"J'attendrai" (French for "I will wait") is a popular French song first recorded by

Rina Ketty Rina Ketty (1 March 1911 – 23 December 1996), whose real name was Cesarina Picchetto, was an Italian singer, notably of the legendary song ''J'attendrai''. The song became a huge hit during World War II and was appreciated by Allied soldiers a ...

in 1938. It became the big French song during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; a counterpart to

Lale Andersen Lale Andersen (23 March 1905 – 29 August 1972) was a German chanson singer-songwriter and actress born in Lehe (now part of Bremerhaven). She is best known for her interpretation of the song ''Lili Marleen'' in 1939, which by 1941 transcend ...

's "

Lili Marleen "Lili Marleen" (also spelled "Lili Marlen'", "Lilli Marlene", "Lily Marlene", "Lili Marlène" among others; ) is a German love song that became popular during World War II throughout Europe and the Mediterranean among both Axis and Allied troop ...

" in Germany and

Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...

's "

We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, and resonated with ...

" in Britain. "J'attendrai" is a French version of the Italian song "Tornerai" (Italian for "You Will Return") ISWC: T-005.001.119-2 composed by Dino Olivieri (music) and Nino Rastelli (lyrics) in 1936, said to be inspired from the Humming Chorus of

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long lin ...

's opera ''

Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...

''. It was first recorded in 1937 by both

Carlo Buti Carlo Buti (14 November 1902 – 16 November 1963) was an Italian interpreter of popular and folk music. He was known as "the Golden Voice of Italy", and was possibly the first superstar of Italian music in the twentieth century. He recorded 1574 so ...

and

Trio Lescano The Trio Lescano was a female musical ensemble, vocal group singing in Italian language, Italian from 1936 to 1950, originally consisting of Hungarian-Dutch sisters Alessandra Lescano (Alexandrina Eveline Leschan; 1910–1987), Giuditta Lescano ...

(accompanied by the Italian jazz quartet Quartetto Jazz Funaro),), and become a hit in Italy. The French lyrics were written by Louis Poterat, and "J'attendrai" became an instant success. Rina Ketty's version was followed the same year by one of Belgian chanteuse Anne Clercy, and both

Tino Rossi Constantin "Tino" Rossi (29 April 1907 – 26 September 1983) was a French singer and film actor of Corsican origin. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, Rossi was gifted with a voice well suited for opera. He became a tenor in the French cabaret style. ...

and

Jean Sablon Jean Sablon (Nogent-sur-Marne 25 March 1906 – Cannes 24 February 1994) was a French singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He was one of the first French singers to immerse himself in jazz. The man behind several songs by big French and Amer ...

recorded it in 1939. When France was occupied in 1940, it quickly became the big French war song, with the love song's title being interpreted as meaning waiting for peace and/or liberation. The French version of this Italian song became so well known across Europe that it was often called "J'attendrai" even when recorded instrumentally, such the two versions recorded by

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

and

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the firs ...

in 1938, or referred to as the original source when sung in other languages, such as

Richard Tauber Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor and film actor. Early life Richard Tauber was born in Linz, Austria, to Elisabeth Seifferth (née Denemy), a widow and an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theat ...

's British "Au revoir" (1945, with lyrics by Bruce Sievier) and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

's and

Hildegarde Hildegarde Loretta Sell, known as Hildegarde (February 1, 1906 – July 29, 2005) was an American cabaret singer, who was well known for the song "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup". Early life She was born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wisco ...

