All summer, we talk about a great love song every day. Monday, July 10, a solitary title on the piano from 1991 to say what love is for.
“I want to be a happy man” It is easy to remember only this verse – and the title – of this song by William Sheller, which will undoubtedly forever remain as the most famous of all those he wrote and composed. “I want to be a happy man”, he says, which is simple and dizzying at the same time, and which in a certain way answers this old question: what is the use of love, what is the use of love, what’s the point of being together?
And William Sheller reasons, observes, reflects.
In this episode of These songs that make the summeryou hear excerpts from:
William Sheller, A happy man, 1991
ZappyMax, A happy man, 1962
Jean-Roger Caussimon, The Song of the Happy Man, 1977
Gilbert Becaud, A happy man, 1976
Patrick Bruel, A happy man, 1998
Louane, A happy man, 2013
Renaud, A happy man, 1998
White, A happy man, 2023
Jeanne Cherhal, A happy man, 2021
William Sheller, A happy man, 1991
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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.