La Pata De Juana
Georges Brassens Lyrics


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La pata de Juana
Ha muerto vive Dios
Sòlo por haber puesto
Un huevo o dos
La pata de Juana
Apagó su candil, al menos se supone
De puro debil
La pata de Juana
Se muriò al poner
Y en su capa frailuna
De plumas, ayer

La pata de Juana palmando sin casarnos
Legó con las plumas
La cuna oval.
Ha muerto es cierto.
Mas nos acordaremos




Siempre de la pata
De Juana, y olé.

Overall Meaning

The song "La Pata De Juana" by Georges Brassens is a playful yet melancholic tribute to the life of a duck who has just passed away. The lyrics tell us that Juana the duck has died, "vive Dios" - by God, only for having laid one or two eggs. The lines "La pata de Juana apagó su candil, al menos se supone / de puro debil" refer to the fact that Juana's "light", aka her life force, was extinguished, supposedly due to her weakness.


The song then continues to describe the physicality of Juana, her feathery coat and oval-shaped womb, which was left behind along with her legacy. The final lines of the song state that even though Juana has indeed died, she will never be forgotten. The chorus repeats the phrase "La pata de Juana ha muerto" - Juana has died - as if to remind us that even in death, Juana the duck was a being worth remembering.


Overall, the song is nostalgic and respectful of the life of a creature that may seem insignificant to some, but whose presence in the world made an impact. It is a reminder that even small things can have great value.


Line by Line Meaning

La pata de Juana
The duck of Juana


Ha muerto vive Dios
She's dead, I swear to God


Sòlo por haber puesto
Just because she laid


Un huevo o dos
An egg or two


La pata de Juana
The duck of Juana


Apagó su candil, al menos se supone
She turned off her light, or so they say


De puro debil
From pure weakness


La pata de Juana
The duck of Juana


Se muriò al poner
She died while laying


Y en su capa frailuna
And in her feathered cloak


De plumas, ayer
Of feathers, yesterday


La pata de Juana palmando sin casarnos
Juana's duck kicking the bucket before we could marry


Legó con las plumas
She left us with her feathers


La cuna oval.
The oval-shaped cradle


Ha muerto es cierto.
She's truly dead.


Mas nos acordaremos
But we will remember


Siempre de la pata
Always of the duck


De Juana, y olé.
Of Juana, and olé.




Writer(s): Georges Charles Brassens, Pierre Noel Henri Pascal

Contributed by Violet J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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