Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lou Ravi



Words: Pascal Jaquemin
Music: Alain Bashung






























Lou Ravi is the name given to "le Ravi" or one of the characters in the christmas "crèche" or nativity scene. I love the way Wikipedia describes him (my translation from the French): "Le Ravi is the village idiot, a naive character who has nothing to offer, but who, touched by the grace of the event, rejoices in the birth of Christ. He is always represented with his arms raised to the sky."


Des météorites s'acharnent
The meteorites hammer away
Sur mon cerveau lent
On my slow brain
Quelle faute de goût
What a lack of taste
Pardonnez-moi ma distraction
Excuse me for my distraction
Il faisait chaud j'ai joui pas vous
It was hot I didn't make you come
J'garde le sac à mon copain
I'm holding the sac for my old friend
Il en revient pas
He's not coming back
Il revient pas
He's not coming back
Non il revient pas
No he's not coming back 

Désirez-vous prendre quelque chose ?
Do you want to take something ?
Oui alors juste un doigt merci
Yes um just one finger thanks
Décidément votre femme est de plus en plus ravissante
Decidely your wife is more and more ravishing
Vous avez vraiment une veine de ...
You really have a vein of ...
Babe babe
Babe babe

Suite à notre conversation
Following our conversation
C'est vrai qu'j'titube
It's true that I staggered
Tube en tube
From hit to hit (song hit)
D'un naturel optimiste
By a natural optimist 
Je n'sous-estime pas vos turpitudes
I didn't underestimate your turpitude
Quoi qu'en période de canicule
Although it was a period of heatwave
Ca prévient pas ma tôle ondulée
It didn't warn my corrugated sheet metal
Oui ma tôle ondulée
Yes my corrugated sheet metal

A t-on laissé un message pour moi ?
Did someone leave a message for me ?
A t-on laissé un message pour moi ?
Did someone leave a message for me ?
A t-on laissé un message pour moi ?
Did someone leave a message for me ?

Babe babe ça te dit
Babe babe this tells you
Tu me veux Babe Lou ravi
You want me Babe Lou ravi
Babe babe Lou ravi
Babe babe Lou ravi

Petit flirt dans funiculaire
Little flirt in an incadescent
Incandescent m'emporte au ciel
Funicular carries me to the sky
Avec vous on s'ennuie pas
With you no one is bored
C'est pour le plaisir qu'on coule une bielle
It's for pleasure that one throws a rod
J'ai pour tous les mécanos
I have for all mechanics
Une reconaissance éternelle
An eternal gratitude
Tell'ment éternelle
Truly eternal

Désirez-vous prendre quelque chose ?
Do you want to take something ?
Oui alors juste un doigt merci
Yes uh just one finger thanks
Il fait plutôt fluide ce soir c'est ç'la oui
It's really rather fluid tonight, it's that, yes

Babe ça te dit
Babe this tells you
Tu me veux Babe
You want me Babe
Babe babe Lou ravi
Babe babe Lou ravi
Babe Lou ravi
Babe Lou ravi

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Poisson d'avril


Words: Pascal Jacquemin and Monterastelli
Music: Alain Bashung

Short sample: http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Alain+Bashung&titel=Poisson+d%27avril&cat=s

Poisson d'avril means an April Fool's day joke in French. Literally, it is "April fish" which comes from the children's game of pinning a paper fish to back of someone's shirt...


Nothing ever goes out of my shoes
When I'm ready for love
Nothing's ever planned when I decide
Come on
Eddy's in love

Sally double-locked my soul
Help you God
Now now now

You bet we eat together
I'm just cleaning clouds
Wild people have reaction
On wedding day

Even though a plane may never land
We are commonly down
Nothing ever goes out of my shoes
Come on
Ladies in gown

Nothing in this precious tale
Can hold you
Now now now

You bet we bet together
I'm just cleaning clowns
No one lives without a secret
On wedding day

No one ever goes out of my shoes
Come on
Sally, come on
No one ever dreams instead of us
Come on 
Sally, come on

Nothing in this precious tale
Can hold you
Now now now

You bet we bet together
I'm just cleaning clowns
Wild people have reaction
On wedding day

Nothing ever goes out of my shoes
When I'm ready for love
Nothing's ever planned when I decide
Come on
Eddy's in love

Sally double-locked my soul
Help you God
Now now now


From Wikipedia, several French "cartes postales"



Friday, March 18, 2011

Nuits Halloween





Words:  Pascal Jacquemin
Music: Alain Bashung


Short Sample: http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Alain+Bashung&titel=Nuits+Halloween&cat=s


Au départ touche touche nombril
At departure touch touch belly button
Loin des nuits Halloween

Far from the Halloween nights
Des sourires dissimulés

Dissimulated smiles
Derrière le chef de file

Behind the head of the line
Gard' le bateau

Guard the boat
J'rentre à pied

I enter on foot
Destination virile

Virile destination
On finit par être jaloux

We finish by being jealous
Des mat'lots andalous

Of Andalucian sailors

Réveillez-moi sur le filles 
Wake up on the girls
Les filles qui plaisent
The girls that please
Dans la rosée

In the morning dew
À toute heure j'écoute aux portugaises

At all hours I listen to the Portuguese
Portugaises

Portuguese women
Sous mon ciré

Under my oilskin

Attention travaux
Attention works
Passage d'animaux

Passage of animals
Nous soignons la clientèle

We care for our clientele

Rendez-vous à l'évidence
Return to the evidence
Loin des nuits Halloween

Far from the Halloween nights
Dans le plus simple appareil

In our simplest attire
Même si la coque est finie

Even if the hull is finished
Bouleversées toutes le merveilles

Al the marvels turned on their heads
Du trèfle à l'orchidée

From clover to orchid
Il est dix-sept heures vingt-cinq

It is 5:25 pm
C'est là qu'on applaudit

It's then that we're applauding
 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Spiele mich an die wand (1993 release)




Many, many thanks to Tim Smith for the wonderful translation! 
Take a look at his great films on YouTube...

Words: Boris Bergman
Music: Alain Bashung


Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
 
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall

Kinder, schwindler, wieviel ?
Kids, swindlers, how many ?
Geuner, zigeuner, wieviel ?
Gypsy men and women, how many?
Bitte bitte bitte bitte bitte bitte
Please please please please please please
Noch ein bier
One more beer

Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall

Kinder, bilder, Berlin
Kids, pictures, Berlin
Augen, augen, zufiel
Eyes, eyes, too many
Freunde, freunde, wievel ?
Friends, friends, how many ?

Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall

Shower, spieler, wieviel ? (shauer=viewer)
Shower, players, how many ?
Beine, beine, zuviel
Knees, knees, too many
Bitte bitte bitte, Berlin
Please please please, Berlin

Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall
Du alter schauspieler
You old movie star
Spiele mich an die wand
Play me on the wall