I was watching Mr Bean on on Holiday on Youtube for the third time (Nice movie), got to the closing scene with Charles Trenet singing. Reading down the comments I came to this one.

‘The American Bobby Darin did "Beyond the Sea" in English way back when... which was first’?

I think a clue is in the title mate-- La Mer.
Anyone share my taste for songs in their original language rather than those transformed into English? I would rather hear them sang in the original French and Italian, both of which are a good singing language than some minor star trying to fit the words in.

But probably I’m the minority.

I agree with you. I feel the same way about movies; I would much prefer to hear non-English films in their original language with subtitles.

I agree with you about movies Marian. In most European countries, they dub the dialogue into their own language. In America, they prefer to do their own version of successful foreign films. I live in Sweden, and we're sort of blessed here in that respect. They never ever dub movies here, but use subtitles instead.

The sound and cadence of a language convey so much more than words; it conveys atmosphere, feeling, even soul.

The idea of listening to Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers in anything but Swedish? Well, it horrifies me.