Released 1961 Genre Pop | Format 7" single | |
Writer(s) Jacques Plante, Dave Fisher | ||
"Santiano" is a 1961 song, inspired by the sea shanty "Santianna", as it uses the same tune. However, it refers to a ship leaving Saint Malo bound to San Francisco, described as a wealthy place. The French-language version was popularized first in the 1960s by Hugues Aufray.
Contents
Original version
In the early 1960s, the song was recorded in French language by artist Hugues Aufray. It is by far the most well-known shanty in France and was released in 1961. French lyrics were composed by the French writer Jacques Plante. The song was included on the singer's 2007 compilation Les 50 plus belles chansons.
Star Academy France
In 2005, the song was covered by Star Academy 5 on the album Les Meilleurs Moments on which it features as first track. Released on November 11, 2005, as second single from the album, it achieved great success in France, where it topped the chart, and in Belgium (Wallonia). As of July 2014, it is the 87th best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 325,000 units sold.
Track listings
- "Santiano" — 2:39
- "Santiano" (instrumental) — 2:39
- "Santiano" — 2:39
Other cover versions
"Santiano" was also covered by Laurent Voulzy in 2006. It features as 17th track on his studio album La Septième Vague. The "Oktoberklub", a folk-band from the GDR covered the song with new lyrics under the title "Da sind wir aber immer noch" - a fight-song. Another cover of the song using the same tune and nautical theme, but entirely new lyrics in German, was released under the title "Santiano" by the German band Santiano.