The ashes of his body would be spread among the fields of New Caledonia where he was born in and lived most of his young life. So, tied to this song and what it represented he came to embody its deeper meaning. His real name though was Agostino Ferrer. Somehow, this older man who had the gifts of striking good looks, fame, wealth, admiration and friendship of others who knew him as Nino, never liked Nino much himself.
He himself, resented being typecast as a comic singer and forced to perform such hits which put a restraint on exhibiting a different, more artistic side of himself. As a young man, he was sent to study abroad at the Sorbonne. There he would study Ethnology and Archaeology while maintaining a deep interest and practice in music and art. Rather than get a career in those learned studies, he chose to travel the world as a dock worker.
He wrote this song at the time of his greatest peace on this earth. Surrounded by his loving wife Kinou , Radiah Frye a simpatico musical partner from the US his backup vocalist, and true friends, he finally felt comfortable enough in his own skin to express that comfort on tape.
The song itself is just comforting luxurious, displaying such a uniquely humble blend of styles. You hear the sound of Americana in the guitars, you hear the expansive sound of Chanson with the strings, and at the end you get the beautiful male and female southern-drawl baritone-and-alto vocals of Leo and Raidah.
When the song was originally released, in its original English version, Nino refused to sing it in French, saying it would completely rob it of its meaning. Nino so loved the sound of Radiah and him singing together that he decided to make the whole album together with her, using her style when it seemed appropriate.
