Le Revenant
Jean Bertola Lyrics
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En un mot résidentiel,
Tel était le cimetière où
Cet imbécile avait son trou.
Comme il ne reconnaissait pas
Le bien-fondé de son trépas,
L'a voulu faire, aberration !
Les vieux morts, les vieux "ici-gît",
Les braves sépulcres blanchis,
Insistèrent pour qu'il revînt
Sur sa décision mais en vain.
L'ayant astiquée, il remit
Sur pied sa vieille anatomie,
Et tout pimpant, tout satisfait,
Prit la clef du champ de navets.
Chez lui s'en étant revenu,
Son chien ne l'a pas reconnu
Et lui croque en deux coups de dents
Un des os les plus importants.
En guise de consolation,
Pensa faire une libation,
Boire un coup de vin généreux,
Mais tous ses tonneaux sonnaient creux.
Quand dans l'alcôve il est entré
Embrasser sa veuve éplorée,
Il jugea d'un simple coup d'œil
Qu'elle ne portait plus son deuil.
Il la trouve se réchauffant
Avec un salaud de vivant,
Alors chancelant dans sa foi
Mourut une seconde fois.
La commère au potron-minet
Ramassa les os qui traînaient
Et pour une bouchée de pain
Les vendit à des carabins.
Et, depuis lors, ce macchabée,
Dans l'amphithéâtre tombé,
Malheureux, poussiéreux, transi,
Chante : "Ah ! ce qu'on s'emmerde ici" !
The song “Le revenant” by Jean Bertola tells the story of a man who didn’t accept his death and attempted to resurrect himself. The man was buried in a quiet, comfortable and official cemetery, but he didn't agree with the legitimacy of his own death. So, he decided to resurrect himself, which was an aberration. The old dead people buried there tried to convince him to stay and not come back to life, but their efforts were in vain. The man got up from his grave, took the key to the field and went home.
However, things did not go as he had planned. His dog did not recognize him and bit him, breaking one of his most important bones. He wanted to find consolation with a glass of generous wine, but he found all his wine barrels empty. When he went to his bedroom to see his mourning wife, he realized she was in the arms of another man. Shocked and losing his faith, he died once again. The gossips of the village gathered his bones and sold them to the medical students, who use them for scientific study. The song ends with the man's ghost wandering through the medical amphitheater, where he is constantly bored.
The song is a humorous and ironic depiction of the consequences of a reckless attitude towards death. The absurdity of the resurrected man's actions and misfortunes serves as a warning to those who do not accept the finality of death. The slow and melancholic melody of the song contrasts with the dark humor of the lyrics, creating a unique atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Calme, confortable, officiel,
The cemetery where this foolish man was buried was calm, comfortable, and official, in one word: residential.
En un mot résidentiel,
In short, it was a residential cemetery.
Tel était le cimetière où
That was the cemetery where
Cet imbécile avait son trou.
this fool had his hole.
Comme il ne reconnaissait pas
Since he did not recognize
Le bien-fondé de son trépas,
the justification for his death,
L'a voulu faire, aberration !
he wanted to commit the aberration of
Sa petite résurrection.
his little resurrection.
Les vieux morts, les vieux "ici-gît",
The old dead, the old "here lies",
Les braves sépulcres blanchis,
the brave whitewashed tombs,
Insistèrent pour qu'il revînt
insisted that he returned
Sur sa décision mais en vain.
on his decision, but in vain.
L'ayant astiquée, il remit
After cleaning it up,
Sur pied sa vieille anatomie,
he put his old anatomy back on its feet,
Et tout pimpant, tout satisfait,
and in high spirits, completely satisfied,
Prit la clef du champ de navets.
he took the key to the turnip field.
Chez lui s'en étant revenu,
Once he returned home,
Son chien ne l'a pas reconnu
his dog did not recognize him and
Et lui croque en deux coups de dents
bit off one of his most important bones in two bites.
En guise de consolation,
As a form of consolation,
Pensa faire une libation,
he thought he would make a libation
Boire un coup de vin généreux,
and have a glass of generous wine,
Mais tous ses tonneaux sonnaient creux.
but all of his barrels were empty.
Quand dans l'alcôve il est entré
When he entered the alcove
Embrasser sa veuve éplorée,
to embrace his grieving widow,
Il jugea d'un simple coup d'œil
he judged with a single glance
Qu'elle ne portait plus son deuil.
that she was no longer in mourning.
Il la trouve se réchauffant
He found her warming up
Avec un salaud de vivant,
with a vile living man,
Alors chancelant dans sa foi
Thus, wavering in his faith,
Mourut une seconde fois.
he died a second time.
La commère au potron-minet
The gossip at the brothel
Ramassa les os qui traînaient
picked up the bones that were lying around
Et pour une bouchée de pain
and for a pittance,
Les vendit à des carabins.
sold them to doctors for dissection.
Et, depuis lors, ce macchabée,
And since then, this corpse,
Dans l'amphithéâtre tombé,
having fallen into an amphitheatre,
Malheureux, poussiéreux, transi,
miserable, dusty, and freezing,
Chante : "Ah ! ce qu'on s'emmerde ici" !
Sings: "Ah! How boring it is here!"
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS, JEAN BERTOLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind