The stranger song ( Leonard Cohen) ...french by Graeme Alwright RIP

[Jean Pierre]

This is a beautiful adaptation in French of the song of Leonard Cohen "the stanger song"
by Graeme Allwrhigt
Graeme Allwright is a New Zealander folk singer who arrived in France in 1948.
It is thanks to him and because of him that the young French were introduced to fingering picking in the 70's

the adaptation of this song in French is very faithful to the song of Leonard Cohen (to see the texts in French and in English)

By Leonard Cohen's song translation such as
To night will be fine / Last year's man / Suzanne / The stranger song / Diamonds in the mine / Winter lady / The sisters of mercy / Joan of Arc / Avalanche
Graeme Allwright has greatly contributed to make known this great poet that I had the chance to see in concert in Lyon in 2008 (excellent musicians and choristers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waCcjatn48g)

This cover is specially dedicated to my two French colleagues Jean Seb and Daniel 

sing, Guitars et Melodica Hohner    JP,
Bass, Piano,  accordion          BIAB

Les paroles de "l'Etranger" adaptation par Graeme Allwright de la chanson de Leonard Cohen "the stranger song"

Tous les hommes que tu as connus
Te disaient qu'ils ne voulaient plus
Donner les cartes pris comme dans un piège
C'est dur de retenir la main
D'un homme qui cherche plus loin
Qui veut atteindre le ciel pour se livrer
Et qui veut atteindre le ciel pour se livrer

Puis ramassant les cartes
Qui sont restées là sur la table
Tu sais qu'il t'a laissé très peu pas même son rire
Comme tous les joueurs il cherchait
La carte qui est si délirante
Qu'il n'aura plus jamais besoin d'une autre
Qu'il n'aura plus jamais besoin d'une autre

Un jour penchée à ta fenêtre
Il te dira qu'il veut renaître
Au monde que ta tendresse lui cache
Et sortant de son portefeuille
Un vieil horaire de train, il dit :
Je t'avais prévenue je suis étranger
Je t'avais prévenue je suis étranger

Maintenant un autre étranger
Semble vouloir que tu ignores ses rêves
Comme s'ils étaient le fardeau d'quelqu'un d'autre
Tu as vu cet homme déjà
Donner les cartes avec son bras en or
Mais maintenant tu vois sa main est figée
Oui maintenant tu vois sa main est figée

Mais tu n'aimes pas regarder
Un autre homme fatigué
Déposer toutes ses cartes comme une défaite
Tandis qu'il rêve jusqu'au sommeil
Dans l'ombre tu vois comme une fumée
Une route qui monte derrière sa tête
Une route qui monte derrière sa tête

Tu lui dis d'entrer et de s'asseoir
Et en te retournant tu vois
Que la porte de ta chambre reste ouverte
Et quand tu prends sa main, il dit
N'aie pas peur ma tendre amie
Ce n'est plus moi, oh mon amour, l'étranger
Ce n'est plus moi, oh mon amour, l'étranger

J'ai attendu toujours certain
De te revoir entre les trains
Bientôt il va falloir en prendre un autre
Oh je n'ai jamais eu tu sais
Pas le moindre plan secret
Ni personne pour me conduire
Et tu te demandes ce qu'il cherche à dire
Oui tu te demandes ce qu'il veut dire

En bas au bord du fleuve demain
Je t'attendrai si tu veux bien
Là tout près du pont qu'ils construisent
Puis quitte le quai pour un wagon-lit
Tu sais qu'il cherche un autre abri
Qu'il n'avait jamais été un étranger
Qu'il n'avait jamais été un étranger

Et tu dis d'accord, le pont ou bien ailleurs, je viendrai

____________________________________________
paroles officielles ? The Stranger Song ?
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
Who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
That is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

And then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came, I was a stranger
I told you when I came, I was a stranger

But now another stranger seems
To want you to ignore his dreams
As though they were the burden of some other
Oh you've seen that man before
His golden arm dispatching cards
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter

Ah you hate to watch another tired man
Lay down his hand
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
You notice there's a highway
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
It is curling just like smoke above his shoulder

You tell him to come in sit down
But something makes you turn around
But door is open, you can't close your shelter
You try the handle of the road
It opens do not be afraid
It's you my love, you who are the stranger
And it's you my love, you who are the stranger

Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
I think it's time to board another
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
To get me to the heart of this or any other matter
When he talks like this, you don't know what he's after
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after

Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
That they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform for the sleeping car that's warm
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say, "Okay the bridge or someplace later"

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
That is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

And leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came, I was a stranger
I told you when I came, I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger

[steelguitar]

J'aime cette reprise!

Graeme Allwright est excellent à la guitare.

Belle interprétation, Jean-Pierre !!!

I love it.

jean-sébastien

[Groundy]

:D

I always enjoy your music JP, and this is no exception.
Well done...

Alex.

[The Gobi Desert Canoe Club]

Perfect, I would probably have listened to more Leonard Cohen if they had sounded this good.
Great job.    Willie

[danieldesete]

Wow this brought me goosebumps at the first second; The sound is fabulous, the mix perfect. You managed to stay close to the original and add a personal touch with the little sounds...
Is this accordéon in the background?
a master cover JP, un grand bravo à toi, je suis vraiment impressioné !
Daniel

[Jean Pierre]

thank you all guys

... for Daniel: the accordion is a Usertrack of Band in a Box (that is to say a realtrack made by a user , a kind of sampler
He plays the left hand chords,

  for the melody part it's me who does it with a Melodica from Thoman
for 19.90 Euros !!, with a case ... I do not know how they do to offer such a low price
https://www.thomann.de/fr/thomann_melodica_705000.htm

...I added in the first post the lyrics in French by Graeme Allwright  .... and the lyrics in English by Leonard Cohen

[Jean Pierre]

this a bump for RIP Graeme Alright who is died yesterday in France
Graeme Alwright is a New Zealand folk singuer, composer and performer who lived in France... since 1948.
He has adapted and translated many Leonard Cohen songs into French, including this one

If I can do it, I will make a cover version of Leonard Cohan's Joan of Arc, adapted and translated (very well) into French by Graeme Alwright.