"La Mer" ("The Sea") is a song by the French composer, lyricist, singer, and showman Charles Trenet.

The tune came to him during a train ride in 1943 between Montpellier and Perpignan as he was gazing out of the window at the Étang de Thau, a lagoon in the south of France.

[2] Over the years the song became popular throughout the world and developed into a chanson classic and jazz standard with a large number of prominent artists recording their own versions.

Matthew Bourne's 1989 ballet suite Infernal Galop, "a French dance with English subtitles", is choreographed to Charles Trenet's recording of "La Mer", in which a merman seduces three matelots.

[12] More recent versions include those of Kristina & Laura, Miguel Bosé, Manlio Sgalambro, Lisa del Bo, Biréli Lagrène, Patricia Kaas, Lola Dutronic, Mireille Mathieu, Chantal Chamberland, and others.

The Avalon Jazz Band, with lead singer Tatiana Eva-Marie, included a contemporary arrangement of "La Mer" on their 2021 album April in Paris.

[13] Instrumental versions were done by Benny Goodman,[14] Ray Conniff His Orchestra and Chorus, Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, Richard Clayderman, and Django Reinhardt.

[15] In 1970, Belgian singer Lize Marke released a version of the song with added lyrics by Johnny Steggerda and Jack Bess.

[30] "La Mer" also features in Irish Ferries' TV and radio advert in Ireland as part of their "Sail In Style" advertising campaign for their Dublin–France route.

[31] "La Mer" was used in Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones' sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror.