February 2020 – French Music into English

Edith Piaf – La Vie en Rose

Okay, so here is THE classic of the classics. Isn’t it like the most covered French song of all times ? Or at least very close to it. I chose to put several great covers as well, after the translation of the song. It’s Edith Piaf who wrote the lyrics in 1945, and the musicContinue reading “Edith Piaf – La Vie en Rose”

Stromae – Papaoutai

“Papaoutai” (out in 2013) is Stromae’s most famous song, and it was a hit not only in France but also in other European countries and even in America. It is about a kid who doesn’t have a dad. In the song, it’s probably because the father left his wife, but in real life, Stromae’s father,Continue reading “Stromae – Papaoutai”

Jean Ferrat – Ma France

When I was a kid, I read a great children’s book about the life of a little girl who discovers she is a witch. And at one point in the story, her dad wakes her up during the night, takes her with him in his car, and begins to drive with no precise direction, justContinue reading “Jean Ferrat – Ma France”

Nino Ferrer – Le Sud

It’s a very beautiful song and the most famous hit by Nino Ferrer. It is about nostalgia, summer, holidays, and the fact that all good things have an end. He wrote and composed this song all by himself. He had already made a version in English in his previous work that didn’t have a lotContinue reading “Nino Ferrer – Le Sud”

Zazie – Je suis un homme

It’s probably one of her most famous songs. It’s a song about the human race, its errors and its failures. The lyrics are great and in my opinion this song becomes more and more actual with time. [More about Zazie] Je suis un homme de Cro-Magnon Je suis un singe ou un poisson Sur laContinue reading “Zazie – Je suis un homme”

Francis Cabrel – Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai

I’m in dynamics of translating love songs tonight, so let’s go with another one, from the great Francis Cabrel, who is quite a specialist in romantic songs, so there was a wide choice 😉 This is one of this most famous and beautiful songs. And this is one of the many songs he totally wroteContinue reading “Francis Cabrel – Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai”

Jacques Brel – La chanson des vieux amants

As I write these worlds, it’s February the 14th, so happy Valentine’s Day, fuckers ! At this occasion, here is a magnificent love song, from one of the best representatives of French music in the XXth century 🙂 The title can be translated as “the old lovers’ song”. Bien sûr, nous eûmes des orages VingtContinue reading “Jacques Brel – La chanson des vieux amants”

NTM – Laisse pas traîner ton fils

Okay, so this is the first time I translate a -long- rap song, and this one is even more complicated because there’s a lot of sounds and syllabs repetitions as you can see in many rap tracks in any language. It still was a lot of fun, and it can give you a good glimpseContinue reading “NTM – Laisse pas traîner ton fils”

Yves Montand – La bicyclette

One of his classic songs. The lyrics are by Pierre Barouh and the music is by Francis Lai. One again, professionnal lyricists and professionnal composers were a huge component of French songs, especially during this era. They are the one who really created a sense of “French touch” in songs. [More about Yves Montand] QuandContinue reading “Yves Montand – La bicyclette”

France Gall – Ella, elle l’a

This famous song was written by singer-songwriter Michel Berger for his wife France Gall. It is a tribute to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, that he admired a lot. It’s one of France Gall’s biggest hits and it was also successful abroad, in Germany for example. The title (and the chorus) is a pun between “Ella”Continue reading “France Gall – Ella, elle l’a”