emmanuel d'astier • anna marly • hy zaret
For decades I thought this was a Cohen song: I never checked the label. But it isn't. Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie wrote "La Complainte du Partisan" in London 1943, and the music is by Anna Marly. First release was "La complainte" March 1963 by Marly herself, in french. English lyrics was later written by Hy Zaret, and Cohen had first hands on it.
Why Cohen covered it on "Songs from a Room" (1969)? It's the only song he ever cut without himself involved in songwriting. Well, he always had a strong passion for Europe, and maybe he simply liked it. In his version, he leaves the french part to a choir, omitting verses #2, 4 & 5.
when they poured across the border I was cautioned to surrender
this I could not do
I took my gun and vanished
I have have changed my name so often • I have lost my wife and children
but I've many friends
and some of them are with me now
an old woman gave us shelter • kept us hidden in the garrett
then the soldiers came
she died without a whisper
there were three of us this morning • I'm the only one this evening
but I must go on
the frontiers are my prison
the wind the wind is blowing • through the graves the wind is blowing
freedom soon will come
then we'll come from the shadows
les allemands étaient chez moi
on m'a dit: "résigne-toi"
mais je n'ai pas peur
et j'ai repris mon arme
personne ne m'a demandé
d'ou je viens et où je vais
vous qui le savez
effacez mon passage
j'ai changé cent fois de nom
j'ai perdu femme et enfant
mais j'ai tant d'amis
et j'ai la France entière
un vieil homme dans un grenier
pour la nuit nous a cachés
les Allemands l'ont pris
Il est mort sans surprise
hier encore nous étions trois
Il ne reste plus que moi
et je tourne en rond
dans la prison des frontières
le vent passe sur les tombes
et la liberté reviendra
on nous oubliera!
nous rentrerons dans l'ombre
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
Em G D Em when they poured across the border G D Em I was cautioned to surrender G D this I could not do C G ...B7...Em I took my gun and vanished
