Her career began accidentally in 1959 when she replaced her sister at the last minute in a French radio talent contest Naissance d'une étoile and won. Director Louis Malle then cast the young starlet in the film he was shooting at the time, Liberté, a project he finally abandonded, making Laforêt's first appearance on screen opposite actor Alain Delon in René Clément's 1960 drama Plein Soleil.
After this film she became very popular and interpreted many roles in the 1960s. She married director Jean-Gabriel Albicocco, who cast her in some of his own works, including La Fille aux Yeux d'Or (The Girl with the Golden Eyes), based on the Balzac story, which would become her nickname.
In her second film, Saint Tropez Blues, accompanied by a young Jacques Higelin at the guitar, she sang the title song and immediately started releasing singles, her first hit being 1963's Les Vendanges de l'Amour. Her songs offered a more mature, poetic, tender alternative to the light, teenage yé-yé tunes charting in France at the time. Her melodies borrowed more from exotic folk music, especially South American and Eastern European, than from contemporary American and British pop acts. Laforêt worked with many important French composers,musicians and lyricists, such as André Popp and Pierre Cour, who provided her with a panoply of colorful, sophisticated orchestral arrangements, featuring dozens of musical instruments and creating a variety of sounds, sometimes almost Medieval, Rennaissance or Baroque, other times quite modern and innovative.
At the end of the 1960s, Marie had become a rather unique figure in the French pop scene. Her music stood out, perhaps too much for her new label CBS Records, which expected of her more upbeat, simpler songs. She was interested in making more personal records, but finally gave in. Although her most financially successful singles (Viens, Viens, a cover of a British hit, and Il a neigé sur Yesterday, a ballad about the break-up of the Beatles) were released in the 1970s, Marie progressively lost interest in her singing career, moving to Geneva, Switzerland in 1978, where she opened an art gallery and abandoned music more or less altogether.
In the 1980s, Marie concentrated on her acting career, appearing in a few French and Italian films. Some music singles were eventually released, but were not popular. She made a comeback, however, in 1993 with an album (her last) for which she wrote the lyrics. In the 1990s, she again continued to work as an actress, both on screen and on stage. She has performed in a number of plays in Paris over the years, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. In September 2005 she took the stage of Les Bouffes Parisiens for a two-weeks sold-out concerts, her first (and last) concerts since 1972. Laforêt moved to Geneva in 1978 and obtained Swiss citizenship.
Records
Marie Laforêt, the folk singer
Laforêt has been fond of folk music ever since she began recording in the early 1960s. She helped popularize the Bob Dylan song "Blowin' in the Wind" in France with her 1963 interpretation. On the B-side of the same EP she sings the classic American folk ballad "House of the Rising Sun". Other folk recordings include: "Viens sur la montagne", a 1964 French adaptation of the African-American spiritual "Go Tell It on the Mountain", recorded by American folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary the previous year, "Coule doux" (Hush-a-Bye), another Peter, Paul and Mary song, 1966's "Sur les chemins des Andes", a French version of the traditional Peruvian song "El Cóndor Pasa", and "La voix du silence", a 1966 cover of American duo Simon and Garfunkel's first hit, "The Sound of Silence".
Marie Laforêt, the rocker
She also recorded some rock songs in the 1960s, her most famous being "Marie-douceur, Marie-colère", a 1966 cover of the Rolling Stones hit "Paint It Black". Another popular recording was 1965's girl group-style "A demain, my darling", known by English-speakers as "The Sha La La Song" written by Marianne Faithfull on her debut eponymous album.
Marie Laforêt, the pop singer
Some of her most memorable pop songs are those written or arranged by French composer André Popp, such as "Entre toi et moi", "L'amour en fleurs", "Les noces de campagne", "Mon amour, mon ami", and "Manchester et Liverpool". The melody of the latter song gained fame in the former Soviet Union as the background music to the Vremya television news programme's weather forecast in the 1970s.[7]
Other important records
The quiet, bittersweet and minimally arranged ballad "Je voudrais tant que tu comprennes" (1966), composed by Francis Lai, is a Marie Laforêt favorite. Homage was paid to the song in the 1980s when French pop superstar Mylène Farmer added it to her own concert repertoire.
The 1973 hit "Viens, viens" was a cover version of a German song "Rain, Rain, Rain" performed by Simon Butterfly.
Marie's 1977 hit "Il a neigé sur Yesterday", perhaps her most well-known recording, was penned by musician Jean-Claude Petit, and lyricist Michel Jourdan, (famous for his work with Dalida, Nana Mouskouri, Michel Fugain and Mike Brant) and who had written the words for earlier Laforêt songs, such as "Les vendanges de l'amour" and "L'orage".
