Members through the years:
Jean Albert (February 1946 - September 1956)
Guy Bourguignon (February 1946 - December 1969)
Jean Broussolle (March 1952 - December 1972) (Replaced Marc Herrand)
Paul Buissonneau (September 1946 - September 1950)
Jean-Pierre Calvet (September 1956 - 1984) (Replaced Jean Albert)
Gaston M. Cassez (January 1973 - February 1985) (Replaced Jean Broussolle)
Jean Driant (March 1946 - May 1946)
Jo Frachon (February 1946 - February 1985)
Marc Herrand (February 1946 - March 1952)
Mario Hirle (February 1952 - April 1953) (Replaced Gérard Sabbat) (1955, Replaced Jo Frachon occasionally)
Jean-Louis Jaubert (February 1946 - February 1985)
Hubert Lancelot (February 1946 - February 1985)
Fred Mella (February 1946 - February 1985) (10 March 1924 - 16 November 2019)
René Mella (September 1950 - February 1985)
Paul Mery (1984 - February 1985) (Replaced Jean-Piere Calvet)
Gérard Sabbat (February 1946 - February 1985)
Dans les prisons de Nantes
Les Compagnons de la Chanson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il y a un prisonnier
Il y a un prisonnier
Que personne ne va voir
Que la fille du geôlier
Elle lui porte à boire
A boire et à manger
Et des chemises blanches
Quand il en veut changer
Un jour il lui demande
“De moi veuille vous parler
“De moi veuille vous parler
On dit par toute la ville
Que demain vous mourrez
Puisque il faut que je meure
Déliez-moi les pieds
Déliez-moi les pieds
La fille était jeunette
Les pieds lui a lâchés
Le galant part alerte
Dans la Loire a sauté
Dans la Loire a sauté
Toutes les cloches de Nantes
Se mirent à sonnent
The lyrics of Les Compagnons de la Chanson's "Dans Les Prisons De Nantes" tell the story of a prisoner in the Nantes prison who is visited by nobody but the jailer's daughter. She brings him food, drink, and clean shirts, and he asks her to talk to him about something important. He informs her that rumors are flying around the town that he will be executed the next day. He then asks her to release him, and she nervously agrees. As she unties his feet, she slips and falls to the ground, allowing the prisoner to escape through the window and ultimately jump into the Loire River. The sudden escape alerts the town, and all the bells of Nantes begin to ring.
The song showcases the desperation and suspense of the situation while also telling a tale of love and sacrifice. The jailer's daughter puts her own safety on the line to help the prisoner escape, and his love for freedom drives him to take the risky leap into the river. The line "que personne ne va voir" (that nobody visits) emphasizes the loneliness and isolation of the prisoner, which intensifies the emotional impact of the story. The repetition of "à boire et à manger" and "déliez-moi les pieds" in the chorus adds to the song's overall haunting quality.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans les prisons de Nantes
In the prisons of Nantes, where captives dwell
Il y a un prisonnier
There is a prisoner, locked up and confined
Que personne ne va voir
Whom nobody ever visits, or comes to see
Que la fille du geôlier
Except for the jailer's daughter, who pays a visit
Elle lui porte à boire
She brings him food and drink, to keep him well-fed
A boire et à manger
Giving him food and drink, without a grudge or greed
Et des chemises blanches
As well as clean white shirts, to wear and change in ease
Quand il en veut changer
If he wants something new, she doesn't mind, she'll make it happen
Un jour il lui demande
One day he asks her, with a timid voice
“De moi veuille vous parler
If she would spare a minute, to hear him out, he would rejoice
On dit par toute la ville
Rumors spread across the city, about something grim
Que demain vous mourrez
That he will be executed, and his chances are slim
Puisque il faut que je meure
Since death is my only fate, I must accept this doom
Déliez-moi les pieds
Loosen up my shackles, let me escape from this room
La fille était jeunette
As young as she was, she had a kind and gentle heart
Les pieds lui a lâchés
Her nerves faltered, as she untied the chains and let him depart
Le galant part alerte
The young man ran without delay, on his way to freedom
Dans la Loire a sauté
He plunged into the river, flooded with joy and elation
Toutes les cloches de Nantes
All the bells of Nantes, started ringing in celebration
Se mirent à sonner
A sound of hope and happiness, they chime and echo everywhere
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EMRE RAMAZANOGLU, JOHN PARRICELLI, JON KELLY, MATT JOHNSON, NOLWENN LE MAGUERESSE, TRADITIONAL (WRITER UNKNOWN)
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind