While in his twenties, Lai left home and went to Paris, where he became part of the lively Montmartre music scene. In 1965 he met filmmaker Claude Lelouch and was hired to help write the score for the film A Man and a Woman. Released in 1966, the film was a major international success, earning a number of Academy Awards. The young Lai received a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Original Score". This initial success brought more opportunities to work for the film industry both in his native France, where he continued to work with Lelouch on scores to films such as Vivre pour vivre (1967), Un homme qui me plaît (1969), Le voyou (1970) and La bonne année (1973), as well as in Great Britain and the United States. He is known for his support of Mireille Mathieu in many compositions and recordings. In 1970 he wrote the score for director René Clément's film, Rider on the Rain ("Le passager de la pluie"). It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc in September 1971.
In 1970 Lai won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film Love Story. In the United States, the soundtrack album went to No. 2 in the Billboard album charts and the film's theme, "Where Do I Begin", was a hit single with lyrics by Carl Sigman for traditional pop singer Andy Williams. The song would also be recorded successfully by Lai himself, with a full orchestra, and by Henry Mancini and Shirley Bassey. Lai's "Love Story" theme was heard in the 1978 Love Story sequel titled Oliver's Story, although the main score was composed by Lee Holdridge.
His movie scores include films as diverse as Mayerling, Three into Two Won't Go, International Velvet, Édith et Marcel, and Michael Winner films such as I'll Never Forget What's'isname and Hannibal Brooks. Lai has also had success with music written for softcore erotic films like Emmanuelle 2 (1975) and Bilitis (1977). He earned high praise for the latter film's score and its sound-track sold over a million copies throughout the world.
His composition "Aujourd'hui C'est Toi" (Today It's You) is probably best known in the UK as the theme music for the long-running BBC television current affairs documentary series Panorama.
In a career spanning forty years, Lai has also written music for television programs and alone or in collaboration with others has composed music for more than one hundred films and has personally written more than six hundred songs. Notably, he penned the music for the Perry Como hit "I Think of You" (lyrics by Rod McKuen).
Carry That Weight
Francis Lai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
I never give you my pillow
I only send you my invitation
And in the middle of the celebrations
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
You're gonna carry that weight along time
The lyrics to Francis Lai's song Carry That Weight can be interpreted in various ways, but the most common interpretation is that they deal with the emotional burden of a failed relationship. The "weight" that the singer has to carry is the pain and memories associated with a past love that haunts him until the present. Despite the passing of time, the singer is still carrying the weight of the lost love and the emotional baggage that comes with it.
The line "I never give you my pillow" suggests that the singer didn't allow himself to be vulnerable with his partner, as sharing a pillow is an intimate act. Instead, the singer sent an "invitation," which could mean that he pushed his partner away or kept the relationship at arm's length. However, during what should be a happy occasion - "the middle of the celebrations" - the singer breaks down, unable to keep carrying the emotional weight of the past relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of Carry That Weight can be seen as a warning of the long-lasting emotional consequences of love and heartbreak. Despite the pain, one has to carry it along for a long time and accept that it is a significant part of one's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
You must bear the responsibility for your actions and the consequences that come with them.
Carry that weight a long time
The consequences of your actions will last for a long time and you won't be able to escape from them easily.
Boy, you gonna carry that weight
You will continue to bear that responsibility and its consequences.
Carry that weight a long time
The consequences will not go away quickly, but you must keep carrying them.
I never give you my pillow
I have always been selfish and haven't shared my comfort with you. I haven't shown enough love and care for you.
I only send you my invitation
I have only invited you to be a part of my life, without ever fully committing to you or making you feel like you truly belong.
And in the middle of the celebrations
Even when things seem to be going well or we are happy together, my issues and problems will still come up and affect our relationship.
I break down
I am not strong enough to handle the weight of my responsibilities and consequences, leading to negative effects on our relationship.
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
You cannot escape from the consequences that come with being in a relationship with me, whether good or bad.
Carry that weight a long time
The consequences will last for a long time and you cannot avoid them.
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
I am reminding you of your responsibility to carry the weight and consequences of our relationship.
You're gonna carry that weight a long time
These consequences will not go away anytime soon and you will need to keep shouldering them for a while.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mohammed ali
Peggy FRANCIS LAI
marie france gobé
Merci - Super
J'aime beaucoup Francis LAY
Bisous d'amitié mon ami
Très belle nuit
Bisous ♥♥