What Can I Do? (Edith Piaf song)
| "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Yves Montand | |
| English title | What Can I Do? |
| Published | Paul Beuscher |
| Released | 1947 |
| Recorded | 30 October 1947 |
| Genre | Foxtrot |
| Length | 02:45 |
| Form | 78 rpm |
| Composer(s) | Henri Betti |
| Lyricist(s) |
Édith Piaf (French lyrics) Harold Rome (English lyrics) |
| Language | French |
Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ? is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by Édith Piaf. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Harold Rome.[1]
Story
Henri Betti composed the music of Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ? with the lyrics by Édith Piaf who had written them for Yves Montand. When Henri Betti offered the song to Yves Montand, he also proposed C'est si bon he had composed with the lyrics by André Hornez the same time as Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?.
On 9 October 1947, Yves Montand sings the song at the Théâtre de l'Étoile and he records the song in studio October 30, 1947 with Jean Marion and his Orchestra.
In 1949, Harold Rome wrote the English lyrics and the title song became What Can I Do ?.
In 1953, the music of the song was featured in the movie Soyez les bienvenus, in which the music of C'est si bon and Maître Pierre were also featured. These three songs are the biggest hits of Henri Betti.
In 2015, Lambert Wilson recorded the song with the musical arrangements by Bruno Fontaine for the album Wilson chante Montand, released in 2016.