Personnel
Benoît Morel: Vocals
Eric '"Fil" Philippon: Guitar, melodica, bass, xylophone, banjo, toothbrush, vocals
Pierre Payan: Keyboards, guitar, accordion, kalimba, musical saw, melodica, jug, vocals
Mathieu Morel: Drums, percussion
René
La Tordue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il creuse la sienne
Plus pâle qu'une ombre
Qui boit de la verveine
Il chante il chante
Mais c'est l'air de la mer
Qui bientôt le tourmente
Il chante il chante
Mais c'est l'air de la mer
Qui bientôt le tourmente
Et lui vole sa prière
Depuis qu'il a vu l'jour
Il a trimardé sur terre
Mais il a pas eu plus d'amour
Qu'un sac de pommes de terre
Il chante il chante
Mais c'est de l'eau amère
Qui lui coule ardente
Brûlure à ses paupières
Il chante il chante
Mais c'est de l'eau amère
Qui lui coule ardente
Brûlure à ses paupières
Ses vieux l'ont pas r'connu
Alors il est allé s'fair' voir
Par le monde et ses rues
Il a mangé son pain noir
- On peut pas tout avoir...
Ouais mais quand on a rien eu
Et nul n'a répondu
Quand il voulait savoir
Et son coeur s'est fendu
D'essuyer tant d'déboires
Il est tombé des nues
Il s'est même fait trottoir
Puis porté disparu
Par des gens trop bavards
- Chacun vaut son voisin...
Sauf quand c'est un vaurien
Battant pavé et breloque
Il a le scorbut à l'âme
Et son coeur soliloque
Sans but le pauvre diable
Il a la têt' tordue
Essoré d'une oreille
C'est pas d'avoir trop bu
C'est d'être né bouteille
Il chante il chante
Il voulait boire la mer
Qui sur ses joues serpente
Les soirs de trop d'misère
Il chante il chante
Il voulait boire la mer
Qui sur ses joues serpente
Les soirs de trop d'misère
La mer la mer
C'est elle qui le hante
Dans son coeur une arrière
Saison d'écume qui chante
Dans l'miroir aux étoiles
DAns l'océan sa planque
D'alouette en cavale
Il a jeté son ancre
Il chante il chante
Mais c'est bientôt la mer
Qui vient couvrir sa plainte
Au creux d'sa dernière bière
Il chante il chante
Son chant de vagabond
C'est maintenant la mer
Qui roule sa chanson
Qui roule sa chanson
The lyrics to La Tordue's song "René Bouteille" tell the story of a man named René Bouteille, who has spent his life wandering and searching for love and acceptance, but has only found hardship and bitterness. As the stars fall from the sky, he sings a song, but the sound of the sea soon troubles him and steals his prayer. Since the day he was born, René has struggled on earth, but has never known love or kindness, only bitter disappointment. He sings of bitter water flowing and burning his eyes, and how even his own family did not recognize him. René has been rejected by the world and its streets, and has eaten only black bread. His heart has been broken many times, and he has fallen from the sky and been lost among the voices of the people. He sings of wanting to drink the sea, which would become his death, and how the sea has haunted him throughout his life. Finally, René anchors himself in the ocean, and the sea covers his lament with his last beer.
This song explores the themes of isolation, longing, and the human need for love and acceptance. It also touches on the darker side of human nature, the harsh reality of life on the streets, and the ultimate futility of human existence. The lyrics create a vivid and emotional portrait of a man who has been beaten down by life, but who still clings to the hope of finding love and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
À l'heure où les étoiles tombent
At the time when the stars fall
Il creuse la sienne
He digs his own
Plus pâle qu'une ombre
Paler than a shadow
Qui boit de la verveine
Who drinks verbena
Il chante il chante
He sings, he sings
Mais c'est l'air de la mer
But it's the sea air
Qui bientôt le tourmente
That soon torments him
Et lui vole sa prière
And steals his prayer
Depuis qu'il a vu l'jour
Since the day he was born
Il a trimardé sur terre
He wandered on earth
Mais il a pas eu plus d'amour
But he hasn't had more love
Qu'un sac de pommes de terre
Than a sack of potatoes
Il chante il chante
He sings, he sings
Mais c'est de l'eau amère
But it's bitter water
Qui lui coule ardente
That flows ardently on him
Brûlure à ses paupières
Burning his eyelids
Ses vieux l'ont pas r'connu
His elders did not recognize him
Alors il est allé s'fair' voir
So he went to see for himself
Par le monde et ses rues
Through the world and its streets
Il a mangé son pain noir
He ate his black bread
- On peut pas tout avoir...
- You can't have everything...
Ouais mais quand on a rien eu
Yeah, but when you haven't had anything
Et nul n'a répondu
And no one answered
Quand il voulait savoir
When he wanted to know
Et son coeur s'est fendu
And his heart broke
D'essuyer tant d'déboires
From experiencing so many mishaps
Il est tombé des nues
He fell from the clouds
Il s'est même fait trottoir
He even got trampled
Puis porté disparu
Then missing
Par des gens trop bavards
By too talkative people
- Chacun vaut son voisin...
- Each is worth their neighbor...
Sauf quand c'est un vaurien
Except when it's a scoundrel
Battant pavé et breloque
Beating pavement and trinkets
Il a le scorbut à l'âme
He has scurvy in his soul
Et son coeur soliloque
And his heart soliloquizes
Sans but le pauvre diable
Aimlessly, the poor devil
Il a la têt' tordue
He has a twisted head
Essoré d'une oreille
Wringing out of one ear
C'est pas d'avoir trop bu
It's not from drinking too much
C'est d'être né bouteille
It's from being born a bottle
Il chante il chante
He sings, he sings
Il voulait boire la mer
He wanted to drink the sea
Qui sur ses joues serpente
That slithers on his cheeks
Les soirs de trop d'misère
On nights of too much misery
La mer la mer
The sea, the sea
C'est elle qui le hante
It's her who haunts him
Dans son coeur une arrière
In his heart, a backward
Saison d'écume qui chante
Season of singing foam
Dans l'miroir aux étoiles
In the mirror of stars
DAns l'océan sa planque
In the ocean, his hiding place
D'alouette en cavale
From a runaway lark
Il a jeté son ancre
He dropped his anchor
Il chante il chante
He sings, he sings
Mais c'est bientôt la mer
But it's soon the sea
Qui vient couvrir sa plainte
That comes to cover his complaint
Au creux d'sa dernière bière
In the depths of his last beer
Il chante il chante
He sings, he sings
Son chant de vagabond
His song of a wanderer
C'est maintenant la mer
It's now the sea
Qui roule sa chanson
That rolls his song
Qui roule sa chanson
That rolls his song
Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.