What is your favorite popular song?

Question

This is one of my favorites.

And here is a little sequel verse.

War and death and cruelty

Are everywhere most plain to see,

It's quite enough to make the plea,

It shouldn't be this way,

But then, despite our many flaws,

The world's sheer glory gives me pause

To know it's being has a Cause,

I see the world that way.

I've seen the world from both sides now,

From up and down, and still somehow,

It's all the glories I recall,

I really love the world, after all.

"I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth."  —Psalm 26

Answer 1

A wonderful song - close to the music and poetry of many popular French songs from the past and even from more recent times.

Actually, I have quite a few favourites ...

As to songs in English, I liked quite a lot too.

Just to cite a few from the past - the first which come to my mind right now: Abba, Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, Gerry Rafferty, Bobbie Gentry, The Eurythmics, The Carpenters, The Eagles, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, etc., etc.

An example to start with:

Answer 2

I don't remember how popular these really were but I still love to listen to them. Of course, it's all older stuff as most of what I hear now doesn't do much for me.

 

Answer 3

Oh Tink, that is really really really hard Q...I love music...but I tell you, your Judy Collins did one of the songs I love best...here it is, SEND IN THE CLOWNS...along with Dame Judy Dench, Glen Close, Barbra Streisand, Glynis Johns, even Frank Sinatra!

And I will tell you also, do feel sorry for my neighbors because I had a WONDERFUL time belting out your extra verses to BOTH SIDES NOW, and it is 3 AM...poor long-suffering neighbors...    

Answer 4

Virginia, I remember this song too - inspiring!

Answer 5

@ Virginia,

Three a.m?  LOL!  Your poor neighbors! 

Answer 6

Well O'Tink your new lyrics are a good message for ANY time of day (or night) don't you agree? LUCKY neighbors...!  

Answer 7

Ok, Virginia, if you say so.  (I hope your neighbors say so too.) 

Answer 8

Some of my favourite songs - with their translations (I did not have the time to check their quality, and for some of the greatest, there is no translation) found on-line:

Frida Boccara - Cent mille chansons

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/frida-boccara-cent-mille-chansons-lyrics.html

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/cent-mille-chansons-hundred-thousand-songs.html

 

France Gall - La déclaration

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-d%C3%A9claration-damour-declaration-love.html

https://www.lacoccinelle.net/859967.html

 

Jean Ferrat - Aimer à perdre la raison

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/aimer-%C3%A0-perdre-la-raison-love-point-losing-one%E2%80%99s-mind.html

 

Joe Dassin - Et si tu n'existais pas / FR - GB

 

Jacques Brel - Le plat pays

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/le-plat-pays-flat-homeland.html

 

Georges Brassens - Heureux qui comme Ulysse

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/heureux-qui-comme-ulysse-happy-he-who-ulysses.html

https://www.paroles.net/georges-brassens/paroles-heureux-qui-comme-ulysse 

and

I Cugini di Campagna - Anima mia

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/Anima-Mia-Anima-Mia.html

http://www.paroles-musique.com/paroles-Cugini_Di_Campagna-Anima_Mia-lyrics,p012551927

Bourvil - La tendresse

(translation by J. Brel) http://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-tendresse-tenderness.html

Answer 9

That is quite an amazing collection, Marianne!

Answer 10

Yes, Virginia, and there are many more, but I found no translations, and I am myself drowning under a heap of things to do.

I have no translation for a beautiful song for the children of the whole world:

Yves Duteil - Pour les enfants du monde entier

http://paroles2chansons.lemonde.fr/paroles-yves-duteil/paroles-pour-les-enfants-du-monde-entier.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Duteil