A Song for Europe
"A Song for Europe" is a song by Roxy Music, originally released on the album, Stranded on November 1, 1973. It was covered by Dave Gahan and John Taylor, bass guitarist for Duran Duran, and released on the Roxy Music tribute album, Dream Home Heartaches...Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music, on September 4, 1997.
Lyrics
(from original recording)
At this empty café
Thinking of you
I remember
All those moments
Lost in wonder
That we'll never
Find again
Though the world
Is my oyster
It's only a shell
Full of memories
And here by the Seine
Notre-Dame casts
A long lonely shadow
Now, only sorrow
No tomorrow
There's no today for us
Nothing is there
For us to share
But yesterday
These cities may change
But there always remains
My obsession
Through silken waters
My gondola glides
And the bridge, it sighs
I remember
All those moments
Lost in wonder
That we'll never
Find again
There's no more time for us
Nothing is there
For us to share
But yesterdays
Ecce momenta
Illa mirabilia
Quae captabit
In aeternum
Memor
Modo dolores
Sunt in dies
Non est reliquum
Vero tantum
Comminicamus
Perdita
Tous ces moments
Perdus dans l'enchantement
Qui ne reviendront
Jamais
Pas d'aujourd'hui pour nous
Pour nous il n'y a rien
A partager
Sauf le passé
Tous ces moments
Perdus dans l'enchantement
Qui ne reviendront
Jamais
My Take
Can I just start by saying that a Duran Duran-Depeche Mode collaboration would absolutely be a dream-come-true for me? This song is probably the closest we will ever get to one, though, because as I understand it, the two lead singers are not likely to get along with one another (see video below for why).
Anyway, this cover of the Roxy Music original takes it in a completely different direction, musically. Whereas the original sounds warm, colorful, and arty, the cover sounds heavy and dark. It sounds like music that was contemporary for the time, which was 1990s alternative rock. Dave would've recorded it right after releasing Depeche Mode's Ultra, so his voice has that sound. And what do I mean by "that" sound, exactly? Well, from about 1995 - 1996, Dave's voice was completely shot from the previous Depeche Mode tour as well as his excessive drug use, so he worked with vocal coach Evelyn Halus in the spring of 1996, which served to bring his singing voice back. However on this song, his voice did still seem to lack the strength and dynamic range that he appeared to develop later on, such as on songs like "Only When I Lose Myself", and on Exciter and onwards, for instance. His voice is deeper than Bryan Ferry's, but he does not use the excessive vibrato that Bryan used on the original, and it does sound a bit flat compared to Bryan's soaring vocals. And I was disappointed in not being able to hear Dave sing the Latin and French verses in the original song- that would've been awesome. I think if Dave had recorded the vocals for this cover just five or so years later, it could've stood up to the original and maybe even blown it away.
I also wish we could've seen some footage or read some stories about Dave and John's collaboration, and how their interactions were. Like Dave, John struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, himself, and he was able to kick both after spending time in rehab in the mid-1990s. I wonder if they got to talking about their similar experiences at all? It is also interesting to note that Amanda de Cadenet, whom John was married to at the time, was a good friend of Dave's, as well, and he credits her as being one of the people who helped him overcome his own addiction.1
Music Video
There is no music video for this song.