Boris Vian (also a playwright) wrote many funny songs in the 50's. This is about consumerism.
La Complainte du Progrès
Autrefois pour faire sa cour --- Yesteryear to court someone
On parlait d'amour --- One would speak of love
Pour mieux prouver son ardeur --- To prove one's flame
On offrait son coeur --- One would give one's heart
Aujourd'hui, c'est plus pareil. --- Nowadays it ain't the same
Ça change, ça change --- How things have changed!
Pour séduire le cher ange. --- To seduce the dear angel
On lui glisse à l'oreille: --- One whispers in her ear:
Ah? Gudule! --- Ah? Gudule!
Viens m'embrasser. --- Kiss me at once.
Et je te donnerai --- I will give you
Un frigidaire --- A fridge
Un joli scooter --- A cute scooter
Un atomixer --- An atomixer
Et du Dunlopillo --- And some Dunlopilo
Une cuisinière --- A stove
Avec un four en verre --- With a glass oven
Des tas de couverts --- All manners of flatware
Et des pelles à gâteaux --- And cake slices
Une tourniquette --- A roto-whip't
Pour fair' la vinaigrette --- To do the vinaigrette
Un bel aérateur --- A nice aerator
Pour bouffer les odeurs --- To snuff up the odors
Des draps qui chauffent --- Self-warming bedsheets
Un pistolet à gaufres --- A waffle gun
Un avion pour deux --- A plane for two
Et nous serons heureux! --- And we will be happy!
Autrefois s'il arrivait --- Yesteyear if it turned out
Que l'on se querelle --- That there'd be some quarrel
L'air lugubre on s'en allait --- One would leave, bleak faced
En laissant la vaisselle --- Without doing the dishes
Aujourd'hui, que voulez-vous? --- Today, what can I say?
La vie est si chère --- Cost of living is so high
On dit: rentre chez ta mère --- One says: you go back to your mother
Et l'on se garde tout! --- And one keeps it all
Ah! Gudule! --- Ah! Gudule!
Excuse-toi --- Apologize
Ou je reprends tout ça! --- Or I take it all back!
Mon frigidaire --- My fridge
Mon armoire à cuillères --- My spoon cabinet
Mon évier en fer --- My iron sink
Et mon poêl' à mazout --- And my fuel stove
Mon cire-godasses --- My shoe-shiner
Mon repasse-limaces --- My slug-iron
Mon tabouret à glace --- My icecream chair
Et mon chasse-filous --- My crook-bugger
La tourniquette --- The roto-whip't
A faire la vinaigrette --- To do the vinaigrette
Le ratatine-ordures --- The garbage srunker
Et le coupe-friture --- And the fried-food muncher
Et si la belle --- And if the belle
Se montre encore rebelles --- Likes to rebel
On la fiche dehors --- One kicks her out
Pour confier son sort --- To entrust one's fate
Au frigidaire --- To the frige
À l'efface-poussière --- The dust-eraser
À la cuisinière --- The stove
Au lit qu'est toujours fait --- The ever-made bed
Au chauffe-savates --- The slipper-warmer
Au canon à patates --- The potato canon
À l'éventre-tomates --- The tomato ripper
À l'écorche-poulet --- And the chicken skinner
Mais très très vite --- But very soon
On reçoit la visite --- One will meet
D'une tendre petite --- With a tender petite
Qui vous offre son coeur --- Who offers her love
Alors on cède --- And one gives in
Car il faut bien qu'on s'entraide --- One must help each other
Et l'on vit comme ça --- And one lives like that
Jusqu'à la prochaine fois --- Untill the next time
0 Replies
edgarblythe
2
Reply
Sun 27 Apr, 2014 08:44 am
@Letty,
Fire and Rain is a great song, letty.
I still see Bonanza on TV. It is aired daily, but I only watch about once a month.
edgar, That was one of the best songs that I have ever heard by Willie Nelson. I'm trying to figure out what the dance was, Texas. I knew you would like Charlie.
Well, inspired by your song by Willie, here is "the sassy miss Sarah".
edgar, Love that on by Tom Jones and the visuals were perfect. Thanks again for your comment.
Another memory. My older sister and I use to sing these songs together and they matched perfectly. Only the first part of Odetta's is the one that I mean.
