A very honest and funny song, that really lauched the career of Alain Souchon. The lyrics were written by Alain Souchon and the music was composed by Laurent Voulzy. It was the first real success of the duo, who would later create many others. It is a song about pretending to be something else than what you really are. It also shows the fascination that English American culture had (and still have) on French people.
[More about Alain Souchon]
- Elle croyait qu’j’étais James Dean
- Américain d’origine
- Le fils de Buffalo Bill
- Alors admiration
- Faut dire qu’j’avais la chemise à carreaux
- La guitare derrière le dos
- Pour faire le cowboy très beau
- Mais composition
- Elle me parlait anglais tout l’temps
- J’lui répondais deux trois mots bidons
- Des trucs entendus dans des chansons
- Consternation
- Elle croyait qu’j’étais coureur
- Qu’j’arrivais des Vingt-Quatre Heures
- Avec mon casque en couleur
- Alors admiration
- J’lui disais drapeau à damier
- Dérapage bien contrôlé
- Admirateurs fascinés
- Télévision
- Elle me dit partons à la mer
- Dans ton bolide fendons l’air
- Elle passe pas l’quatre-vingt ma traction
- Consternation
- J’suis mal dans ma peau
- En coureur très beau
- And I just go with my pince à vélo
- J’suis bidon, j’suis bidon
- J’suis qu’un mec à frime
- Bourré d’aspirine
- And I just go with my pince à vélo
- J’suis bidon, j’suis bidon
- Elle croyait qu’j’étais chanteur
- Incognito voyageur
- Tournées sonos filles en pleurs
- Admiration
- Faut dire qu’j’avais les talons aiguilles
- Le manteau d’lapin d’une fille
- Des micro-bracelets au chevilles
- Exhibition
- Elle me dit chante-moi une chanson
- J’ai avalé deux trois maxitons
- Puis j’ai bousillé Satisfaction
- Consternation
- J’suis mal dans ma peau
- En chanteur très beau
- And I just go with my pince à vélo
- J’suis bidon, j’suis bidon
- J’suis qu’un mec à frime
- Bourré d’aspirine
- And I just go with my pince à vélo
- J’suis bidon, j’suis bidon
- She thought I was James Dean
- Of American origin
- Buffalo Bill’s son
- So admiration
- Well it’s true that I had the plaid shirt
- The guitar behind the back
- To make a handsome cowboy
- But composition 1
- She talked English to me all the time
- I answered to her a few phony words
- Stuff heard in songs
- Consternation
- She thought I was a racing driver
- That I was coming straight from the 24 hours 2
- With my colored helmet
- So admiration
- I told her checkered flag
- Well controled slip
- Fascinated admirators
- Television
- She tells me let’s go to the sea
- Let’s split the air with your bolide
- My traction, it doesn’t pass the 50 miles 3
- Consternation
- I’m bad about myself
- As a very handsome driver
- And I just go with my bicycle clip
- I’m phony, I’m phony
- I’m just a showing off dude
- Loaded with aspirin
- And I just go with my bicycle clip
- I’m phony, I’m phony
- She thought I was a singer
- Incognito traveler
- Tours sound systems girls in tears
- Admiration
- Well it’s true that I had the high heels
- A girl’s rabbit coat
- Micro bracelets on the ankles
- Exhibition
- She tells me sing me a song
- I swallowed a few maxitons
- Then I screwed up Satisfaction 4
- Consternation
- I’m bad about myself
- As a very handsome singer
- And I just go with my bicycle clip
- I’m phony, I’m phony
- I’m just a showing off dude
- Loaded with aspirin
- And I just go with my bicycle clip
- I’m phony, I’m phony
Notes :
- The first syllable of this word (con) is also an insult in French, meaning “stupid”. The proximity of this syllable with the adjective “très beau” (very handsome) is probably meant : very handsome but very stupid. The double meaning of this world seems to be on purpose.
- The 24 hours of Le Mans is a very famous and important car race, the oldest in the world.
- In France, we don’t use the mile as the unity of measure for distance and speed, but the kilometer (1 000 meters). A mile is bigger than a kilometer, and you need a conversion table between the two. Here is one (in French) : https://www.lexilogos.com/conversion.htm
- If you really don’t know this song, please correct this mistake very quickly. Cause it’s simply one of the most famous rock songs (by one of the most famous rock bands) of all time 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIPxlFzDi0
French Music into English 