Beatific Beat

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Movies/Wordpress/JAN07/TheSingingNun.flv 320 240]

One more song in French! The most famous and successful French language song in America wasn’t French. It was Belgian. The Singing Nun’s Dominique was #1 when JFK was assassinated.

The short video above has the real Singing Nun, from the Ed Sullivan show one month before The Beatles made their first appearance. Jeanine Deckers of Belgium took the name “Soeur Sourire” when she took her vows. Here’s the song, then the lyrics.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/JAN07/Dominique.mp3]

Dominique, oh Dominique
Over the land he plods along
Never looking for reward
He just talks about the Lord,
he just talks about the Lord,
he just talks about the Lord

At a time when John Lackland
Over England was the king
Dominic was in the backland
Fighting sin like anything

Now a heretic one day
Among the thorn forced him to crawl
Dominic with just one prayer
Made him hear the good Lord’s call

Without horses or fancy wagon
He crossed Europe up and down
Poverty was his companion
As he walked from town to town

To bring back the straying liars
And the lost sheep to the fold
He brought forth the Preaching Friars
Heaven’s soldiers brave and bold

One day in the budding Order
There was nothing left to eat
Suddenly two angels walked in
With a load of bread and meat

Dominic once in his slumber
Saw the Virgin coat unfurled
Over Friars without number
Preaching all around the world

Grant us now oh Dominic
The grace of love and simple mirth
That we all may help to quicken
Godly love and truth on earth

In 1966, Debbie Reynolds starred in the movie “The Singing Nun.” The lyrics were in English and had not much to do with the actual song. This recreation of Ed Sullivan presenting “Sister Ann” is at least semi-factual.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/JAN07/SingingNun.flv 320 138]

Hmm. How about a TV show where the nun does something crazy — I dunno, how about flying? — instead of singing?

7 thoughts on “Beatific Beat”

  1. You’re welcome. This item, already a couple of years old, is a consistent target for web searches. The previous song in French I allude to, by the way, is “Sailor” by Petula Clark, posted shortly before this one.

  3. Thanks for the interpretation of the last line of the lyric. I don’t know any French at all.

    Catriona’s comment is why I’m now posting the most recent comments on the front page. Without an RSS feed, you wouldn’t know a comment had been made for an old posting.

  4. My French is not all that good, but according to the printed French lyrics I’ve found, the last line is “Il ne parle que du bon Dieu” which is actually close to the last line in English — that is “he only speaks of the good God.”

  7. Actually, the refrain, strictly translated, is “Ils ne pas connais mon dieu,” which means They do not know my Lord.,” not “he just talks about the Lord.”

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