's American "I’ll Be Yours" (both 1945 with lyrics by Anna Sosenko). The Crosby version was recorded on December 18, 1945, for Decca Records with Camarata and His Orchestra. There were also German versions ("Komm zurück", lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel), sung by both

Rudi Schuricke Rudi Schuricke (born Erhard Rudolf Hans Schuricke; 16 March 1913, Brandenburg an der Havel – 28 December 1973) was a popular German singer and actor. In the 1930s he was Second Tenor with the Kardosch Singers, a popular vocal ensemble of the ...

and Horst Winter on recordings made in 1939. The song became known in Denmark as "Kun for dig" (1939, lyrics by Victor Skaarup); in Norway as "Kun for deg" (1939); in Sweden as "Blott för dig'" (1940, lyrics by Tor Bergström); in Poland as "Czekam cię" (recorded in 1939 by

Mieczysław Fogg Mieczysław Fogg (born Mieczysław Fogiel; 30 May 1901, Warsaw3 September 1990, Warsaw) was a Polish singer and artist. His popularity started well before World War II and continued well into the 1980s. He had a characteristic way of staying v ...

with lyrics by

Andrzej Włast Andrzej Włast (aka Gustaw Baumritter) (17 March 1885 – 1942 or 1943) was a Polish Jewish songwriter. He wrote the lyrics for the 1929 hit song "Tango Milonga" / "Oh, Donna Clara". He died in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Biography W� ...

); in Czechoslovakia as "Věřím vám" (recorded by both

Rudolf Antonín Dvorský Rudolf Antonín Dvorský (24 March 1899 – 2 August 1966) was a Czechoslovak singer, swing musician, composer and a bandleader of the Melody Boys. Filmography * '' Him and His Sister'' (1931) - Singing postman * '' From Saturday to Sunday'' (1 ...

and Oldřich Kovář with lyrics by Karel Kozel); and in Lithuania as "Ak, sugrįžk" (with lyrics by Adelė Lenartavičienė).

Later recordings

A popular version of the song was recorded by

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

for her 1975 album ''

J'attendrai "J'attendrai" (French for "I will wait") is a popular French song first recorded by Rina Ketty in 1938. It became the big French song during World War II; a counterpart to Lale Andersen's "Lili Marleen" in Germany and Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again ...

''. Single issued on January 12, 1976. The following year, she covered the song again for her

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

album ''

Coup de chapeau au passé ''Coup de chapeau au passé'' is the 29th full-length release by French singer Dalida. It was released in 1976, and produced by her brother, Bruno "Orlando" Gigliotti. Track listing #"La mer" (Charles Trenet) #" La vie en Rose" (Edith Piaf, L ...

'': that version reached the Dutch charts on February 21, 1976. It has status of first disco hit in France. Inspired by Django Reinhardt's version, many stars of the European Gypsy Jazz scene have recorded the song, including

Raphaël Faÿs Raphaël Faÿs is a French gypsy jazz and classical guitarist and composer born in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated ...

(2000),

Fapy Lafertin Fapy Lafertin (born 20 November 1950) is a Belgian guitarist in the Belgian-Dutch gypsy jazz style. Lafertin was born in Kortrijk, Belgium in the Manouche Romani community and took up guitar at the age of five. After performing in a family band ...

(1996),

Angelo Debarre Angelo Debarre ( (born on August 19, 1962) is a French Romani gypsy jazz guitarist. Biography Debarre was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, Paris, and began playing at age eight. In 1984, he formed his first group, the Ang ...

(2007), and Jimmy Rosenberg (2000). Other Gypsy Jazz versions have been recorded by North American groups such as The Hot Club of Detroit, The

Hot Club of San Francisco The Hot Club of San Francisco is an American gypsy jazz band. Led by guitarist, songwriter, and arranger Paul 'Pazzo' Mehling, the group uses the instrumentation of violin, bass, and guitars from Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s Quint ...

, and Hot Club Sandwich. French singer

Raquel Bitton Raquel Bitton (born in Marrakesh, Morocco) is a French singer, actress and playwright. Biography In 1970, as a teenager, Bitton moved to San Francisco with her parents and brothers. She began to learn the songs from the French L'Âge d'or ('Gold ...

sings "J'attendrai" on her album ''Boleros''. Italian singer Raffaella Carrá covered the song in Italian, titled ''Tornerai'' in her 1976 album ''Forte Forte Forte'', and later in Spanish, titled ''Volveré.'' Canadian singer

Jill Barber Jill Barber (born February 6, 1980) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Originally associated with the folk-pop genre, she has performed vocal jazz and pop music on her more recent albums.Chansons A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic so ...

