Our tribute to the reggae legend Jimmy Cliff

The icon of Jamaican music passed away on 24 November.

We wanted to pay tribute to him with two songs from our repertoires.

 

Famours French artist Bernard Lavilliers and Jimmy Cliff formed a deep friendship in the early 1990s. 

They joined voices to perform the song ‘Melody Tempo Harmony’ (B. Lavilliers) in 1995:

:

 

Ses doigts longs et rapides

Couraient sur sa guitare

 

Ses riffs comme des fluides

Transperçaient le brouillard...

 

Ses textes étaient précis et

Bourrés d’humour noir

 

C’était donc mon ami

Depuis ce fameux soir

 

Melody, tempo harmony

I’ll do it for me

To be new myself...

 

Well in life my son you have two choices

You find black and white in these categories

Police didn't like my sarcactic lyrics

Bye bye big money et fini la musique

 

 The famous lyricist Boris Bergman also crossed paths with Jimmy Cliff and anglicised the lyrics of Vertige de l'Amour (Boris Bergman / Alain Bashung) for him in 2016 in a reggae version of the song, which became ‘Strangers When We Leave’:

Friend, spin me no yarn…
Please no more fairy tales…
I was born in a barn
On a ship with no sails…

I've travelled the seas …
She took me for a ride …
Merry maid from Chelsea
That called herself a bride …
I hope you're on my side…

Oh oh strangers when we leave…