Under Paris Skies
Coleman Hawkins with Manny Albam and His Orchestra Lyrics

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How would you like to be
Down by the Seine with me
Oh, what I'd give for a moment or two
Under the bridges of Paris with you

Darling, I'd hold you tight
Far from the eyes of night
Under the bridges of Paris with you

I'd make your dreams come true

How would you like to be
Down by the Seine with me
Oh, what I'd give for a moment or two
Under the bridges of Paris with you

Darling, I'd hold you tight
Far from the eyes of night

Under the bridges of Paris with you
I'd make your dreams come true

Overall Meaning

The song "Under Paris Skies" describes the scene under the bridges of Paris at night when all sorts of homeless people sneak in to find a place to sleep. The bridge is described as a "hotel of the current air" where one does not have to pay much. The perfume and water is provided for free. The setting of the bridge is the perfect rendezvous for lovers, who are also seeking romantic refuge under the Parisian bridge. The chorus repeats the setting and a desire to be there. The singer sings of his desire to have their significant other with them under the bridge, hold them tight and make their dreams come true.

Line by Line Meaning

Sous les ponts de Paris, lorsque descend la nuit
Under the bridges of Paris, when night descends

Tout's sort's de gueux se faufil'nt en cachette
All sorts of beggars sneak in secret

Et sont heureux de trouver une couchette
And they're happy to find a bed

Hôtel du courant d'air, où l'on ne paie pas cher
A hotel with a draft, where you don't pay much

L'parfum et l'eau c'est pour rien mon marquis
Perfume and water are nothing, my lord

Sous les ponts de Paris
Under the bridges of Paris

Quel rendez-vous!
What a meeting!

My darling why I sing this song
My dear, I sing this song to explain

Is easy to explain
It's easy to understand

It tells what happens all along
It describes what happens there

The bridges of the Seine
On the bridges of the Seine