Formed in 1976, they have toured extensively through North America and Europe. As well as the traditional accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano and double bass, the band added a four-piece horn section in 1990 which gives an element of jazz to the music. In 1998, they contributed a song to the Canadian Celtic music compilation by The Chieftains, Fire in the Kitchen.
The group's name means "the smiling boot", which refers to the appearance of a work boot with worn-out soles.
They have received three Canadian Juno awards and several Felix awards from the Quebec recording industry. They are known for their high energy live performances and in 2000 were voted Best Live Act at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. BBC Radio 3 has also played their music in mainstream programmes.
See their website: http://www.bottinesouriante.com/
C'est dans Paris
La Bottine Souriante Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'y est parfaite en beaut?
Qui vit dans l'embarras
Si belle et jolie, qu'elle pleura son amant
Qu'elle pleura son amant sur la perte d'un chat
Par un grand jour de f? Te, cette pauvre b? Te
Fut pris d'un grand mal de t? Te
On lui coupa l'oreille, on lui tranch' la merveille
Le troisi? Me d'un conseil que le chat expira
En voyant cette carcasse? Tendue sur la place
En gigotant des pattes, attendant son tr? Pas
Parmi tous ces auteurs
Parmi tous ces sculpteurs
Un beau bouquet de fleurs sur le pied d'un sofa
Il faut aller sur l'enverri? Re, le cimeti? Re
La grande suite par-derri? Re
Port? E par quatre chats
Quatre chats ben honn? Tes
Le dos couvert de cr? Tes
Des gants noirs dans les mains
Portant les coins du drap
Qui a compos? La chanson, sont trois gar? Ons
D? Vidant les bouteilles, remplissant les flacons
Quand on aura bu de ce bon superflu
? La tonne nous irons
La champlure nous vid'rons
The song C'est dans Paris by La Bottine Souriante tells the story of a beautiful woman in Paris who was so sad about the loss of her lover that she cried for him and her cat. One day, during a big party, the cat fell ill and was taken to the vet. Sadly, they had to cut off its ear and tail, and it eventually died on the table. The woman was devastated and went to the square to see its body, where she saw a beautiful flower arrangement on a sofa.
The rest of the song talks about how the cat was buried in a special cemetery, carried by four honest cats with black gloves on their paws. The song ends by saying that it was written by three men who were drinking and having a good time, and that they will continue to drink until they finish all the wine they have.
The lyrics of the song are quite complex and can be interpreted in different ways. It is often said that the song is a satire of Parisian society and its obsession with beauty and luxury. The cat, which is treated almost like a human being, is a symbol of this obsession, as are the flowers and the sofa.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est dans Paris y a-t-une brune
In Paris, there is a brunette
Qu'y est parfaite en beaut?
Who is perfect in beauty
Qui vit dans l'embarras
Who lives in distress
Si belle et jolie, qu'elle pleura son amant
So beautiful and pretty that she cried for her lover
Qu'elle pleura son amant sur la perte d'un chat
She cried for her lover due to the loss of a cat
Par un grand jour de fête, cette pauvre bête
On a big festive day, this poor animal
Fut pris d'un grand mal de tête
Suffered from a great headache
D'une douleur d'estomac
From a stomach ache
On lui coupa l'oreille, on lui tranch' la merveille
Her ear was cut off, her wonder was severed
Le troisième d'un conseil que le chat expira
The third [piece of advice] made the cat expire
En voyant cette carcasse tendue sur la place
Seeing this carcass stretched out in the square
En gigotant des pattes, attendant son trépas
Kicking its legs, awaiting its demise
Parmi tous ces auteurs
Among all these authors
Parmi tous ces sculpteurs
Among all these sculptors
Un beau bouquet de fleurs sur le pied d'un sofa
A beautiful bouquet of flowers on the foot of a sofa
Il faut aller sur l'enverrière, le cimetière
We must go to the hearse, the cemetery
La grande suite par-derrière
The large procession behind
Portée par quatre chats
Carried by four honest cats
Quatre chats ben honnêtes
Four very honest cats
Le dos couvert de crêtes
Their backs covered in crests
Des gants noirs dans les mains
Black gloves on their hands
Portant les coins du drap
Carrying the corners of the sheet
Qui a composé la chanson, sont trois garçons
The ones who composed the song are three boys
Dévidant les bouteilles, remplissant les flacons
Unwinding the bottles, filling the flasks
Quand on aura bu de ce bon superflu
When we have drunk of this good excess
? la tonne nous irons
We will go to the barrel
La champlure nous vid'rons
We will empty the bottles
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.