The tragedy of Reims reminds us of this: we all owe gratitude to a nurse, to nurses, and indeed to all nurses – even if artists do not always have a skilful expression of this gratitude.
You need that, at least: a tender voice, poetic and sweet words and the immense recognition – the immense recognition of almost everyone. In 1969, Catherine Sauvage sang thanks to a nurse, and it takes that at least, and from all of us, to express – after the tragedy in Reims – the emotion of anyone who has been cared for, pampered, accompanied by one of these admirable women.
And even when the song is a little angry with them, it’s most often to make fun of their eagerness, like the choirs of a Luis Mariano title.
In the first episode of These songs that make the news this weekend, you hear excerpts from:
Catherine Savage, To a nurse, 1969
Luis Mariano, nurses song, 1955
Claude Nougaro, Poor Nougaro, 1963
Johnny Hallyday, The nurse’s coat, 1985
Elmer Food Beat, The Nurse, 1990
Claude Nougaro, Poor Nougaro, 1963
Johnny Hallyday, The nurse’s coat, 1985
Elmer Food Beat, The Nurse, 1990
Pierre Perret, The little nurse, 2006
Wildcat, Nurse, 2014
Catherine Savage, To a nurse, 1969
You can also follow the news of this column on Twitter.
And you can also find on this link the podcast Behind our voices, with the writing and composition secrets of eight major artists of the French scene, Laurent Voulzy, Julien Clerc, Bénabar, Dominique A, Carla Bruni, Emily Loizeau, Juliette and Gaëtan Roussel.