Beyond the Sea (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "La Mer" |
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Cover of musical score published in France in 1946
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| Song by Charles Trenet | |
| Published | 1946 by Les Editions Raoul Breton |
| Songwriter(s) | Charles Trenet |
| Composer(s) | Charles Trenet, Albert Lasry |
"Beyond the Sea" is a famous pop song from 1945. It's a romantic love song written by Jack Lawrence. The music for "Beyond the Sea" comes from an older French song called "La Mer" by Charles Trenet.
Charles Trenet wrote "La Mer," which means "the Sea" in French. His song was about the ocean and its changing moods. When Jack Lawrence wrote the English version, he added the word "Beyond" to the title. This small change helped him turn the song into a beautiful love story.
Contents
The Story of "Beyond the Sea"
From French Sea to English Love
The original French song, "La Mer," was composed by Charles Trenet. He wrote it with French lyrics that celebrated the sea. It talked about how the ocean changes and feels.
Later, Jack Lawrence took Trenet's music. He wrote new English lyrics for it. By adding "Beyond" to the title, he changed the song's focus. It became a romantic song about love, not just the sea.
Famous English Versions
| "Beyond the Sea" | ||||
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| Single by Bobby Darin | ||||
| from the album That's All | ||||
| B-side | "That's the Way Love Is" | |||
| Released | October 1959 | |||
| Recorded | August 24, 1958 | |||
| Genre | Big band | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | Atco 6158 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jack Lawrence/Charles Trenet | |||
| Bobby Darin singles chronology | ||||
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Many artists have recorded "Beyond the Sea." But the version by Bobby Darin is the most famous. He released his song in late 1959. It became a big hit.
Bobby Darin's Hit Version
Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea" reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This chart lists the most popular songs in the US. It also did well on the US R&B Chart and in the UK Singles Chart.
Earlier Recordings
Before Bobby Darin's hit, two other versions made it onto the Billboard Top 40. Benny Goodman's version was popular in 1948. It was even in a movie called Every Girl Should Be Married. Roger Williams' recording reached number 37 in 1955. The very first recording of "Beyond the Sea" was by Harry James and His Orchestra in 1947.
Other Popular Versions
Many other musicians have sung "Beyond the Sea." Here are some of them:
- George Benson recorded an R&B version in 1984. It was called "Beyond The Sea (La Mer)."
- Robbie Williams included the song on his album Swing When You're Winning in 2001. His version was used in the credits of the Disney·Pixar animated movie Finding Nemo.
- In 2016, Patrick Stump sang a Navajo-language version for the Navajo dub of Finding Nemo.
- Will Young, who won Pop Idol in 2002, performed the song. He also recorded it for an album.
- Kevin Spacey sang it for the 2004 movie Beyond the Sea. This movie was about Bobby Darin's life.
- Westlife released their version as a digital download in 2004.
- Rod Stewart put his version on his album Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V in 2010.
- Celtic Woman included the song on two of their albums.
- Deana Martin recorded "Beyond the Sea" for her 2013 album Destination Moon.
- Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
