Le poinçonneur des lilas
Laurent Vercambre Lyrics

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J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
Le gars qu'on croise et qu'on n' regarde pas
Y a pas d'soleil sous la terre
Drôle de croisière
Pour tuer l'ennui j'ai dans ma veste
Les extraits du Reader Digest
Et dans c'bouquin y a écrit
Que des gars s'la coulent douce à Miami

Pendant c'temps que je fais l'zouave
Au fond d'la cave
Paraît qu'y a pas d'sot métier
Moi j'fais des trous dans des billets

J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encor des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Des trous d'seconde classe
Des trous d'première classe
J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encor des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Des petits trous, des petits trous,

Des petits trous, des petits trous
J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
Pour Invalides changer à Opéra
Je vis au cœur d'la planète
J'ai dans la tête
Un carnaval de confettis
J'en amène jusque dans mon lit
Et sous mon ciel de faïence
Je n'vois briller que les correspondances
Parfois je rêve je divague
Je vois des vagues
Et dans la brume au bout du quai
J'vois un bateau qui vient m'chercher

Pour m'sortir de ce trou où je fais des trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Mais l'bateau se taille
Et j'vois qu'je déraille
Et je reste dans mon trou à faire des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous

Des petits trous, des petits trous,
Des petits trous, des petits trous

J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
Arts-et-Métiers direct par Levallois
J'en ai marre j'en ai ma claque
De ce cloaque
Je voudrais jouer la fille de l'air
Laisser ma casquette au vestiaire
Un jour viendra j'en suis sûr
Où j'pourrais m'évader dans la nature
J'partirai sur la grand'route
Et coûte que coûte
Et si pour moi il n'est plus temps
Je partirai les pieds devant

J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encor des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous

Y a d'quoi d'venir dingue
De quoi prendre un flingue
S'faire un trou, un p'tit trou, un dernier p'tit trou
Un p'tit trou, un p'tit trou, un dernier p'tit trou
Et on m'mettra dans un grand trou

Où j'n'entendrai plus parler d'trou plus jamais d'trou
De petits trous de petits trous de petits trous

Overall Meaning

Laurent Vercambre's song Le Poinconneur Des Lilas is a powerful depiction of the loneliness and boredom experienced by a ticket-puncher in a subway station. In the opening verses, the singer introduces himself as a worker who is unknown and unnoticed, stating that he has a dull and monotonous life. To cope with the boredom, he carries the Reader Digest in his vest, which is full of stories of people living the high life in Miami. He does this while working hard and acting foolish in the basement of the station. Nevertheless, he notes that there is no such thing as a stupid job.

The chorus, where he sings "I make holes, little holes, still little holes" repeatedly, refers to his job which involves punching holes in tickets. He talks about how he makes holes in tickets of different categories which include substandard and high-end tickets. In the second verse, the singer reflects on his experiences during his journey to work. He talks about how he envisions the carnival of confetti in his head where he lives in the center of the planet. Through his dreams, he sees a boat that takes him away from his dreary life. Nevertheless, the boat does not come, and he's left in his hole feeling frustrated and stuck.

Line by Line Meaning

J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
I am the ticket puncher at Lilas station

Le gars qu'on croise et qu'on n' regarde pas
The guy who is passed by and ignored

Y a pas d'soleil sous la terre
There is no sun beneath the earth

Drôle de croisière
Funny cruise (journey)

Pour tuer l'ennui j'ai dans ma veste
To kill boredom, I have in my jacket

Les extraits du Reader Digest
Excerpts from Reader's Digest

Et dans c'bouquin y a écrit
And in this book it is written

Que des gars s'la coulent douce à Miami
That some guys are living it up in Miami

Pendant c'temps que je fais l'zouave
While I act silly

Au fond d'la cave
In the depths of the cellar

Paraît qu'y a pas d'sot métier
It appears there are no stupid professions

Moi j'fais des trous dans des billets
I punch holes in tickets

J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encor des p'tits trous
I punch holes, small holes, even more small holes

Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Small holes, small holes, always small holes

Des trous d'seconde classe
Second-class holes

Des trous d'première classe
First-class holes

Des petits trous, des petits trous
Small holes, small holes

J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
I am the ticket puncher at Lilas station

Pour Invalides changer à Opéra
To change for Invalides at Opéra

Je vis au cœur d'la planète
I live in the heart of the planet

J'ai dans la tête
I have in my head

Un carnaval de confettis
A carnival of confetti

J'en amène jusque dans mon lit
I bring them all the way to my bed

Et sous mon ciel de faïence
And under my ceramic sky

Je n'vois briller que les correspondances
I only see the connections shining

Parfois je rêve je divague
Sometimes I dream, I wander

Je vois des vagues
I see waves

Et dans la brume au bout du quai
And in the mist at the end of the platform

J'vois un bateau qui vient m'chercher
I see a boat coming to get me

Pour m'sortir de ce trou où je fais des trous
To get me out of this hole where I punch holes

Mais l'bateau se taille
But the boat leaves

Et j'vois qu'je déraille
And I see that I am derailing

Et je reste dans mon trou à faire des p'tits trous
And I remain in my hole, punching small holes

Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Small holes, small holes, always small holes

Des petits trous, des petits trous
Small holes, small holes

J'suis l'poinçonneur des Lilas
I am the ticket puncher at Lilas station

Arts-et-Métiers direct par Levallois
Direct to Arts-et-Métiers via Levallois

J'en ai marre j'en ai ma claque
I am fed up, I've had enough

De ce cloaque
Of this sewer

Je voudrais jouer la fille de l'air
I would like to play the role of an airborne girl

Laisser ma casquette au vestiaire
Leave my cap in the cloakroom

Un jour viendra j'en suis sûr
One day, I am sure

Où j'pourrais m'évader dans la nature
Where I could escape into nature

J'partirai sur la grand'route
I will go on the big road

Et coûte que coûte
And at all costs

Et si pour moi il n'est plus temps
And if there is no more time for me

Je partirai les pieds devant
I will leave feet first

J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encor des p'tits trous
I punch holes, small holes, even more small holes

Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Small holes, small holes, always small holes

Y a d'quoi d'venir dingue
There is enough to go crazy

De quoi prendre un flingue
Enough to take a gun

S'faire un trou, un p'tit trou, un dernier p'tit trou
Make a hole, a small hole, a final small hole

Un p'tit trou, un p'tit trou, un dernier p'tit trou
A small hole, a small hole, a final small hole

Et on m'mettra dans un grand trou
And they will put me in a big hole

Où j'n'entendrai plus parler d'trou plus jamais d'trou
Where I will no longer hear about holes, never again holes

De petits trous de petits trous de petits trous
Of small holes, of small holes, of small holes

Lyrics © Salut Ô Éditions, SO2 Édition, Quatryo Éditions, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01Le Poinconneur Des Lilas (Version Freres Jaques)

02Le Poinçonneur Des Lilas - Version Frères Jacques

03Le Poinçonneur Des Lilas

Laurent Vercambre

04Le poinçonneur des Lilas (Version Frères Jacques) [feat. Jean-Claude Camors, Pierre Ganem & Jean-Yves Lacombe]

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41w↑1

@Anne-Louise Luccarini appreciated 😅

lorde yayaya

never have seen this gainsbourg video before thank you so much!

VNRose3

13y↑5

@Gacu001 Serge Gainsbourg is both the writer/composer and performer here.

alleygh0st

"Any job is better than no job at all."
Me, I punch holes in tickets.

Sdk ElMaruecan

7y↑8

He left a big hole in French music... that's for sure!

VNRose3

12y↑1

@joshster89 philipchek of Paris answers: Yes, there were two "classes", first and second, which means that in a subway train, there where generally one subway wagon, reserved for first class (more comfortable, lower number of people inside, etc...). The first class system in the subway have been cancelled in 1991. In the sentence, Gainsbourg makes humor, because of course the puncher made same holes in the tickets, there were not two "class" of holes :)) Ph.

JUAN BLANCAS

13y↑1

Well, Gainsbourg does not mention "des trous de seconde classe" for nothing I mean he states a difference between a first class wagon where the ticket-puncher finds possibly bank employees, administration officers and this kind of white collar workers and in the second class section he'll find possibly working-class, unemployed people, etc. and I think Gainsbourg states the ticket-puncher attitude is different depending the people he finds in each section.

その辺のふらんす人 - A Frenchie

11y↑1

It is gainsbourg, but it's one of his oldest songs

signature50

12y↑5

Next time some pillock tries to tell you that Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was the first pop video, refer them to this! (1958!)

Grigori Som

11y↑2

Amazing singer/writer, mind-blowing, brilliant great song. . . but man, that is some BAD lip-synching. :))

Gacu001

13y↑2

Was this "guy" Serge Gainsbourg a/the composer? or is Serge the one singing in the vid??... I really wanna know :3 BTW, awesome song, the lyrics are so "acid" and funny, and you can take really deeper... very goOD! (that's why im curious hehe)

Anne-Louise Luccarini

41w↑1

Yes, that's him, when he was very young. He did some wonderful songs during that decade.

AbsentWithoutLeaving

12y

For some reason, this is playing back too fast - sounds like he swallowed some helium. Didn't do that before. What's HAPPENING????

This Account Is Abandoned.

6y↑1

Guy: weptito weptito o weptito
Subtitels: little holes, littles holes, always little holes

svrack

12y↑2

Is this Gainsbourg singing? or has it been dubbed over? His voice seems to have has a higher pitch in this video, ,maybe its the playback rate...

Old Hat

Yes it’s Gainsbourg but it playing back at a faster rate which is affecting the pitch. It sounding about a tone higher than the key it was originally sung in.

ChrisKardiake

12y

Non, la meilleure c'est : Variations sur Marilou :o)

Joyeuse Garde

11y↑1

Parait qu'y a pas sot métiers = There are some good jobs (but) I punch holes in subway tickets Spoken language diverging sharply from written. "pas sot" is off the street, from the sentence "C'est un métier pas sot." = It's not a bad job. "C'est pas sot." = That's rather clever. "Pas sot" gets used in the lyric in a non-grammatical way, but this is just the case, because the next line is ironic coming after it.