Danielle Rousseau included the lyrics to "La Mer", a song written by French lyricist Charles Trenet (1913–2001), in her notes on the Island. Since it is a popular French song that was first recorded in the 1940s, Danielle Rousseau was probably familiar with it since childhood.
Sayid, wanting to decipher the notes and not knowing French, sought help from Shannon, who'd previously translated the distress signal. Her initial translation sounded like "nonsense" to Sayid, but she later identified the lyrics, recognizing the song from the French dub of Finding Nemo. A boy under her care during her time as an au pair in Paris had repeatedly watched the film, which played "La Mer" over its closing credits.
At the end of the episode that features this subplot, Shannon's rendition of the song in French transitions into an instrumental version as part of the episode's score. The musical score in "A Tale of Two Cities", "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" and "The Package" also incorporate diegetic songs — "Downtown", "Shambala" and "Catch a Falling Star" respectively.
Song background
"La Mer" is the basis for the popular song "Beyond the Sea". The English lyric was written by Jack Lawrence. It has been recorded by many singers, but Bobby Darin's version is the best-known.
It is claimed that Trenet wrote the song, together with Leo Chauliac, while riding a train in 1943. It was not until 1946 that he actually recorded the song.
It was featured in the opening credits to L.A. Story. The English version of the song featured prominently in the X-Files Season 1, Episode 12, also named "Beyond the Sea". The end credits for the French version of Finding Nemo actually contain "Beyond The Sea".
Lyrics in French with translation
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La mer |
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Lyrics for "Beyond the Sea"
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Somewhere beyond the sea, Somewhere beyond the sea, It's far beyond a star, We'll meet beyond the shore, |
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External links
- Wikipedia - "Beyond the Sea"
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