'', which was released in 2013. A recent version of this song was recorded by Italian singer

Antonella Ruggiero Antonella Ruggiero (born 15 November 1952) is an Italian singer. Biography Antonella Ruggiero was born in Genoa, Liguria and made her first recording, ''Io Matia'' ("I Matia" in English), in 1974. Matia is the stage name under which Antonella Rug ...

on the album ''Souvenir d'Italie'', released in 2007. In 2010, Greek singer

Vicky Leandros Vasiliki Papathanasiou ( el, Βασιλική Παπαθανασίου; born 23 August 1949), generally known as Vicky Leandros ( el, Βίκυ Λέανδρος, links=no), is a Greek singer living in Germany. She is the daughter of singer, music ...

recorded this song in a new German version entitled "Wenn Du Gehst" ("When you leave"), which is included in her album ''Zeitlos'' ("Timeless"). In 2016, American musician and former member of

Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock ...

Julian Koster Julian Koster (born July 26, 1972) is an American multidisciplinary artist. As a musician he is a member of the Elephant 6 Collective, the leader of The Music Tapes, and a member of Neutral Milk Hotel. He is known for writing, directing, and act ...

, recorded this song with its original title "J'Attrendai", for his podcast, The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air). American jazz guitarist Robert Allena released a single of this song in 2020.

In film

Recordings of "Tornerai" / "J'attendrai" have been popular for film and TV soundtracks since the early 1950s, being heard in more than 15 films and TV series, among them '' Lilacs in the Spring'' (1954), '' Arch of Triumph'' (1984), ''

Das Boot ''Das Boot'' (, English: "The Boat") is a 1981 West German war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann. It has been exhibited both as ...

'' (1981), ''

A Good Year ''A Good Year'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney. The film is loosely based ...

'' (2006) and ''

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

'' (2016). ''J'attendrai'' is the main song in '' Arch of Triumph'', a 1984 film starring

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

and

Lesley-Anne Down Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress, singer and former model. She achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1973–75). She received further recognition for her performances in t ...

Other uses

The tune of "J'attendrai" served a Yiddish song sung in Auschwitz "Komm zu mir".Lider fun di ghettos un lagern (songs of the ghettos and concentration camps), Congress for Jewish Culture inc. (New York 1948), p. 407 (text on p. 219) The intro of "J'attendrai" is also heard in a sleeping quarters of the underground barracks of

Fort Eben-Emael Fort Eben-Emael (french: Fort d'Ében-Émael, ) is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the village of Ében-Émael. It was designed to defend Belgium ...

, Belgium. The room shows visitors what sleeping quarters of regular soldiers looked like in 1940, when Belgium was attacked by Nazi-Germany. The song was used in a French television commercial for car manufacturer

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

in 2007. The song was also used in the novel ''Love From Paris'' by Alexandra Potter, to signify the love between two characters. In

Pierre Assouline Pierre Assouline (born 17 April 1953) is a French writer and journalist. He was born in Casablanca, Morocco to a Jewish family. He has published several novels and biographies, and also contributes articles for the print media and broadcasts for ...

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

novel ''Lutetia'', the J'attendrai is sung defiantly by political prisoners held by the Nazis at the

Cherche-Midi prison The Cherche-Midi prison was a French military prison located in Paris, France. It housed military prisoners between 1851 and 1947. Construction on the prison began in 1847, when the former convent of the Daughters of the Good Shepherd was demolish ...

in Paris.

Charts

References

External links

Du Temps des cerises aux Feuilles mortes - Un site sur la chanson française de 1870 à 1945
- audio file of Rina Ketty Version * {{authority control Dalida songs 1930 songs 1938 songs French pop songs