Viens Sur La Montagne
Marie Laforêt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Pourquoi ces pleurs dans tes yeux?
Viens avec moi viens
Laisse ici ton amour malheureux
Viens ma maison n'est pas loin
Tout s'oublie je suis là prends ma main
Viens viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Si tu rêves de beauté et de jours sans fin
De torrents glissants au cœur des forêts
Viens avec moi viens
On y voit pas de méchants
Mes seuls amis sont Dieu, les fleurs et le vent
Viens viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Tes yeux tendres me font voir
Qu'à toi seul je tiens
Ne sois pas triste il n'est pas trop tard
Viens avec moi viens
Si tu veux bien prends ma main
Laisse moi je connais le chemin
Viens viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
Viens sur la montagne
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Là-haut il fait si bon
The lyrics to "Viens Sur La Montagne" by Marie Laforêt speak of a place on a mountain where the singer has made her home. She invites the listener to join her in the idyllic retreat that she has created, where there is no sorrow and only beauty and peace. The singer picks up on the sadness in the listener's eyes, and encourages them to leave their unhappy love behind and come embrace the beauty that awaits them on the mountain. She assures the listener that her home is not far away, that they can take her hand and follow her up to where it is "so good". The song paints a picture of natural beauty, with the singer referencing the "torrents glissants au cœur des forêts" (slipping torrents in the heart of the forest) and the fact that the only inhabitants on this mountain are "God, flowers, and the wind".
The song is an invitation to let go of one's troubles and come occupy a space where nature heals the soul. The singer's tender eyes reflect the listener's emotional state and invite them to come find solace on the mountain. She offers a hand to lead them there, promising a place where there are no bad people, just the natural wonder around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
My house is near the sky
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Pourquoi ces pleurs dans tes yeux?
Why the tears in your eyes?
Viens avec moi viens
Come with me, come
Laisse ici ton amour malheureux
Leave your unhappy love here
Viens avec moi viens
Come with me, come
Viens ma maison n'est pas loin
Come, my house is not far
Tout s'oublie je suis là prends ma main
Everything is forgotten, I am here, take my hand
Viens viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Si tu rêves de beauté et de jours sans fin
If you dream of beauty and endless days
De torrents glissants au cœur des forêts
Of murmuring streams in the heart of the forest
Viens avec moi viens
Come with me, come
On y voit pas de méchants
We don't see any villains there
Mes seuls amis sont Dieu, les fleurs et le vent
My only friends are God, flowers, and wind
Viens viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
My house is near the sky
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Tes yeux tendres me font voir
Your tender eyes make me see
Qu'à toi seul je tiens
That I hold only you
Ne sois pas triste il n'est pas trop tard
Don't be sad, it's not too late
Viens avec moi viens
Come with me, come
Si tu veux bien prends ma main
If you want to, take my hand
Laisse moi je connais le chemin
Let me, I know the way
Viens viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Viens sur la montagne
Come to the mountain
Tout près du ciel j'ai ma maison
My house is near the sky
Viens, viens sur la montagne
Come, come to the mountain
Là-haut il fait si bon
Up there it feels so good
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mary Allin Travers, Milton T. Okun, Noel Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeanmelot9995
Amoureux de sa voix et de sa beauté...! Un rayon de soleil !
@flavienroyer
Magnifique Marie Laforêt , une jolie voix , des yeux envoûtant , une grande classe et aussi une grande actrice .
@joeldenoual2502
Elle viens de nous quitter à 80 ans....Une belle voix du charisme des tubes....Une partie de ma jeunesse...Au revoir Madame j'aimais l'artiste et la femme me fascinait
@Zwyft
Rare chanteuse dont toutes les chansons furent des succès grand hommage a elle elle le mérite amplement, chansons intemporelle qui traverse le temps et l''espace, immortelles comme son esprit qui nous accompagne et nous accompagnera encore jusqu'à la fin des temps !
@bernardpedoux4648
BERNARD Quelle belle voix! Quelle beaux yeux! quel talent, et une grande comédienne aussi, on te regrette Marie
@damiantdelatour7564
J'en avais encore les larmes. J'aime trop cette petite chansonnette !
@jjvv7578
idem
@sylviewander7644
J'adore les chansons de Marie Laforet. 💜❤️👌👌👌💤🎶🎼🎵🎤
@lucasalvadori7468
Paix à son âme, je suis un fière adorateur 🌾🌹
@alinechantal2197
Superbe chanson pr une superbe artiste !!! Chère Marie, je ne t'oublierai jamais !!! Je suis triste de t'avoir perdue !!! Repose en paix et j'espère que tu me regardes avec ton regard de princesse.