1983 Luxembourg: Corinne Hermès - Si la vie est cadeau (1st place @ ESC in Munich) SUBTITLED

Performed by: Corinne Hermès
Music by: Jean-Pierre Millers
Lyrics by: Alain Garcia
Conductor: Michel Bernholc
Language: French
Placing: 1st (142 points)
Other versions: German, English

"Si la vie est cadeau" ("If Life Is a Gift") by Jean-Pierre Millers (music) and Alain Garcia (lyrics), was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, performed in French by French singer Corinne Hermès for Luxembourg.

The song is a dramatic ballad dealing with the wonder of life, likening it to a gift. The lyrics tell of the singer's suffering in love with a man; "who promised her the whole world" and did not follow through, "what about the child I wanted to give to you in the spring?". She then sings that any kind of gift is welcome, whether it be given, stolen or returned, and warns that the good times are too short, implying that the listener should savor them for all they are worth. Hermès also recorded the song in English and German, as "Words of Love" and "Liebe gibt und nimmt" ("Love Gives and Takes") respectively.

The song was performed 20th (last) on the night, following Belgium's Pas de Deux with "Rendez-vous". At the close of voting, it had received 142 points, placing 1st in a field of 20. The win brought Luxembourg equal with France on five Contest wins apiece, however both countries would later be eclipsed by the Republic of Ireland, which would win seven.

Compared to the previous year's Eurovision winners, "Si la vie est cadeau" only proved to be a moderate commercial success, peaking at #2 in France, #3 in Belgium, #12 in Ireland, #13 in Sweden, #14 in Switzerland, #31 in the Netherlands and failing to chart in most other European countries.

The song was succeeded in 1984 as winner of the Contest by Herreys representing Sweden with "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley".

It was succeeded as Luxembourgish representative at the 1984 Contest by Sophie Carle with "100% d'amour".

The Finnish rendering "Lahjan Sain" was recorded by Lea Laven being the title cut of her 1983 album release.

Corinne's official website is here:

http://www.corinnehermes.com

And here's an interesting interview with her:

Corinne Hermès : "La vie est un cadea...

Discographie:

Albums
• 1980 : 36 front populaire
• 1997 : Ses plus grands succès
• 2006 : Vraie
• 2008 : Si la vie est cadeau - 25 ans
• 2012 : Best of

Singles:
• 1979 : Le blouson gris (under the name Corinne Miller)
• 1979 : La ville où je vis
• 1983 : Si la vie est cadeau
• 1983 : Liebe gibt und nimmt (version allemande de Si la vie est cadeau)
• 1983 : Vivre à deux
• 1984 : Michaël
• 1986 : Ma liberté
• 1989 : Dessine-moi
• 1990 : S.O.S.
• 1991 : Suffit d'y croire
• 1993 : L'amour est artiste (chanson de la série télévisée Les Grandes Marées)
• 2006 : On vit comme on aime
• 2006 : S'il n'y avait pas les mots
• 2015 : Apartment
• 2016 : Dessine-moi (Remix)

Her German sounds pretty lousy. You can hear it in the German version of her winning song:

Corinne Hermes - Liebe gibt und nimmt

Lyrics:

Si la vie est cadeau
Nous, c'était du bleu
Un ciel d'été, un océan transparent
Nous, nous étions deux
Et l'on s'aimait à faire arrêter le temps

Mais le temps nous a trahis
Alors pourquoi m'avoir promis la terre entière?
Notre amour aurait suffi
Je ne voulais pas d'un bonheur imaginaire
Si la vie est cadeau

Si la vie est un cadeau
Cadeau donné, cadeau repris, cadeau volé
Prends l'amour comme un cadeau
Cadeau donné, cadeau repris, cadeau volé
Le bonheur est trop court

Nous, c'était l'enfant que je voulais
Pour te l'offrir au printemps

Mais le temps a tous les droits
Alors pourquoi m'avoir promis la terre entière
Et l'enfant qui n'est pas là?
C'est aujourd'hui mon seul bonheur imaginaire
Si la vie est cadeau

Si la vie est un cadeau
Cadeau donné, cadeau repris, cadeau volé
Prends l'amour comme un cadeau
Cadeau donné, cadeau repris, cadeau volé
Le bonheur est trop court

(Si la vie est un cadeau)


ENGLISH translation:

If life is a gift
We, we were blue
A summer sky, a transparent ocean
We, we were two
And when we loved each other, time stood still

But time betrayed us
So why did you promise me the whole world?
Our love would have been enough
I didn't want an imaginary happiness
If life is a gift

If life is a gift
Given gift, recovered gift, stolen gift
Take love as a gift
Given gift, recovered gift, stolen gift
Happiness is too short

We, it was the child that I wanted
To give it to you in springtime

But time has all the rights
So why did you promise me the whole world
And the child that isn't there?
Today is my only imaginary happiness
If life is a gift

If life iswas a gift
Given gift, recovered gift, stolen gift
Take love as a gift
Given gift, recovered gift, stolen gift
Happiness is too short

(If life is a gift)

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