La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from Quebec specialising in traditional… Read Full Bio ↴La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from Quebec specialising in traditional Quebecois music, often with a modern twist.

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/

La chanson des menteries
La Bottine Souriante Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'vas vous chanter une chanson
Elle n'est pas ni courte ni longue
Si y'a un mot d'vérité d'dans
Moi j'veux qu'ma vie y passe

Si y'a un mot d'vérité d'dans
Moi j'veux qu'ma vie y passe
J'ai mis mes boeufs dans ma poche

Pis ma charrue su' ma tête

J'ai mis mes bœufs dans ma poche
Pis ma charrue su' ma tête
J'suis allé pour labourer
D'où c'qu'y avait pas de terre

J'suis allé pour labourer
D'où c'qu'y avait pas de terre
J'ai labouré six sillons
Mais dedans les six semaines

J'ai labouré six sillons
Mais dedans les six semaines
J'en ai semé de l'avoine
Ça v'nait comme une tempête

J'en ai semé de l'avoine
Ça v'nait comme une tempête
J'ai trouvé un vieux joual mort
Pis qui mangeait mon avoine

J'ai trouvé un vieux joual mort
Pis qui mangeait mon avoine
J'y ai coupé les quatre pattes
Y fuyait comme une poudre

J'y ai coupé les quatre pattes
Y fuyait comme une poudre
Dans mon chemin, j'ai rencontré
C't'un arbre de prunelles

Dans mon chemin, j'ai rencontré
C't'un arbre de prunelles
J'ai pris une perche, je l'ai grondé
Ça v'nait comme de la cenne

J'ai pris une perche, je l'ai grondé
Ça v'nait comme de la cenne
M'en ai tombé une su'l pied
M'a faite saigner l'oreille

M'en ai tombé une su'l pied
M'a faite saigner l'oreille

Par dessous la plante du pied
Y m'voyions la cervelle

Overall Meaning

La chanson des menteries, by La Bottine Souriante, is a lively folk song that tells the story of a man who goes through a series of humorous and unlikely events. The song starts by saying that the storyteller is going to sing a song that is neither short nor long, but if it contains any truth, he wants it to be a part of his life. He then speaks about putting his oxen in his pocket and his plow on his head and going to till land where there was none, eventually planting oats that grew like a storm. The lyrics then reveal that an old rag doll was eating his oats, and with four swift strokes, he removed its legs and sent it scampering away.

The song continues in this playful and exaggerated tone, telling of meeting an ornery tree, punishing it with a pole, and being injured in the process. This culminates in a final line where the storyteller mentions his brain being under his foot, which is a satirical and ironic statement. The song is full of hyperbole and exaggeration, with each event being more absurd than the last. This emphasizes the notion that the song is a tall tale, to be enjoyed for its humor and absurdity, rather than any semblance of truth.

Line by Line Meaning

J'vas vous chanter une chanson
I'm going to sing you a song

Elle n'est pas ni courte ni longue
It's not too short or too long

Si y'a un mot d'vérité d'dans
If there's a word of truth in it

Moi j'veux qu'ma vie y passe
I want my life to revolve around it

J'ai mis mes bœufs dans ma poche
I put my oxen in my pocket

Pis ma charrue su' ma tête
And my plow on my head

J'suis allé pour labourer
I went to plow

D'où c'qu'y avait pas de terre
Where there was no land

J'ai labouré six sillons
I plowed six furrows

Mais dedans les six semaines
But within six weeks

J'en ai semé de l'avoine
I sowed oats