Beyond The Sea

Album: Greatest Hits (1960)
Charted: 8 6
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Songfacts®:

  • This is an English translation of "La Mer," a French song from the 1940s originally recorded by Charles Trenet. "La Mer" was used in the 1948 movie Every Girl Should Be Married, starring Cary Grant. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alex - Blowing Rock, NC
  • One of Darin's most popular pop standards, Beyond The Sea was also the title for the movie about his life starring Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin. Spacey himself performed most of the music for the movie. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Julian - Oakland, AR
  • A version by Robbie Williams plays over the closing credits of the 2003 movie Finding Nemo. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Kevin - Yorba Linda, CA
  • Carnival Cruises used this in a commercial television advertisement campaign. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • A Techno-like remix of this song by Moby was featured on the soundtrack to the 2007 video game Bioshock. The special edition of the game features this song, along with two others on a separate disk. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Neil - Conroe, TX
  • This song was prominently featured in the season one X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" (1994) when Scully's father dies of a heart attack. In the episode, Scully is manipulated by a serial killer on death row, who sings the song - which was played at her father's funeral - to get her attention. He uses it as proof of his alleged psychic abilities and promises to relay a message from her father if she'll help him get a lesser sentence.
  • "Barely Breathing" singer Duncan Sheik performed this when he played Bobby Darin on the '60s throwback TV series American Dreams in the 2003 episode "Where The Boys Are." Of the experience, Sheik told Pop Dose: "Well, I'm a s--t actor, so that was pretty tough for me. (Laughs) But I survived. Barely. But it was interesting to record that song ("Beyond the Sea") and attempt to sing in that style, which is so different from my own."

Comments: 23

  • Mj Jazz from LondonKevin Kline performs a beautiful version, in French, over the title credits of the film 'French Kiss.'
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 3rd, 1960, Bobby Darin performed "Beyond The Sea" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    Nine days later on January 12th, 1960 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 29th it peaked at #6 (for 1 week) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
    And on the show, in a duet with Connie Francis, he sang "You Make Me Feel So Young" and "You're The Top"...
    Also on the same Sullivan show, Miss Toni Fisher performed "The Big Hurt"; and at that time it was at #3 on the Top 100...
    R.I.P. Mr. Darin, born Walden Robert Cassotto, (1936 - 1973) and Miss Fisher (1931 - 1999).
  • Roann from Apalachin, NyTo Paul, Cleveland, OH and Larry, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: You are both right. According to Wikipedia, he had numerous bouts of rheumatic fever as a child,which left his heart very weak. In 1973, he developed sepsis because he failed to take antibiotics prior to a dentist appointment. This weakened him even more and affected one of his heart valves. In December that same year, he entered Cedars-Sinai Hospital to repair two artificial heart valves he had received two years earlier. The doctors worked for six hours to make this repair, but he died in the recovery room.
  • Marlene from Montreal, QcThis song was released the year I was born, and when I was very young it was played on the radio. That's why it's so evocative. I hear it and I think of the house we lived in at the time.
  • John from Dublin, IrelandIn the Lawrence Kasdan movie "French Kiss" (1995), Kevin Kline sings an impeccable rendition of "La Mer" (in perfect French) over the closing credits.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyIn the 1950s I was strictly a rocker; Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley, & of course, Chuck Berry were my gods. But when I first heard this record it just blew me away. I think it's one of the greatest of all time, every time I heard it I get the urge to get up and dance around the room!!!
  • Cha from Leyte, PhilippinesThe original French version of this song, "La Mer" was featured in a Mr. Bean movie.
  • John from Mansfield, Tx"Beyond the Sea"was the"Stairway to Heaven"of the early 60's.
    Just as'stairway to Heaven'starts out accoustically then suddenly breaks out in a Heavy Metal guitar Riff,'Beyond the Sea'starts out rather subdued then suddenly the orchestra
    busts out and Bobby Darin belts out the lyrics!!
    "Beyond the Sea"is undoubetdly one of the coolest songs ever written!!
  • Larry from Rancho Santa Margarita, CaPaul, Cleveland, OH, stated that Bobby died from a bacterial infection. Not true! The Official Bobby Darin website (supported by his son Todd) states:

    "Darin's life was cut short on December 20, 1973, when he died following his second open heart surgery at the young age of 37."

    Darin's ill health took a fatal turn, when his mechanical heart valve clotted (a known risk of prosthetic heart valves). He died following surgery to repair his heart valve.
  • Tony Brown from AdelaideIn regards to Pete from Nowra.
    No mate :)The movie wasn't in the cinemas here in Oz :( However I did see it on DVD late last year and am really trying to find a copy to buy somewhere :):):)
    Twas an excellent movie :) I'd just love to watch it again and again.
    Tony Brown; Adelaide, Australia
  • Frank from Valley Stream, NyIf you ever heard the " LIVE " version of this
    song you'll notice Bobby changes the words.
    He sings " my lover stands on Tommy Sands. "
  • Tom from Marble Falls, ArThe original French version of this song, "Le Mer", was used as a clue in the TV show "Lost".
  • John from Worcester, EnglandLouis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet, singer and songwriter: born Narbonne, France 18 May 1913; died Paris 19 February 2001 wrote this song and many others, many humourous. There must be a story about how Bobby Darin got this song, I borrowed Beyond the Sea but the DVD went scatty just at the point he arrived in France, is there a connection?
  • Paul from Cleveland, OhBobby Darin did not die on stage nor was his heart condition congenital. He suffered from several bouts of Rheumatic fever as a child which damaged his heart. His death was a result of a bacterial infection in his blood which arose from his neglecting to take his antibiotics before dental work.
  • Paul from Leeds, EnglandEwan McGregor and Cameron Diaz's performance of "Beyond The Sea" is an unforgettable moment during 'A Life Less Ordinary' they go to a bar where a Karaoke is on and when they sing it together they do a dance routine too.....!
  • Mark from Lancaster, OhThe arrangement is somewhat interesting, because it is typical of Las Vegas performances of the time. While Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra had both used 'Vegas'-style instrumentation in some of their releases, this one is pretty extreme.

    I read that Bobby Darin regarded its success as something of a milestone in mainstreaming this sort of arrangement, and presumably would have tried more of them had he not dropped dead on stage. He suffered from a congenital heart condition.
  • Paul from Redditch, EnglandThis song was also featured in the excellent movie "A Life Less Ordinary", it was performed in the movie by Ewan "OB1" McGregor.
  • Sean from Toronto, CanadaThis song was also covered by Barry Manilow, and it appears on his "Hits of the Fifties" CD.
  • Steven from West Chester, PaThis song is covered by Robbie Williams, which is played in the closing credits of the 2003 movie "Finding Nemo".
  • Steven from West Chester, PaThis song is also in a Carnival Cruise commercial.
  • Pete from Nowra, Australiawhat a great song, unfortunately the movie about Bobby Darin didn't come to Australia...what was it like ????????????????
  • Ashley from Columbus, GaNo, Spacey only sang SOME of the songs from the movie. He refuses to say which ones, because he wants to blend in to Darin's natural voice.
  • Leon from Waterbury, CtCorrection: Spacey performed ALL the music (the singing) himself.
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