The Autumn Leaves

 

It's a haunting song that I can listen to over and over again.  When I was young, I first heard the version of Doris Day, followed by the version of Nat King Cole.  I was up on You Tube playing  several versions of the song the other night, and it was only then that I learned that the English lyrics (Johnny Mercer) are not the direct translation of the original French lyrics (Jacques Prevert).  And as I read the direct translation, I realized just how deeply emotional and heart-wrenching the song actually was.  While I had heard the original French version many years ago, I had always assumed that the French lyrics (which I could not understand) were directly translated into English.

I probably watched around 25 versions of the song in YouTube, and here are the top 10 vocal versions of the song that I consider my favorites:

1.    Yves Montand

2.    Eric Clapton

3.    Paula Cole

4.    Edith Piaf

5.    Matt Monro

6.    Bobby Darin

7.    Perry Como

8.    Tony Bennett

9.    Caterina Valente

        10.    Andy Williams