Bobby Darin - Beyond The Sea (ATCO Records 1959)
2,924 views · Published 26 July 2018 · 3:00 · Indexed 25 September 2026
Channel: RoundMidnightTV · 2018 · Music
"Beyond the Sea" is a 1945 contemporary pop romantic love song by Jack Lawrence, with music taken from the song "La Mer" by Charles Trenet. Trenet had composed "La Mer" (which means "the Sea") with French lyrics. It had some differences to the English-language version that Lawrence later wrote. Trenet's French version was a homage and ode to the changing moods of the sea, while Lawrence, by just adding one word "Beyond" to the title, gave him the start whereby he made the song into a love song. It has been recorded by many artists, but Bobby Darin's version released in late 1959 is the best known by many, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 15 on the US R&B Chart, and No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1960. Before Bobby Darin's, two recordings reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Benny Goodman's version charted in 1948, and was featured in the Cary Grant/Betsy Drake romantic comedy Every Girl Should Be Married. Roger Williams' recording reached No. 37 in 1955. Deana Martin recorded Beyond the Sea in 2013. The song was released on her album, Destination Moon, in 2013 by Big Fish Records. American R&B singer George Benson recorded an R&B version of the song under the title "Beyond The Sea (La Mer)." It was released on Warner Bros. This version entered the UK Singles Chart on 20 April 1985. It reached a peak position of no. 60 and remained on the chart for three weeks. The first recording of Beyond the Sea was by Harry James and His Orchestra on December 22, 1947 and the first recording of La Mer was by French jazz musician Roland Gerbeau in December 1945. Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor in film and television. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. He recorded his first million-selling single, "Splish Splash", in 1958. This was followed by "Dream Lover", "Mack the Knife", and "Beyond the Sea", which brought him worldwide fame. In 1962 he won a Golden Globe Award for his first film, Come September, co-starring his first wife, Sandra Dee. During the 1960s he became more politically active and worked on Robert F. Kennedy's Democratic presidential campaign. He was present on the night of June 4/5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Kennedy's assassination. During the same year, he discovered he had been raised by his grandmother, not his mother, and that the girl he thought was his sister was actually his mother. These events deeply affected Darin and sent him into a long period of seclusion. Although he made a successful comeback (in television) his health was beginning to fail, as he had always expected, following bouts of rheumatic fever in childhood. This knowledge of his vulnerability had always spurred him on to use his musical talent while still young. He died at the age of 37 following a heart operation in Los Angeles. Somewhere beyond the sea Somewhere waiting for me My lover stands on golden sands And watches the ships that go sailin' Somewhere beyond the sea She's there watching for me If I could fly like birds on high Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing It's far beyond the stars It's near beyond the moon I know beyond a doubt My heart will lead me there soon We'll meet beyond the shore We'll kiss just as before Happy we'll be beyond the sea And never again I'll go sailing I know beyond a doubt, ah My heart will lead me there soon We'll meet (I know we'll meet) beyond the shore We'll kiss just as before Happy we'll be beyond the sea And never again I'll go sailing No more sailing So long sailing Bye bye sailing
