Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue
Encyclopedia
"Un banc, un arbre, une rue" ("A Bench, a Tree, a Street") was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1971
performed in French
by French
singer Séverine
, representing Monaco
.
The song is a classic French ballad
, with the lyrics focusing on the loss of childhood innocence, and people following their dreams. The opening lines to the chorus translate as "We all have a bench, a tree, a street/Where we cherished our dreams/A childhood that has been too short".
Four teenage male backup singers provided accompaniment. During Preview Week
, Séverine sang the song in the empty square of Monte Carlo
, first walking to a bench, then sitting down while performing the middle verses, and then ending the song by walking away out of camera focus .
"Un banc, un arbre, une rue" was performed third on the night, following Malta
's Joe Grech
with "Marija l-Maltija
" and preceding Switzerland
's Peter, Sue & Marc with "Les illusions de nos vingt ans
". By the close of voting, it had received 128 points, placing it first in a field of 18.
Séverine recorded the song in four languages; French, English
(as "Chance in Time"), German
("Mach' die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)") and Italian
("Il posto").
The song was succeeded as contest winner in 1972 by Vicky Leandros
singing "Après toi
" for Luxembourg
.
It was succeeded as the Monegasque representative
at the 1972 Contest
by Peter McLane and Anne-Marie Godart with "Comme on s'aime
".
The melody was adapted and arranged in 1973 by Paul Mauriat
as the theme tune for the Miss Hong Kong Pageant
, hosted by Television Broadcasts Limited
and has been highly familiar among generations of Hong Kong people since then. In that same year, Finnish singer Carola Standertskjöld recorded her version in Finnish, "Penkki, puu ja puistotie".
Eurovision Song Contest 1971
The Eurovision Song Contest 1971 was the sixteenth Eurovision Song Contest and the first held in Dublin, Ireland. The new voting system that was introduced in this Eurovision did have one big problem: some juries gave fewer points out than others...
performed in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer Séverine
Séverine (singer)
Séverine is a French singer.Séverine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 for Monaco, performing "Un banc, un arbre, une rue" , with music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and words by Yves Dessca...
, representing Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
.
The song is a classic French ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, with the lyrics focusing on the loss of childhood innocence, and people following their dreams. The opening lines to the chorus translate as "We all have a bench, a tree, a street/Where we cherished our dreams/A childhood that has been too short".
Four teenage male backup singers provided accompaniment. During Preview Week
Eurovision Song Contest Previews
The Eurovision Song Contest Previews are annually broadcast TV shows showcasing the entries into the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest. They were inaugurated in 1971 for the contest in Dublin, Ireland, and have been provided by the European Broadcasting Union to all participating countries ever...
, Séverine sang the song in the empty square of Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, first walking to a bench, then sitting down while performing the middle verses, and then ending the song by walking away out of camera focus .
"Un banc, un arbre, une rue" was performed third on the night, following Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
's Joe Grech
Joe Grech
Joseph Grech, a Maltese singer, was born in Cospicua, Malta on 9 February 1934. He married Josephine née' Buttigieg on 24 September 1961. They have a daughter Marcelle, also a versatile singer. At a very early stage in his life, Joe started to play the trumpet with the Zejtun Band Club...
with "Marija l-Maltija
Marija L-Maltija
"Marija l-Maltija" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, performed in Maltese by Joe Grech...
" and preceding Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Peter, Sue & Marc with "Les illusions de nos vingt ans
Les illusions de nos vingt ans
"Les illusions de nos vingt ans" is a song by Peter, Sue and Marc sung in French that represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 in Dublin, Ireland...
". By the close of voting, it had received 128 points, placing it first in a field of 18.
Séverine recorded the song in four languages; French, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(as "Chance in Time"), German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
("Mach' die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)") and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
("Il posto").
The song was succeeded as contest winner in 1972 by Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros is a Greek singer with a long international career. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou...
singing "Après toi
Après Toi
"Après toi" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 performed in French by Greek singer Vicky Leandros, representing Luxembourg. The song was co-written by Leandros' father Leandros Papathanasiou, also known as Leo Leandros, under his pseudonym Mario Panas. This was Vicky...
" for Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
It was succeeded as the Monegasque representative
Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest
Monaco first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959. The country's first and only win in the contest came in 1971, when Séverine performed "Un banc, un arbre, une rue". In 1972 Monaco was expected to host the contest, but declined...
at the 1972 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1972
The Eurovision Song Contest 1972 was the 17th edition series. Monaco was unable to host this year's Eurovision as they were unable to provide the resources. They approached French TV, who agreed to produce the contest, but only if the contest was staged in France and not the planned Monte Carlo...
by Peter McLane and Anne-Marie Godart with "Comme on s'aime
Comme On S'Aime
"Comme on s'aime" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, performed in French by the duo Peter McLane and Anne-Marie Godart....
".
The melody was adapted and arranged in 1973 by Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, specializing in light music. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968...
as the theme tune for the Miss Hong Kong Pageant
Miss Hong Kong Pageant
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant , or MSHK for short, is a beauty pageant organized by the leading Hong Kong television station, Television Broadcasts ....
, hosted by Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...
and has been highly familiar among generations of Hong Kong people since then. In that same year, Finnish singer Carola Standertskjöld recorded her version in Finnish, "Penkki, puu ja puistotie".