Born in Paris in 1913, Charles Trenet enrolled in art school as a young man before deciding, in the mid 1930's to try and make a career out of writing and singing his own songs. With his willful refusal to take a bleak view of life, despite the gloom which had gathered in the European atmosphere, Trenet quickly struck a chord with his compatriots. His songs exhibited a rare form of sophisticated optimism, which maintained a remarkably upbeat and happy tone without, somehow, sounding naive or trite.

Trenet's stubbornly sanguine songs were, of course, powerless against such mighty forces as the war machines and terror of World War II. At the same time, the war was also unable to subdue Trenet's particular brand of joy. In fact, it was in the post-war years that Trenet's career took off. By the 1950's he had become one of, if not, the leading contemporary French song-writer. Unlike many popular French performers, his music boasts an international appeal, making waves throughout Europe and the world with songs that have become standards such as "La Mer (Beyond the Sea)," "Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours (I Wish You Love)," and others. The genuineness of the sensibility which inspired Trenet to make poetry and music, enabled him to lighten moods around the globe.