A Phil Brodie Band "Muso" Page

"NATASHA'S SONG"
from Gideon's Daughter

The story behind Natasha's Song
(In a small nutshell)
& the
Lyrics to Natasha's Song

THE STORY
"Natasha's Song, Papa" .. Although they say the words were by Stephen Poliakoff (Adrian Johnston wrote the music) It was inspired by the tragic life and writings of Marie-Georges Simenon, but called Marie-Jo, who shot herself at the age of 25. She had a troubled life, who, as a child developed an extreme obsessive relationship with her father, which continued throughout her life. Marie- Jo was extremely talanted, a gifted writer, poet, songwriter, singer and also played guitar

Her father was Georges Simenon the Belguim author of The Maigret books (and 100’s more) who is said to have made love with more than 10,000 different women over a period of 64 years. He only regrets that it could not have been more. "I literally suffered," he sighs, "from knowing that there were millions of women in the world that I would never know." ~ Georges Simenon. Despite this, allegedly Georges was a loving parent to his sons and only daughter Marie-Jo.

Marie-Jo's mother, was Georges's 2nd wife of 20 years, and 17 years his junior, Denise Ouimet. It is reported she let him have lovers and even found him some. This way she could control his weakness to a point. She had some love affairs too and left him for one of them in the end. Shockingly, it is said she introduced her daughter Marie-Jo to sex at the early age of 13.

Marie-Jo idolized Georges, at the age of 8, she asked her father for a wedding ring, which he gave her. She wore it all her life, only ever taking it off for enlarging as she grew, then he (her father) would put it back on her finger. As a totally disillusioned teenager and unhealthily in love with her philandering father, (who seemed only to see a tiny loving little girl to dress in pretty little frocks) she was in and out of mental hospitals. In her 20s, after years of breakdowns and psychiatric treatment, and failed romances, poor M-J challenged her father to fulfill the promise of the ring: saying ''Why not me?'' Simenon. At this Georges went out and opened a bottomless bank account for her. To her, the ring seemed like a dud cheque. Around that time M-J's mother had her book published about her 20 years with Georges.. that was the last straw.. her beloved father and his loves exposed to the world.. Marie-Jo could not deal with life any longer. Really rejected and betrayed, she shot herself in the head at her Champs-Elysees apartment in Paris, 1978. Her brother found her, he also found with her, 100's of unmailed letters, poems, writings and tearful cassettes she had talked, cried and sung songs on, the majority of letters and poems were to and about her father... very sad story.

"Save me Daddy – I’m dying – I’m lost in the space, the silence of death"

In her last message, she asked to be cremated wearing her ring. After his loss, Georges Simenon spent months reading the unknown poems and songs and listening to the tapes, of his tragic but talented Jo-Marie. This inspired him to write a book ''Memoires Intimes'' with a large part dedicated to his only daughter. [Apparently the English version is said to loose a lot in translation and is a little slipshot]
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The Lyrics

NATASHA'S SONG
Sung by Emily Blunt

I see you from my window
Walking with her there
I don't have to know which number
I won't stop you touch her hair
I don't need to see you waving
When you slip away at night
I don't have to know what happened
As you crawl back when it's light

I don't need you to look at me
And tell me how many hundreds there have been
I don't want to have to listen
As they fall a constant stream
I don't need to catch you with them
Your voice so full of joy
As you murmur your little nothings
My own Papa so very coy

Mon cherie Papa
Mon cherie Papa

I don't need you to say I love you
I don't need you to say goodnight
I don't need you to caress me
I don't need to be held tight
I only want you to be ready
To know my voice will never ring
To know there'll never be another letter
You've got to hear this one small thing

I need you to remember
That I never was your shame
I always was your daughter
I never did complain
I always was your daughter
I never did complain
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