What's in a bird

 

Words: Alain Bashung & Pascal Jaquemin 

Music: Alain Bashung  

For my friend Donna L...

What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Woody, wood sur la tête

Woody, wood on the head
Reconnais que je suis volage

Recognize that I'm fickle
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Ca me fait convoler éperdument

It makes me marry desperately
En justes noces

In wedded bliss
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Demain j'arrête la flûte

Tomorrow I'm stopping the flute
J'aimais pourtant tous azimuts

Although I loved in every direction
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
A part les ecchymoses

Except for the bruises

C'est purement psychosomatique

It's purely psychosomatic

Mais vous savez sans doute tout ça mieux que moi

But without a doubt you know all of this better than I
Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid

Little by little the bird makes its nest
Les intempéries excitent sa frénésie

The bad weather excites his frenzy
Jus de fantaisie adoucit son gosier

Juice of fantasy soothes his throat
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 whirl around, whirl around, whirl around

What's in a bird

What's in a bird 
Votre cas m'intéresse

Your case interests me
Veuillez reposer la question

Would you like to rephrase the question
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Déclin très net des stocks

Definite decline of the stocks
D'amour et de satisfaction

Of love and satisfaction
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Trouvez-moi un sobriquet lippu

Find me a fat-lipped nickname
A tes parties charnues

For your thick parts
What's in a bird

What's in a bird

What's in a verb

What's in a verb
J'aimerais qu'on renouvelle mon abonnement à la berlue

I'd love it if someone renewed my subscription to delusion

Je me rappelle

I recall myself
Moi en dimanche et toi en sauterelle

Me on Sunday and you in grasshopper
Notre première concession

Our first concession
A l'abri des perfectos

In the shelter of perfecto

What's in a bird

What's in a bird
A vrai dire on en parle

To tell the truth, everybody's talking about it
Vous vouliez de l'information

You wanted some information
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Et pourquoi les kiwis m'empêcheraient-ils d'être serin

And why would kiwis prevent me from being a canary
What's in a bird

What's in a bird
Nous remercions l'armée pour sa précieuse documentation

We thank the army for its precious documentation

C'est quoi que c'est

So what is it
L'ambulance de Monsieur est avancée

Monsieur's ambulance is underway
Bien avancée

Well underway
Mais vous savez sans doute tout ça mieux que moi

But without a doubt you know all this better than I

Petit à petit... Tourbillonnez

Little by little... whirl around