bunch of Grappelli/Django compositions. I haven't ordered it yet, though.

http://www.denwarecords.com/jazz/artist ... jango.html