"J'attends un navire", also known as "I Am Waiting for a Ship", is a song written in 1934 by

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

with lyrics by

Jacques Deval Jacques Deval (27 June 1895 – 19 December 1972) was a French playwright, screenwriter and film director. Novels *''Marie Galante'' (1931) Plays *''Une faible femme''; a comedy in three acts (1920) *''Dans sa candeur naïve''; a comedy in thre ...

. The song was written for the musical ' but later became an unofficial anthem of the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

Background

The song was one of a number of musical numbers prepared by Weill for the stage adaptation of Deval's bestselling novel ''Marie Galante'', about a French prostitute who becomes stranded in

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

and must work as a spy to earn enough money to return to France. Weill entered into the project enthusiastically, since he needed the work as a recent refugee from Nazi Germany, but the collaboration with Deval was contentious, with the two barely communicating. Nevertheless, after a year of writing, the play premiered at the Théâtre de Paris on 22 December 1934. Poorly received by audiences and critics, the play ran only three weeks, but the song took on a life of its own through sheet music sales and a popular recording by the show's star

Florelle Florelle (born Odette Élisa Joséphine Marguerite Rousseau, 9 August 1898 – 28 September 1974) was a French soprano singer and actress. She gained fame as Polly Peachum in the French film ''The Threepenny Opera'', after which she had numerou ...

. Musically, the song is part of the genre of

chanson réaliste ''Chanson réaliste'' (, ''realist song'') refers to a style of music performed in France primarily from the 1880s until the end of World War II.Sweeney, Regina M. (2001). ''Singing Our Way to Victory: French Cultural Politics and Music During the ...

, a style of cabaret song written from the point of view of working class or otherwise abject women, popular in the first part of the 20th century in France. The lyrics are sung from the point-of-view of Marie, a prostitute, who is selling herself on the streets for two dollars ("Beautiful girl!/Beautiful French girl/Two dollars!/You will be pleased"). The singer goes on to say she is not waiting for a man, but for a ship to carry her away from her current life ("It is not you I'm waiting for./I wait for a ship/which will come and to drive it, this ship has the wind of my heart which sighs/the water of my tears will carry it").

Lyrics

Notable Versions

The song enjoyed a brief vogue in the 1930s, recorded by cabaret singers like

Lys Gauty Lys Gauty (born Alice Bonnefoux Gauthier, 2 February 1900 – 2 January 1994) was a French cabaret singer and actress. Her most significant work came in the 1930s and 1940s as Gauty appeared in film, and recorded her best-known song, "Le Chaland ...

. It was translated into English by the theatre critic

Michael Feingold Michael E. Feingold (May 5, 1945 – November 21, 2022) was an American critic, translator, lyricist, playwright and dramaturg. He was the lead theater critic of ''The Village Voice'' from 1982 to 2013, for which he was twice named a Pulitzer Pri ...

for the 1972

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

revue ''

Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill ''Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill'' is a musical revue with a book by Gene Lerner, music by Kurt Weill, and lyrics by various songwriting partners Weill worked with over his career. The plot follows Weill's life as he begins his career in Germa ...

: A Musical Voyage''.

In other media

*The song was used as the theme for the

Edie Adams Edie Adams (born Edith Elizabeth Enke; April 16, 1927 – October 15, 2008) was an American comedian, actress, singer and businesswoman who was prominent in the second half of the 1900s. She earned a Tony Award and was nominated for an Emmy Awa ...

variety television show, Here's Edie. *An instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

television series ''

Wish Me Luck ''Wish Me Luck'' is a British television drama about the exploits of civilian women who became undercover agents in Occupied France during the Second World War. The series was made by London Weekend Television for the ITV network between 17 Ja ...

'', about a trio of British spies.

References

{{authority control 1936 songs Protest songs French songs French Resistance Songs with music by Kurt Weill Pop standards Great Depression songs Songs of the French Resistance

Background

Lyrics

Notable Versions

In other media

See also

References