The Ghosts Of Paris by Michael Cohen Songbook from Pergola Italy

after a recent visit to paris, i reflected on the disappearance of a great deal of traditional parisian culture that i loved.

liz sumner- vocal
michael cohen, words, music, arrangement

the ghosts of paris

how pretty is this city
just like the guidebooks say
the tower towers over us
there are paintings by monet
the cafes filled with people
the churches full of grace
but still there’s something missing
vanished without a trace

oh can't you see the ghosts of paris strolling
they walk the boulevards, forgotten avant gardes
berets in hair, it gives them savoir faire
they haunt the halls where people used to dance
the melancholy ghosts of paris france

oh can't you hear the ghosts of paris singing
they do not need a band, accordions in hand
in warm cafes or smoky cabarets
the chanteuse sings her songs of lost romance
the melancholy ghosts of paris france

when i was just a schoolgirl
i had a favorite book
with photographs of paris scenes
some famous frenchman took
those pictures made me long for
that world in shades of gray
and though i'm here in paris
something has gone away

oh can't you see the ghosts of paris drinking
a haze of cigarettes, the taste of stale baguettes
their faces lean, their drink an emerald green
they write their poems and play their games of chance
the melancholy ghosts of paris france

oh can't you see the ghosts of paris painting
he water’s every hue, the sky a sacre blue
they're in the square, you see them everywhere
they only stop to give the girls a glance
the melancholy ghosts of paris france