The song "Blue
canary" became popular in USSR owing to efforts of Viacheslav Polunin, Robert
Gorodetsky and their mim-troupe "Litsedei". They used it for musical setting of
their best-known number. As for me, I treat Polunin's work rather coldly, but for that
that they returned this song from nonexistence I am ready to forgive them all and even treat
them a great actors. It is strange (for us in Russia), but "Blue canary" song is
tottally forgotten either in US (where it was presumably written) and Italy. But its
English variant is known in Japan and even performed in Japanese. So, what do we know
about it?
English and Italian lyrics of the song may be seen below. Difficult to say certainly
what one is original and what one is a rehash, I have no reliable information about it.
Hope to clear up this some day; perhaps the basis of music or lyrics was really an old
Italian folk song.All sourcess tell that the author of music is Vincent Fiorino, English
lyrics also belongs to him. First time the song was performed in US in 1953 by "group
of companions" known as whether "Vince Fiorino trio" or "Vince Fiorino
orchestra" (vinyl disk was printed in February, 1953).
Judge by his family name, Fiorino was Italian or had Italian background. Then Italian
lyrics should be the original? But "Blue canary" are definitely English words,
in Italian we should have "Canarino blu". Furthermore, English lyrics
corresponds to melody better - in Italian variant we have trully sad mood while the music
is in major. Finally, both in original sheet music, which I managed to get in Australia
(see Boris Tarakanov's Sheet music archive ) ,
and in original recording of The Vince Fiorino orchestra we have lyrics in English.
Newertheless - who knows? Author of Italian lyrics is recognized as Carera.
But why a canary - and blue color? Actually she is not in color
of blue - she is in a bad mood. Neither in English, nor in Italian lyrics may be found a
reference to blue color, but the canary is sad in both cases. One of explanation of the
term "blue canary" can be found in Internet. In the old days canary birds were
used as mine gas indicators. Going down to the mine workers took a canary bird in the
cage; if a canary died being poisoned by mine gas, men still had a time to return. This is
the cause why she feels so blue, this canary.
There are some recordings of this song available in Internet (some references in the
following list are still working, I managed to collect ALL eight variants of the song
which are listed below):
1. The Vince Fiorino Trio, 1953 (English) - original performance by the author's
troupe, standard "english" arrangement which was repeated by many other
performers, rather unpretentious.
2. Marisa Fiordaliso
& Carlo Buti, 1956 (?) (Italian) - but not Frankie Lain, as the filename says.
3. Dinah Shore, 1953 (English)
4. Yukimura Izumi (English in
English and Japanese)
5. Maria Koseva & Nikola Tomov
(as if Italian).
6. Frank Chickens, 1984 (Kazuko Hohki & Kazumi Taguchi) (English) - like two drunken
girls singing Karaoke.
7. The Peanuts (English) - one more Japanese odd job.
8. Renate Holm, orchestra of Bela Sanders, ?1953 (German) - the third variant of
arrangement and lyrics.
9. Inge Donzowa (German) - the same German variant, but even more academic. Don't be confused by her name - she is German, Donzow is the family of her husband.
10. Some Japanese or Latino group from some vynil disk
with somewhat like
"Greatest hits of 50ths".
11. Search engines give us links to this song performed by Russian group "Redkaya
ptitsa" ("Rare bird"), but without vocal and the melody is wrong.
12. Ugly pank version from "Boney-Nem".
Nevertheless, it is possible to hear it (one time).
13. Elder Barber,1954 (испанский) - "Canario triste" ("Sad canary") in Spanish
with intro from "Russian gipsy" - the fourth variant of arrangement and lyrics!
What is to say in addition? Koseva & Tomov (they are Bulgarians,
"Polunin's" phonogram) are singing nicely, but they confuse words. It seems that
they are singing by ear, without seeing Italian lyrics. That is why the legend exists that
Italian lyrics is in "rare dialect which none of living Italians can
understand".
All variants of lyrics are procured by me, myself, and not easily. Since the song is
forgotten all over the world, it was impossible to find any reliable information in
Internet. As well as I was unable to "catch" lyrics from the phonogram, even
from English one. Therefore I decided to go tried way of searching of information - I
began to adhere to persons who potentially could help me. Act the same way as me - and fortune
will smile you. That is another story - translation from Italian to Russian without
speaking Italian and knowing nothing about Italian grammar. But it was successfully
completed by iterative comparison of different auto-translations to Russian and English
with additional searches in many online dictionaries. Final translation in English
retelling was approved by Italian comrades. German and Spanish variants was translated
the same way much more quickly. Apparantly, it is accounted by better quality of
auto-translation tools from that languages.
