Love During War

It's not often that a first spouse is also known for noted musical talents.  At least until November, the great Eva Perón is the only one who comes to mind (I wanted to factcheck that first, making sure that Evita's singing abilities weren't just added in by Andrew Lloyd Webber).  Imagine my surprise when I'm listening to a sweet ballad, and see Carla Bruni listed as the singer.  I knew that the Nicolas Sarkozy had married a former model during his presidency, but I didn't know that Bruni was a musician as well.

It turns out that Bruni (who has lived in France since she was seven) began a music career after leaving the fashion industry.  She started recording albums.  Like coming upon the awesome Françoise Hardy, the recordings that introduced me to Carla Bruni's sound were in the English language.  Still, like when listening to J-pop, Hardy's "Soleil", or a performance by the Three Tenors, you can get caught up in the music without necessarily understanding what the performer is singing. 

The first Bruni recording that I heard is titled "You Belong to Me."  Found on 2008's Comme Si De Rien N'Était, this song is one of the few tracks on the album where Bruni didn't contribute as a songwriter.  It's also the only song on the album in English, but I've read that she's written songs in both languages.  "You Belong to Me" is an old song from 1952, written by country singers Chilton Price, Pee Wee King, and Redd Stewart.  The song is about two lovers parting, as one is about to tour the world.  Their mate is urging them to take in the beauty of all the destinations, living life to the fullest.  But..., all throughout that trip, they are to remember that they belong to the significant other back at home. 

Especially looking back at the 50's, a knee-jerk reaction may be that the idea of someone claiming ownership over a loved one is a testament of a partriarchal society (unless in a mutual sense like in "the Power of Love").  It seemed antithetical that the original version was sung by a woman until I saw the song in it's historical context.  No, I don't mean the history of gender politics, but that it's about a woman saying goodbye to her husband as he leaves to serve in WWII.  It captures feelings of heartache while they are worlds apart, and hoping that the spouse is missing them too. According to an article in the New York Times, during World War II, 12% of the American population was serving in the military.  The Times journalist pointed out that statistically, that's 24 times the fraction of Americans currently in the service.  Hearing about so many men and women serving our country (Thank you.), I can't imagine what it must have been like in the 40's.  

Hearing about societies (throughout space and time) where drafts had been imposed or military service is mandatory, I recognize the privilege that we have in the United States.  It is through that perspective that I think I can understand how this song has survived.  It's been covered by a long list of musicians rom Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald to Michael Bublé and Fiona Apple.  Even the Misfits and the Russian rockstar Boris Grebenshchikov.  It speaks volumes of this song's message when it proves to be timelessly relatable on such a universal scale.