Let’s Sing of our Love. Love Songs (sort of).

Hi all:

As it’s Valentine’s Day later in the week, and last year I decided to share some poems I like, this year I thought about sharing some songs.

I love musicals, so when I got looking for songs, I couldn’t help myself.

First:

Ava Gardner (yes, really her, not the singer who dubbed her in the movie) in Showboat, singing ‘Can’t help loving that man of mine’. She is so beautiful! Colour cinema was made for her.

I adore Oklahoma. Here, a couple of songs, although I’d happily share the whole show (I actually will leave you a link to the version I saw in London with Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman)

You know how people like to make up stories when they see a boy and a girl together, as Curly and Laurey remind us:
People will say we’re in love

But being discreet isn’t always everybody’s cup of tea. I love Ado Annie.
I cain’t say no

In case you feel like watching the whole thing…

You’ve probably guessed I like Rodgers and Hammerstein. South Pacific is another one of my favourites. I must admit the added colours to the movie make the viewing weird but still…(I love the humorous numbers but maybe not for today)

If love makes you feel all lyrical, these two songs are a must (it doesn’t matter how young you are or if it’s not evening or particularly enchanted):
Younger than springtime

Some enchanted evening

I also love West Side Story and I’m sure you’ve also felt like that when in love.
I feel pretty!

And because we sometimes can’t help ourselves…
Mamma Mia! (warning, it’s from the movie!)

This one because I love Billie Holiday (probably Lover Man is my favourite but it makes me too sad):
That Ole Devil Called Love (1945) Billie Holiday

Not sure what made me think of this one. I love the album but I wasn’t very convinced by this song at first. Now it’s one of my favourites and I like the touch of humour:

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – “Fortune Teller”

I decided this would be an international post and I’d add some songs I also like in Catalan and Spanish. I love this Catalan one.
Josep Carreras: Rosó

I hope you like this one.
The three tenors: Amapola

This is a very beautiful song with gorgeous lyrics. There are many versions so I randomly chose one.
Laura Pausini y Miguel Bosé: Te amaré

I’ve already told you I love musicals. Mar i Cel is a play by a very famous Catalan dramatist, Àngel Guimerà. We studied his plays in High School, and I really loved ‘Mar i cel’ a play set up in the Middle Ages in Spain, some time after the Catholic King and Queen had expelled both the Jews and the Moors. The pirates succeed in taking control of a ship where Spanish soldiers were escorting some young women destined to become nuns. The love story between the pirate Captain, Said, and Blanca, a noble young woman, is set for tragedy. As impossible loves go it’s pretty out there. A few years later, a Catalan theatre company, Dagoll Dagom (last year they reached 40 years staging musicals) took it to the stage with great success. I went to see it and I loved it. It is one of my favourites.

This song takes place shortly after Blanca goes to Said’s quarters with the intention of killing him and he ends up telling her the story of how the soldiers killed his mother, and asks her to kill him. She cries, and the song is when they realise there might be something… (She wonders why did she cry when he is an enemy of the faith and a pirate, and he wonders why did she cry…? )

Mar i cel: Per què he plorat? (Why did I cry?)

This one is completely irrelevant, but hey, I still remember being on the first row of the theatre, right next to the orchestra conductor and seeing the ship moving around. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Mar i cel: Himne dels pirates (Hymn of the pirates) (Dagoll Dagom)

Thank you for reading, or rather listening and watching today, like, share, comment and happy Valentine! (Sharing some relevant books on Friday). Let me know your favourite songs.