Also I tried to catch music of Italian variant of the "Blue canary", and I
was relatively succeeded (bluecanr.mid - optimized for SB Live's
standard 8Mb patch). Of course, I did not interpret all passages and, unfortunately, I did
not understand the return from orchestra fragment, but I am satisfied by the result. By
the way, in original sheet music of Fiorino used this arrangement (fiorino.mid).
To put it mildly - unpretentious.
So, lyrics.
English (Fiorino)
Original
Blue canary, she feels so blue
She cries and sighs, she waits for you
Blue canary, the whole day long
She cries and tries to sing a song
Boy canary will sing a tango
He will sing a sweet lullaby
He will try to chase your blues away
So please sweetheart, don't cry
Blue canary, don't feel so blue
For I know just what to do
It won't take too long to sing this song
And then fly home to you
Blue blue blue canary -
Tweet tweet tweet - the whole day long
She cries and sighs and tries
To - tweet tweet tweet - to sing a song
|
Strict Russian translation
Печальная канарейка, ей так грустно,
Она плачет и вздыхает, она ждет тебя.
Печальная канарейка, весь день
Она плачет и пытается петь песню.
Парень-кенар споет танго,
Он споет сладкую колыбельную,
Он попробует прогнать прочь твою печаль,
Так пожалуйста, милая, не плачь.
Печальная канарейка, не будь так грустна,
Ведь я знаю, что всего-то и надо сделать.
Не займет много времени допеть эту песню
И затем полететь домой к тебе.
Печальная, печальная, печальная канарейка -
Фить-фить-фить - весь день
Она плачет и вздыхает и пытается
Фить-фить-фить - петь песню. |
Original is in English, no retelling needed |
Italian (Carera)
Original
Blue canary di ramo in ramo,
Gorgheggi al vento il tuo richiamo.
Blue canary attendi invano
Che torni al nido chi ando lontano.
Ogni fiore del mio giardino
Sullo stelo si è chinato
Ed ascolta intimidito
La tua favola accorata.
Sopra i rami del grande pino
Da quel nido dimenticato
S'ode a sera disperato
Il richiamo a chi è partito.
Blue canary che affidi al vento
Le tristi note del tuo tormento,
Blue canary nel bel tramonto
Ti sento amico del mio rimpianto.
Blue blue blue canary - pic, pic, pic - si perde l'eco.
Se piangi o canti al tramontar - pic, pic - ripete il vento. |
Strict Russian translation
Blue canary, что прыгает с ветки на ветку,
Трелью разносится по ветру твой призыв.
Blue canary ждет напрасно,
Что вернется в гнездо тот, кто ушел далеко.
Любой цветок моего сада
Поник на стебле
И робко слушает
Твою глубоко печальную историю.
Над ветвями большой сосны
Из того забытого гнезда
Слышен вечером безнадежный
Призыв к тому, кто ушел.
Blue canary, вверяющая ветру
Печальные ноты твоей грусти,
Blue canary, на фоне прекрасного заката
Я чувствую, что ты товарищ в моей печали.
Blue blue blue canary - пик, пик, пик - затихает эхо.
Что ты поешь или плачешь на закате - пик, пик -
повторяет ветер |
English retelling
Blue canary, jumping from branch to branch,
Your appealing trill is carried by wind.
Blue canary is waiting in vain,
That that who is gone will return to the nest.
Any flower in my little garden
Hangs its head
And listens, intimidated,
Your deeply wounding story.
Over branches of the pine
From that forgotten nest
It is heard hopeless
Recall to one who had gone.
Blue canary, commiting to the wind
Sad notes of your grief,
Blue canary, against a background of a beautiful sunset
I feel, that you are fellow in my sadness.
Blue blue blue canary - tweet-tweet-tweet - echo is fading.
Your sing or cry at sunset - tweet-tweet -
the wind repeats
|
German
Renate Holm performed this song in German! She did it originally, lyrically, almost
like a romance. By the first time I disliked the arrangement, but I had inverted my
opinion after multiple runs through.
Original
Blue Canary, du bleibst bei mir.
Du weißt, mein Liebster ist nicht mehr hier.
Blue Canary, du bleibst mir treu;
doch seine Liebe sie ging vorbei.
Blue Canary, sing mir noch einmal
all die süßen Lieder der Liebe
aus der schönen Zeit, als ich geglaubt,
daß ich so glücklich bliebe.
Blue Canary, schenk mir noch einmal
Träumerei'n vom Küssen und Kosen;
dann träum' ich, daß mein Liebster kommt
und bringt mir rote Rosen!
