Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his work in France included the scores for Betty Blue and Camille Claudel. He later began working with American film directors, winning an Oscar for his score for The English Patient and a nomination for The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain.
In 2004, Yared's score to the movie Troy, with a song by Tanja Tzarovska, was rejected due to the poor reception it received in a test screening. It was replaced with one by James Horner.
Biography:
At the age of 7, his father sent Yared to an accordion teacher. Two years later he stopped his accordion lessons and started music theory and piano lessons. His piano teacher thought that he had no future in music.
Although he was not a natural pianist, he was interested in reading music.
At the age of 14, Yared's piano teacher died, so he was to replace his teacher as the organist at Saint Joseph University. During this time, Yared used the University library to read all the work of Bach, Schumann, and many others. This extensive reading inspired his first original composition, a piano waltz.
Yared completed a degree in Law. His formal musical education only began when he travelled to France in 1969, and attended the École Normale de Musique de Paris as a non-registered student. There he learned the rules of music composition from Henri Dutilleux.
At the end of 1971, Yared went to Brazil to visit his uncle. There, the president of the World Federation of light music festivals asked him to write a song to represent the Lebanese in the Rio de Janeiro Song Festival. His song won the first prize. During his time in Brazil, Yared performed with his small orchestra. Yared says that Brazil has greatly influenced his work.
When Yared returned to France, he met the Costa Brothers and collaborated with them. In the six years following his return, Yared wrote three thousand orchestrations.
Not to be limited to orchestrating, Yared collaborated with Jacques Dutronc, Françoise Hardy, Charles Aznavour, Mireille Mathieu, and others. Since 1980 Yared has continued working with a variety of musicians and has contributed to radio and TV jingles, such as the one for TF1 news.
City Of Angels
Gabriel Yared Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You feel the rhythm?
(You feel the rhythm?)
You like the rhythm?
(You like the rhythm?)
This ya rhythm
A Jah Jah rhythm
(A Jah Jah rhythm)
You feel the rhythm?
(You feel the rhythm?)
You like the rhythm?
(You like the rhythm?)
Dis ya rhythm
(Dis ya rhythm)
A Jah Jah rhythm
(A Jah Jah rhythm)
And he dancin' in a smokey room
(Smokey room)
Fire burning bright and the ashes is white
(Ashes is white)
The dry is long and the weed is strong
Strong, strong, strong
I plant the seed and grow the weed
Buy da the weed, da Colombian weed
(The Somai weed)
You feel the riddim?
(You feel the rhythm?)
You like the riddim
(You like the rhythm?)
Then move to the riddim
(Move to the riddim)
Groove to the riddim
(Groove to the riddim)
Rock to the riddin
(Rock to the riddim)
Roll to the riddim
(Roll to the riddim)
Dis ya rhythm
(Dis ya rhythm)
A Jah Jah rhythm
(A Jah Jah rhythm)
Ital rhythm
(Ital rhythm)
Vital rhythm
(Vital rhythm)
Irie rhythm
(Irie rhythm)
The somai riddim
(The somai riddim)
Dubbin' in a smokey room
(Smokey room)
Smoke from me nose cover me like gloves
(Cover me like gloves)
The dry is long and da weed is strong
Strong, strong, strong
I plant the weed and grow the seed
(The somai weed)
Move to the riddim
(To the riddim)
Groove to the riddim
(Groove to the riddim)
Rock to the riddim
(Rock to the riddim)
Roll to the riddim
(Roll to the riddim)
Dis ya riddim
(Dis ya riddim)
Ital rhythm
(Ital rhythm)
Vital rhythm
(Vital rhythm)
Dub to the riddim
(Dub to the riddim)
Rub to the riddim
(Rub to the riddim)
Scrub to the riddim
(Scrub to the riddim)
Do it to the riddim
(Do it to the riddim)
Anything to the rhythm
(Anything to the rhythm)
The lyrics of Gabriel Yared's song "City of Angels" describe a moment of dancing and enjoying reggae music. The first few lines speak of a fire burning bright and the ashes being white, setting the scene for the smokey room where the dancing takes place. The repetition of the line "you feel the rhythm?" and "you like the rhythm?" is an invitation to the listeners to get lost in the sound and feel the beat. The repeated phrase "a Jah Jah rhythm" signals the spiritual nature of the music, as reggae music often draws inspiration from Rastafarianism and its relationship with Jah (God).
The following lines speak of the importance of good-quality cannabis in the reggae culture. The line "I plant the seed and grow the weed" represents self-sufficiency and the independence that comes from growing one's own medicine. The reference to "Colombian weed" and "The Somai weed" alludes to the different strains of cannabis and the different effects they can have on the body and mind. The repetition of the phrase "move to the riddim" and "groove to the riddim" encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and fully embrace the music. The final lines talk about "dubbin' in a smokey room" and "cover me like gloves", alluding to the deep connection between the music and the physical environment in which it is enjoyed.
Line by Line Meaning
Fire burning bright and the ashes is white
The fire is blazing and leaving behind white ashes
You feel the rhythm?
Can you sense the beat of the music?
You like the rhythm?
Do you enjoy grooving to the rhythm?
This ya rhythm
This music has a unique and distinctive rhythm
A Jah Jah rhythm
This rhythm is influenced by Jah Jah or God in Rastafarianism
And he dancin' in a smokey room
He is dancing in a room filled with smoke
The dry is long and the weed is strong
The dry season is prolonged, and the marijuana is potent.
I plant the seed and grow the weed
I plant the marijuana seeds and nurture them into full-grown plants
Buy da the weed, da Colombian weed
I purchased Colombian marijuana
You feel the riddim?
Do you sense and enjoy the rhythm of the music?
You like the riddim
Do you like the rhythm or beat of the music?
Then move to the riddim
Let the rhythm move your body
Groove to the riddim
Enjoy and feel the rhythm of the music
Rock to the riddim
Move your body to the rhythm of the music
Roll to the riddim
Flow and move your body to the rhythm of the music
Dis ya rhythm
This music has a distinctive rhythm
Ital rhythm
This rhythm reflects the natural and organic Rastafarian way of life
Vital rhythm
This rhythm is essential and vital
Irie rhythm
This rhythm reflects feeling good or at peace
The somai riddim
This music has a strong and unique rhythm
Smoke from me nose cover me like gloves
The smoke from the marijuana is so thick that it covers his face like gloves
Move to the riddim
Let your body move to the rhythm of the music
Dub to the riddim
Use the rhythm to create new and unique sounds
Rub to the riddim
Move and rub your body to the rhythm of the music
Scrub to the riddim
Move and scrub your body to the rhythm of the music
Do it to the riddim
Perform any action to the beat of the music
Anything to the rhythm
Do anything and everything to the rhythm of the music
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GABRIEL ANDRE YARED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind