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]
- Quand on partait de bon matin, quand on partait sur les chemins
- À bicyclette
- Nous étions quelques bons copains, y avait Fernand y avait Firmin
- Y avait Francis et Sébastien
- Et puis Paulette
- On était tous amoureux d’elle, on se sentait pousser des ailes
- À bicyclette
- Sur les petits chemins de terre on a souvent vécu l’enfer
- De ne pas mettre pied à terre
- Devant Paulette
- Faut dire qu’elle y mettait du coeur c’était la fille du facteur
- À bicyclette
- Et depuis qu’elle avait huit ans, elle avait fait en le suivant
- Tous les chemins environnants
- À bicyclette
- Quand on approchait la rivière on déposait dans les fougères
- Nos bicyclettes
- Puis on se roulait dans les champs, faisant naître un bouquet changeant
- De sauterelles, de papillons
- Et de rainettes
- Quand le soleil à l’horizon profilait sur tous les buissons
- Nos silhouettes
- On revenait fourbus, contents, le coeur un peu vague pourtant
- De n’être pas seul un instant
- Avec Paulette
- Prendre furtivement sa main, oublier un peu les copains
- La bicyclette
- On se disait c’est pour demain, j’oserai, j’oserai demain
- Quand on ira sur les chemins
- À bicyclette…
- When we leaved early in the morning, when we went on the paths
- By bicycle
- We were a few good buddies, there was Fernand there was Firmin
- There was Francis and Sébastien
- And also Paulette
- We were all in love with her, we felt like we grow wings
- On our bicycle
- On the little soil roads we often went through hell
- To not put a foot on the ground
- In front of Paulette
- Indeed she put her heart in it, she was the postman’s daughter
- By bicycle
- And since she was eight, she had made, while folowing him,
- All the nearby paths
- On her bicycle
- When we arrived near the river we lodged into the ferns
- Our bicycles
- Then we rolled in the fields, giving birth to a changing bouquet
- Of grashoppers, of butterflies
- And of frogs
- When the sun on the horizon profiled on all the bushes
- Our silhouettes
- We came back exhausted, happy, still with a hazy heart
- Not to be alone one moment
- With Paulette
- To stealthily take her hand, to forget friends a little
- And bicycle
- We thought to ourselves it’s for tomorrow, I’ll dare, I’ll dare tomorrow
- When we will go on the paths
- By bicycle…
French Music into English 