Blue-Blue-Blue Canary - tweet-tweet-tweet - du singst vom Glück.
Den Liebsten aber bringt dein - tweet-tweet-tweet -
mir nicht zurück.
|
Strict Russian translation
Blue Canary, ты остаешься со мной.
Ты знаешь, что моего возлюбленного нет здесь.
Blue Canary, ты остаешься верным мне;
Но его любовь прошла.
Blue Canary, спой мне еще раз
Все сладкие песни любви
Из прекрасного времени, когда я все верила,
Что я останусь счастливой.
Blue Canary, дари мне еще раз
Грезы о поцелуях и ласках;
Тогда я мечтаю, что мой любимый придет
И подарит мне красные розы!
Blue-Blue-Blue Canary - tweet-tweet-tweet - о счастье ты поешь.
Но твоя песня - tweet-tweet-tweet - любовь мне не вернет.
|
English retelling
Blue Canary, you remain with me.
You know, that my love is not here.
Blue Canary, you remain faithful to me;
But his love is lost.
Blue Canary, sing me once again
All sweet songs of love
From beautiful time, when I believed,
That I will be happy.
Blue Canary, bring me once again
Dreams about kisses and caresses;
Then I am dreaming of that my lover comes
And brings me red roses!
Blue-Blue-Blue Canary - tweet-tweet-tweet - you are singing about happiness.
But your song - tweet-tweet-tweet - will not bring back my love.
|
Spanish (Ben Molar)
The spanish version of "Blue canary" is sung by Elder Barber
(born Elda Perla Barbero in Cordoba, Argentina, 1934), and the spanish lyrics
belongs to Ben Molar ( Moises Smolarchik Brenner, Buenos Aires, Argentina,
1915) , famous Argentinean song writer. This composer has written ballads,
boleros, tangos, songs for movies, and also spanish versions for songs of
The Beatles, Paul Anka, Bill Halley and Chubby Cheker.
Original
Un canario, cantando triste,
mi pena llora porque te fuiste.
Un canario te está llamando
y en su tristeza vive esperando.
Ya no canta más como el día
que me diste tu primer beso,
y en tu ausencia él muy triste está,
ansía tu regreso.
Con sus trinos él anunciaba
el latir de dos corazones,
y testigo fue, con su canción,
de nuestras ilusiones.
Un canario triste canta y llora por tu olvido,
porque tu lo quisiste nuestra dicha se ha perdido.
Tal vez con su canto el canario siempre triste
revivirá el encanto del amor que ya no existe.
|
Strict Russian translation
Кенар, поющий грустно,
Моя боль плачет, потому что ты ушел.
Кенар зовет тебя,
И в своей печали он живет, надеясь.
Больше не поет он как в тот день,
Когда ты подарил мне первый поцелуй,
И очень грустно от того, что тебя нет,
Страстно жду твоего возвращения.
Своими трелями он предвещал
Биение двух сердец,
И было это свидетельством, с его песней,
Наших иллюзий.
Грустный кенар поет и плачет о твоей забывчивости,
Потому что по твоему желанию наше счастье потеряно.
Может быть, своей песней всегда грустный кенар
Оживит очарование любви, которой больше нет.
|
English retelling
Canary, singing sad,
My pain cries, because you are gone.
Canary calls you,
And in his sadness he live, hoping.
Hi is not singing more like that day,
When you brought me first kiss,
And I feel very blue, because you are not here.
Waiting your return ardently.
His trills announced
Beating of two hearts,
And it was testimony, with his song,
Of our illusions.
Sad canary sings and cries about your oblivion,
Because our happiness is lost for your wish.
Maybe, with his song allways sad canary
Will revive charm of love, which is no more exists.
|
And Yukimura Izumi sang in Japanese:
Samishii kanariya watashi no tomodachi
Yume hige uta eiyo aoi kanariya...
"Lonely blue canary, my friend, every evening
sings a nice song – a dream about her home"
Analysing collected material, it is possible to see TREE
different story lines of the song:
- in English version boy-canary comes to sad girl-canary
"to chase her blues away";
- in Italian version someone listens a sad canary song
in the garden, and he is in melancholy too;
- German and Spanish variants, which are similar
to each other, and perhaps one is a direct translation
of another, woman remembers her lost love, which was
accompanied by canary song; but now only the song left.
Links
RETRO-portal
Boris Tarakanov's
Sheet-music archive
Forum on grammy.ru -
about Blue canary
Links to mp3 files (not my resource!)
Tweed's criticism
About author