His fluent but American-accented French failed to save U.S. State Secretary John Kerry from awkward moments when he paid tribute to the Paris terror victims on Friday.

Kerry flew to France to show the United States' solidarity with the French in the aftermath of the massacre by extremist Islamic jihadists of 12 employees of the satirical local newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The White House sent Kerry after the U.S. was criticized for not sending a top government official in Sunday's rally in Paris that drew 4 million people.

Like Us on Facebook

The U.S. representative then was its ambassador to France, and the White House belatedly made up for the diplomatic faux pas.

But the tribute, held at Hotel de Ville, the city hall of Paris, was marked more by awkward moments that Kerry likely wished he attended the Sunday gathering instead.

Kerry brought with him famous American singer James Taylor who rendered the 1970s hit You've Got a Friend to convey the message that Washington is a shoulder that Paris can lean on during tragic times like the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Unfortunately, Taylor couldn't be heard, which figuratively could be interpreted as Paris not hearing Washington's confirmation of friendship - which on Sunday appeared to be the situation as 40 world leaders showed up to comfort the French people.

"Today, I want to be here, at home with you, among you," the state secretary said, quotes Reuters. He then shared with them that Americas were horrified and revolted at the "cowardly and despicable attacks against innocent victims and fundamental values."

Kerry ended his talk, telling French President Francois Hollander, "I really wanted to come here and share a hug with all of Paris, with all of France."

He followed it with a literal hug to Hollande.

Not wanting to waste Kerry's flight to Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius gamely brought his American guests to Hyper Cacher, the Jewish supermarket where the two gunmen met their end and the original scene of the crime where 12 Charlie Hebdo staff paid the price for poking fun at prophet Muhammad.

TagsJohn Kerry, james taylor, you've got a friend, Charlie Hebdo, Paris