The nostalgic French popular songs of the 1950s and 1960s evoke memories of Edith Piaf and smoky nightclubs, of Charles Trenet, Maurice Chevalier and Gallic wit. This volume celebrates the tradition of the French chansonnier - its poetry, witty play on words, sadness by day and passion at night. Each chapter is devoted to a theme and a song it inspired, such as love, Paris, joy and nostalgia. Photographs of the artists, sheet music, record covers and posters and a compact disc of the best known songs accompany the book.