c'est la langue d'amour, n'est-ce pas?

Spaz-Tastic and I have been on a pretty awesome French kick lately. Today, at the Fillin’ Station, the barista was playing Carla Bruni, a French/Italian model/singer – wonderful voice. Check out the video Spaz posted (voila les Belles Parasites). As for me, I have another gem. D33p showed this to me and Gangles in the office the other day – it’s beautiful. Bonnie and Clyde, by Serge Gainsbourg, performed by him and Brigitte Bardot. The song, the style, the poses – I love it. Here it is, and following it is a semi-good translation (I did what I could and then had Gangles help me with the rest). Enjoy!



You have read the history
Of Jesse James
How he lived
How he died
You liked it, yes?
You ask for more?
So, all right:
Listen to the story
Of Bonnie and Clyde

So here it goes:
Clyde has a girlfriend
She is beautiful, and her first name
Is Bonnie
The two of them, they form
The Barrow gang
Their names:
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

(Bonnie:) Me, when I knew Clyde
in another time, back in the day
He was a loyal guy
Honest and straight
(Clyde:) You have to believe
That it is society
That has definitely damaged me

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

That which has not yet been written
About her and me:
They pretend that we kill
in cold blood
This is not funny,
But it is of course necessary
To shut up
The one who starts talking out of his ass

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

Every time that a policeman
gets offed,
That a garage or that a bank
Is broken into,
For the police,
There is no mystery
It is signed Clyde Barrow
Bonnie Parker

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

Now, every time
That we try to pull ourselves together,
to move in, nice and cool, take it easy
In a new apartment,
Within three days
Comes the tap tap tap
Of the automatic rifles
That have taken up the attack again

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

Soon,
We fall together
Me, I don’t give a shit
It is for Bonnie that I tremble.
What does it matter
If I’ll lose my skin?
Me, Bonnie,
I tremble for Clyde Barrow.

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde

In any case,
They could no longer gracefully escape the mess
The only solution
Was to die
But more than one man followed them
To hell
When died
Barrow and Bonnie Parker

Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde


I checked with Gangles - that last "when died" is a really high-falutin' Frenchy-style construction where they flip the subject and verb; I might also translate it "When they died: Barrow . . . " Quelle romance, non?