Born on the 24th August 1916 in Monaco, Ferré mixed lyricism with slang; love with anarchy. He took a central place in the world of French song. He was involved in anarchism, and worked with Radio Libertaire, an anarchist free-radio broadcasting in Paris and around France. He died on the 14th July 1993.
Les fourreurs
Léo Ferré Lyrics
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N'étant couper de bourses
Bonneteur charlatan mont'-en-l'air aigrefin
Vendre la peau de l'ours
On demeure parfois pendant des jours entiers
Tout seul dans sa boutique
Et cett' odeur de peaux qu'il faut que vous sentiez
N'est pas très romantique
La martre-zibeline allez c'est plus joli
Sur Madame en Packard
Que quand le paradichlorobenzène emplit
Le nez et les placards
L'opossum à la fin c'est tout aussi lassant
Que la loutre marine
Oh qui dira l'ennui qui prend le commerçant
Derrière ses vitrines
Quand je pense pourtant aux perceurs de plafond
Dont la vie est si dure
Au cinéma j'ai vu comment ces gens-là font
Et Dieu sait si ça dure
A ceux qui pour avoir le respect du milieu
Et de belles bottines
Livrent leur soeur cadette à de vilains messieurs
Pour des prix de famine
Je me dis caressant mes descentes de lit
Mes manchons mes écharpes
Qu'il ne faut pas cédér à la mélancolie
Et se joindre aux escarpes
Qu'un magasin vaut mieux que de faire en prison
Des chaussons de lisière
Et mieux cent fois brosser les manteaux de vison
Que butter les rentières
Mieux lustrer le renard que d'aller proposer
L'héroïne à tant l'once
Mieux chez soi demeure où sont entreposés
Le castor et le skunks
Et puis qu'on ait ou non vendu son chinchilla
Son hermine ou son phoque
Il vous reste du moins cet amer plaisir-là
Vitupérer l'époque
l'époque
The song Les fourreurs by Leo Ferre is a poignant and insightful portrayal of the difficulties and struggles of the trade of furriers. The song talks about the unsavory aspects of the job - the constant need to sell, the smell of the hides and the unsavory tactics that must be used to sell their wares. The song is a commentary on the state of modern society, and how sometimes people are forced to do jobs that they might not necessarily want to do.
The first stanza of the song talks about how unpleasant and difficult the job of a furrier can be. They are constantly cut off from the outside world and must use underhanded means to make a sale. The stanza also talks about the smell that comes with being a furrier, which is not very pleasant. The second stanza continues in the same vein, with Leo Ferre discussing the different types of animals that are used to make fur coats, and how tiresome and monotonous the process can be.
In the third stanza, Leo Ferre talks about the plight of those who do even more undesirable jobs. Here, he mentions those who drill holes in ceilings, and how their lives are equally difficult. He compares his job to theirs and comes to the realization that his job is, perhaps, not that bad. He then goes on to talk about the importance of finding something positive in one's job, and not giving in to melancholy and depression.
Overall, Les fourreurs is a powerful and evocative song that paints a picture of the difficulties of working in the fur trade, and the challenges that people face when they are forced to do something that they don't necessarily enjoy.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est un sale métier que de devoir sans fin
This is a dirty job that never ends
N'étant couper de bourses
Being cut off from social circles
Bonneteur charlatan mont'-en-l'air aigrefin
Crooked hat-maker who is always in the clouds
Vendre la peau de l'ours
Selling something that doesn't exist
On demeure parfois pendant des jours entiers
Sometimes you stay in your store for days
Tout seul dans sa boutique
Alone in your shop
Et cett' odeur de peaux qu'il faut que vous sentiez
You have to smell the odour of skins
N'est pas très romantique
It's not very romantic
La martre-zibeline allez c'est plus joli
Sable marten looks better on Madame in her Packard
Sur Madame en Packard
On Madame in her Packard
Que quand le paradichlorobenzène emplit
Rather than when paradichlorobenzene fills
Le nez et les placards
The nose and cupboards
L'opossum à la fin c'est tout aussi lassant
In the end, opossums are just as tedious
Que la loutre marine
As marine otters
Oh qui dira l'ennui qui prend le commerçant
Oh, who will tell the boredom that takes hold of the merchant
Derrière ses vitrines
Behind his windows
Quand je pense pourtant aux perceurs de plafond
However, when I think of ceiling drillers
Dont la vie est si dure
Whose life is so hard
Au cinéma j'ai vu comment ces gens-là font
I saw how these people work at the cinema
Et Dieu sait si ça dure
And God knows how long it lasts
A ceux qui pour avoir le respect du milieu
To those who, to earn respect in their circle
Et de belles bottines
And nice boots
Livrent leur soeur cadette à de vilains messieurs
Deliver their younger sister to nasty gentlemen
Pour des prix de famine
For famine prices
Je me dis caressant mes descentes de lit
I tell myself, as I stroke my bedspreads
Mes manchons mes écharpes
My wrist warmers, my scarfs
Qu'il ne faut pas cédér à la mélancolie
That we must not give in to melancholy
Et se joindre aux escarpes
And join the rogues
Qu'un magasin vaut mieux que de faire en prison
That a shop is better than making things in prison
Des chaussons de lisière
Edge slippers
Et mieux cent fois brosser les manteaux de vison
And it's much better to brush mink coats a hundred times
Que butter les rentières
Than buttering up the wealthy women
Mieux lustrer le renard que d'aller proposer
Better to shine the fox than to go offer
L'héroïne à tant l'once
Heroin at such a high price
Mieux chez soi demeure où sont entreposés
Better to stay at home where the stored items are
Le castor et le skunks
The beaver and the skunks
Et puis qu'on ait ou non vendu son chinchilla
And whether you've sold your chinchilla or not
Son hermine ou son phoque
Your ermine or your seal
Il vous reste du moins cet amer plaisir-là
At least you have this bitter pleasure
Vitupérer l'époque
Criticize the times
l'époque
the times
Lyrics © LES NOUVELLES EDITIONS MERIDIAN
Written by: Léo FERRE, Louis ARAGON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind