Three great artists gather here to describe a mood of pessimism and despair, often called a blue mood: Georges Brassens, Louis Aragon and Pablo Picasso. The song, translated, "There is no Happy Love" is from Brassens' 1954 album,"Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics . " It's set to the same tune as " La Prière." Aragon is mostly known as a Communist poet, but here he writes to his beloved Elsa. It's the only Aragon poem Brassens set to music. Thanks again to philipchek of YouTube and Paris for help with the translation, and to Pablo Picasso for his most appropriate illustrations. Fortunately for him, a "blue period" was followed by a "rose period," as it often is. This song has been widely covered, e.g.by Barbara, Nina Simone, and Danielle Darrieux in the movie " 8 Femmes."

Thelma Blitz

Live performance by Brassens