Pop Music

The song “Beyond the Sea” had written by Jack Lawrence in 1946, based on music from a song titled “La Mer” by the prolific French singer and songwriter Charles Trenet. Lawrence’s English lyrics differed from those by Trenet. In Lawrence’s version, what was a seascape becomes a song about a lost love the singer wants to join and will sail no more. In 1959, Darin’s, with its big band arrangement, went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #15 on the R&B Chart, and #8 on the U.K. Singles Chart. There have been numerous versions by many artists, including ones by Benny Goodman, Django Reinhardt, Gisele MacKenzie, Mantovani, Ray Conniff, George Benson, Barry Manilow, Celtic Woman, and Deana Martin, just to name a few. Kevin Spacey sang the song in the film titled Beyond the Sea, which was a biography of Bobby Darin.

Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in The Bronx, New York, in 1936. He began as a songwriter and wrote songs for artists such as Connie Francis. “Splish Splash” was own first million-selling record. He had other hits with “Dream Lover,” “Mack the Knife,” and “Beyond the Sea.”  He was a singer and played several instruments, including the guitar, piano, and drums. His music crossed a number of genres — rock and roll, jazz, blues, pop, swing.  Darin appeared in several films. He was in the films Come September  and If a Man Answers with Sandra Dee, whom he married in 1960. In the 1960s, he was politically active and worked on Robert Kennedy’s campaign for president. In 1963, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a shell-shocked soldier in Captain Newman, M.D.. At the Cannes Film Festival he won the French Film Critics Award for best actor.

He died in 1973 at the age of 37. He had health issues throughout his life, as rheumatic fever he had as a child weakened his heart.

Here are the lyrics to “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin:

Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waitin’ for me
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailin’

Somewhere beyond the sea
She’s there watchin’ for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms I’d go sailin’

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 sailin’

I know beyond a doubt
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 sailin’

No more sailin’, so long sailin’
Bye, bye sailin’
Move on out, captain”

If you are interested in reading about and listening to other songs by Bobby Darin: “Mack the Knife,”  “Splish Splash,” and “Dream Lover.”

For More Golden Oldies Music                

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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