This morning, while making coffee, I turned on the radio (France Culture) and heard this song. It’s just mind-blowing that this man struggled to make a singing career for himself in the early days. It was Edith Piaf who encouraged him. The title of this song means “Take me away”. After his death in 2018 at the age of 94, Aznavour was given a state funeral in Paris.

Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles
Il me semble que la misère serait moins pénible au soleil …

Take me to the ends of the earth, take me to wonderland
It seems to me that misery would be less painful in the sun …

President Macron lauded him as one of the most important “faces of France”. He praised Aznavour’s lyrics, which he said appealed to “our secret fragility” and said the singer’s words were “for millions of people a balm, a remedy, a comfort … For so many decades, he has made our life sweeter, our tears less bitter.”

Aznavour’s coffin was lifted away to the sounds of this song, “Emmenez-Moi”.