"Beyond the Sea" is the English version of the French song "La Mer," written by Charles Trenet. The song became widely known in English after Bobby Darin performed it in 1959. The original French version celebrated the sea, but Jack Lawrence, who wrote the English lyrics, changed the song to focus on love instead.

Versions

The song "Beyond the Sea" has been recorded by many artists. Bobby Darin's version, released in late 1959, is the most well-known. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 15 on the US R&B Chart, No. 7 in Canada (appearing together with "That's The Way Love Is"), and No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1960.

Before Bobby Darin's version, two instrumental recordings of the song reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Benny Goodman's version was released in 1948 and appeared in the romantic comedy film Every Girl Should Be Married starring Cary Grant and Betsy Drake. Roger Williams' recording reached No. 37 in 1955.

The first recording of "Beyond the Sea" was made by Harry James and His Orchestra on December 22, 1947. The first recording of "La Mer" was by French musician Roland Gerbeau in December 1945. The song’s author, Charles Trenet, did not record it until the following year.

American R&B singer George Benson recorded an R&B version of the song titled "Beyond the Sea (La Mer)" for Warner Bros. This version entered the UK Singles Chart on April 20, 1985. It reached No. 60 and stayed on the chart for three weeks.

Robbie Williams recorded the song for his album Swing When You're Winning. This version was used in the closing credits of the 2003 Pixar animated film Finding Nemo.