La Complainte de la Butte


"La Complainte de la Butte" is a French love song, written by Jean Renoir, set to music by Georges van Parys, and originally performed by Cora Vaucaire as a single and as part of the soundtrack for the 1955 film French Cancan written and directed by Jean Renoir.

History

The steps of the 'butte', seen from the top of the street of Saint-Vincent, and the 'wings of the mill' that are said to protect lovers in the song, are both references to the 'hill' of Montmartre in Paris. As the song's lyrics read, 'From the top of street of Saint-Vincent, a poet and a stranger loved each other in the space of an instant, but he never saw her again... Princess of the street, be welcome to my broken heart, my little beggar, I feel your cuffs seeking my hands, I feel your chest and your slender waist, I forget my sorrow, I feel on your lips the scent of the fever of a malnourished child, and under your caress, I feel an intoxication that annihilates me...' , the romanticised fictional founder and director of the Moulin Rouge, introduces a new singer, Esther Georges, into his cabaret and music hall, where she sings the Complainte de la Butte for the first time.

Covers and adaptations

Following Cora Vaucaire, this 'complainte' was covered by a number of performers, including André Claveau, Patachou, Marcel Mouloudji, the duo of Barbara and Frank Alamo, , Francis Lemarque, Lambert Wilson, the duo of Patrick Bruel and Francis Cabrel, Hélène Ségara, Daniel Darc, Rufus Wainwright, Zaz, and Sirius Plan.

Cinema and film music

  • 1955: French Cancan, by Jean Renoir, sung by Cora Vaucaire.
  • 2001: Moulin Rouge, by Baz Luhrmann, sung by Rufus Wainwright.