fight cute

October 21, 2005 11:11 AM

"A quoi ça sert l’amour?" 28m quicktime, because it's a worthy successor to the cake-bearing bunny. (via)
posted by of strange foe (24 comments total)

Thank you, simply wonderful.
posted by jonson at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2005

Do the lyrics exist in English anywhere?
posted by ewagoner at 11:56 AM on October 21, 2005

You can always get garbled ones off online translators:

With what Ca is used, love?
One always tells
Foolish stories
With what Ca is used to like?
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 12:31 PM on October 21, 2005

When this hit Drawn! someone posted a Google translation of the lyrics.

Could “A quoi ça sert l’amour?” = “For what that is used the love?” = “What use is love?”
posted by tepidmonkey at 12:41 PM on October 21, 2005

As a stopgap, here's a shot at it with the tattered remains of my high-school french. I'm sure someone else can do better down the line:

What's the purpose of love?
One always recounts
Crazy stories
What's the point of loving?

Love doesn't explain itself!
It's just what it is!
Which comes from who knows where
And grabs you all of a sudden.

Me, I've heard tell
That love makes you suffer
That love makes you cry
What's the point of loving?

What purpose does love serve?
It gives us joy
With tears in our eyes...
It's sad and wonderful.

However one often says
That love is deceptive
That one out of two
Is never happy...

All the same when one has lost
A love one knew
It leaves a sweet taste
Love is eternal!

That's all very nice,
But when it's all over
There's nothing left
But an immense sadness

Everything that now
Seems heartrending
Tomorrow will seem to you
A happy memory

In summary, if I understand correctly,
Without love in life
Without its joys, without its sorrows
One has lived for nothing?

But yes! Look at me!
Every time I believe it!
And I will always believe it...
That's the purpose of love!

But you, you're the last one!
But you, you're the first!
Before you there was nothing
With you I am good!

It's you I want!
It's you I need!
You I will always love...
That's the purpose of love!
posted by liam at 12:55 PM on October 21, 2005

I enjoyed that.
posted by disgruntled at 1:02 PM on October 21, 2005

Very well done. Thanks for posting this.
posted by Gamblor at 1:09 PM on October 21, 2005

My compliments for your tattered french ! If that's tattered I wonder what a little reharshing could do..
posted by elpapacito at 1:09 PM on October 21, 2005

Au bout. Thanks osf.
That's Sacré Coeur at the end.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:19 PM on October 21, 2005

liam: "As a stopgap, here's a shot at it ..."

Merci!
posted by ewagoner at 1:49 PM on October 21, 2005

OSF, merci beaucoup! I recognized Edith Piaf's voice, does anyone know who she is singing with?
posted by killy willy at 2:06 PM on October 21, 2005

Mucho gusto. Domo arigato.
posted by fungible at 2:06 PM on October 21, 2005

Here's my attempt at a more-or-less idiomatic translation...

What use is love?
We're always telling
Crazy stories.
What's the use of loving?

There's no explaining love!
It's the kind of thing
That comes from who knows where
And takes you all of a sudden.

Me, I've heard tell
Love is suffering,
Love is crying.
What's the use of loving?

What use is love?
To give us joy
and tearful eyes.
It's sad and marvelous.

And yet they often say
That love lets you down
That one of two
Are never happy.

Even after we've lost
The love we knew
It leaves a honeyed taste
Love is forever!

All this is very nice
But when it's all done
Nothing's left
But a great sadness

Everything that now
Seems so hurtful,
Tomorrow will be
A joyful memory

So all in all, if I understand
Without love in your life
Without its joys and pains,
We've lived for nothing?

Why yes! Look at me!
I believe in it each time.
And I will always believe.
That's what love is for.
But you, you're the last one.
But you, you're the first one.
Before you there was nothing...
With you I'm fine.
You were the one i wanted,
You were the one I needed.
You I'll always love.
That's what love is for!
posted by growli at 2:20 PM on October 21, 2005

I recognized Edith Piaf's voice, does anyone know who she is singing with?

I think it's Theo Sarapo, Piaf's second husband.
posted by liam at 2:21 PM on October 21, 2005

Sorry. Theo Sarapo.
posted by liam at 2:22 PM on October 21, 2005

killy willy, that was Theo Sarapo, her last husband. There's an article here that does a nice job of summing up the major details of her life.
posted by Frisbee Girl at 2:23 PM on October 21, 2005

Or what liam said.
posted by Frisbee Girl at 2:23 PM on October 21, 2005

This is as good as AskMe.
*patting Mefi on its back*
posted by of strange foe at 2:46 PM on October 21, 2005

Not really of strange foe, we still don't know a quoi ça sert l’amour.
posted by tommyc at 3:04 PM on October 21, 2005

That was beautiful. Thx.
posted by rokabiri at 3:58 PM on October 21, 2005

Direct Link
posted by blue_beetle at 4:04 PM on October 21, 2005

Windows Media Version
posted by blue_beetle at 4:06 PM on October 21, 2005

Wonderful. Thank you!!
posted by basicchannel at 4:36 PM on October 21, 2005

Thanks.
posted by troutfishing at 12:40 PM on October 22, 2005