Blog Intermission no. 13 (entr’acte) – Under the Bridges of Paris

The above picture was taken on the 4th of May 2011 – over two month ago already. Every time I have been to Paris, even just for a few days to visit my family, I have somehow found myself near the Seine in Paris. I love to watch the river from all the Paris bridges – well I don’t visit them all as there are 32 bridges over the river Seine in Paris. The Seine and its bridges has been the subject of numerous paintings by French artists as the one below

La Seine et Notre Dame de Paris, Jean-Francois Raffaeli, French 1850-1924

and International painters, as the American below

The Seine and Bridge of the Carousel, Frank Myers Boggs, American 1855-1926

and the Italian below.

Under the Bridges of Paris, Giancarlo Amurri, Italian born in 1929

The Paris bridges have also inspired talented photographers such as Brassaï from Hungary (1899-1984) as shown below by his two dramatic photographs of the Pont Neuf, taken in 1932.

Song writers have also been inspired by the Seine and its bridges. One of these songs called “Sous les Ponts de Paris” was very popular when I was growing up.

Under the Pont Neuf, Joseph Kleitsch, American 1885-1931

It was recorded both in French and English by the American singer Eartha Kitt.

Eartha Kitt, American Singer, 1927-2008 (unknown author of photo)

Eartha Kitt was a versatile star who distinguished herself in cabaret, music, television, theater and films. She performed in over 100 countries and sang in ten different languages. In the television series “Batman” of the 1960s she was a “Catwoman.” Her kitten “growl” became her trademark. Here she is singing Sous les Ponts de Paris – Under the Paris Bridges - (the lyrics are afterwards.)

Sous les Ponts de Paris

Sous les ponts de Paris, lorsque descend la nuit,
Tout's sort's de gueux se faufil'nt en cachette
Et sont heureux de trouver une couchette,
Hôtel du courant d'air, où l'on ne paie pas cher,
L'parfum et l'eau c'est pour rien mon marquis
Sous les ponts de Paris. 2x
Quel rendez-vous !

My darling why I sing this song
Is easy to explain.
It tells what happens all along
The bridges of the Seine.

The vagabonds go there at night
To sleep all their troubles away,
But when the moon is shining bright
My heart wants to sing it this way.

How would you like to be
Down by the Seine with me
Oh what I'd give for a moment or two
Under the bridges of Paris with you

Darling I'd hold you tight
Far from the eyes of night
Under the bridges of Paris with you
I'd make your dreams come true

Oh chérie, je veux apporter mes bras
Je veux apporter mon cœur
Je veux apporter all my love

Sous les ponts de Paris
Lorsque descends la nuit
Under the bridges of Paris with you
I'd make your dreams come true.


The Seine and Bridge Alexandre III, Robert Ricart, French contemporary

It would be nice to be near the bridges of Paris right now. It would be even nicer to be there next Thursday, on the 14th of July, (for the National Holiday, called Bastille Day in anglophone countries) when fireworks can be seen near the Eiffel Tower and reflected in the Seine.

(Photo courtesy Bank d’Images)

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