"Syracuse" is a French chanson standard with music by Henri Salvador and French lyrics by Bernard Dimey, written in 1962. Dimey wrote the words first, and the two men composed the music together in about an hour. The lyrics describe an imagined exotic world tour that takes in Syracuse, Easter Island and Kairouan, although Dimey never made the trip. The sheet music is in the key of C.
Jean Sablon recorded the first version in December 1962 for La Voix de son maître, released as the A-side of a 45 rpm single. Salvador recorded his own version in 1963 as the B-side of his Philips 45 rpm. The song became a standard after Salvador played it to Yves Montand, who turned it into a major success, and it also helped tourism to Syracuse in Sicily. Later versions include those by Tiny Yong (1963), Viktor Lazlo (1990), Pink Martini (2007), Iggy Pop (2012) and Lambert Wilson (2016). The song appears in the film Embrassez qui vous voudrez (2002).
