Ta Katie t'a quitté
Les Croquants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Igor hagard est noir
Il n′arrête guère de boire
Car sa Katia, sa jolie Katia
Vient de le quitter
Sa Katie l'a quitté
Il a fait chou-blanc
Ce grand-duc avec ses trucs
Ma tactique était toc
Dit Igor qui s′endort
Ivre mort au comptoir du bar
Un Russe blanc qui est noir
Quel bizarre hasard se marrent
Les fêtards paillards du bar
Car encore Igor y dort
Mais près d'son oreille
Merveille un réveil vermeil
Lui prodigue des conseils
Pendant son sommeil
Tic-tac tic-tac
Ta Katie t'a quitté
Tic-tac tic-tac
Ta Katie t′a quitté
Tic-tac tic-tac
T′es cocu qu'attends-tu?
Cuite-toi t′es cocu
T'as qu′à, t'as qu′à t'cuiter
Et quitter ton quartier
Ta Katie t'a quitté
Ta tactique était toc
Ta tactique était toc
Ta Katie t′a quitté
Ote ta toque et troque
Ton tricot tout crotté
Et ta croûte au couteau
Qu′on t'a tant attaqué
Contre un tacot coté
Quatre écus tout comptés
Et quitte ton quartier
Ta Katie t′a quitté
Ta Katie t'a quitté
Ta Katie t′a quitté
Ta Katie t'a quitté
Tout à côté
Des catins décaties
Taquinaient un cocker coquin
Et d′étiques coquettes
Tout en tricotant
Caquetaient et discutaient et critiquaient
Un comte toqué
Qui comptait en tiquant
Tout un tas de tickets de quai
Quand tout à coup
Tic-tac-tic driiiing!
Au matin quel réveil
Mâtin quel réveil-matin
S'écrie le russe blanc de peur
Pour une sonnerie
C'est une belle sonnerie
The lyrics of "Ta Katie t'a quitté" by Les Croquants tell the story of Igor, who is drowning his sorrows at the bar because his beautiful Katia has left him. Despite all his tricks and schemes as a "white Russian," Igor has failed to win back his love. As he drunkenly slumbers at the bar, he suddenly wakes up to the sound of a voice giving him advice: "Tic-tac-tic-tac, your Katie has left you. You're a cuckold, what are you waiting for? Get drunk and leave your neighborhood." The voice repeats this message throughout the song, urging Igor to take action and move on from his failed relationship.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of Igor's despair and the raucous atmosphere of the bar where he is drowning his sorrows. The imagery is particularly effective in portraying the contrast between Igor's romantic aspirations and the seedy reality of the world around him. While Igor dreams of a beautiful love affair with his Katia, the other patrons of the bar are engaged in tawdry activities like teasing a mischievous dog and gossiping about a wealthy count. Despite the seeming chaos of the scene, however, the message of the voice that wakes Igor up is clear and insistent: he needs to face the truth of his situation and move on from his lost love.
Overall, "Ta Katie t'a quitté" is a poignant and poetic portrayal of one man's struggle to come to terms with a failed relationship. The song captures both the pain of heartbreak and the often-disorderly nature of life itself, reminding us that even amidst chaos and uncertainty, there may be a voice of reason that can help us find our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce soir au bar de la gare
Tonight at the train station bar
Igor hagard est noir
Igor looks exhausted
Il n′arrête guère de boire
He can't stop drinking
Car sa Katia, sa jolie Katia
Because his pretty Katia
Vient de le quitter
Just left him
Sa Katie l'a quitté
His Katie left him
Il a fait chou-blanc
He failed
Ce grand-duc avec ses trucs
This old trickster
Ses astuces, ses ruses de Russe blanc
With his Russian tricks and cunning
Ma tactique était toc
My tactics were useless
Dit Igor qui s′endort
Said Igor, falling asleep
Ivre mort au comptoir du bar
Dead drunk at the bar counter
Un Russe blanc qui est noir
A white Russian who looks dark
Quel bizarre hasard se marrent
How strange the coincidence
Les fêtards paillards du bar
The rowdy partygoers at the bar laugh
Car encore Igor y dort
Because Igor is still sleeping there
Mais près d'son oreille
But close to his ear
Merveille un réveil vermeil
A marvelous alarm clock rings
Lui prodigue des conseils
Giving him advice
Pendant son sommeil
While he's asleep
Tic-tac tic-tac
Tick-tock tick-tock
Ta Katie t'a quitté
Your Katie left you
T'es cocu qu'attends-tu?
You've been cuckolded, what are you waiting for?
Cuite-toi t′es cocu
Get drunk, you've been cuckolded
T'as qu′à, t'as qu′à t'cuiter
Just get drunk
Et quitter ton quartier
And leave your neighborhood
Ta tactique était toc
Your tactics were useless
Ote ta toque et troque
Take off your hat and swap
Ton tricot tout crotté
Your dirty knitwear
Et ta croûte au couteau
And your knife-carved crust
Qu′on t'a tant attaqué
That has been attacked so much
Contre un tacot coté
For a cheap car that's running
Quatre écus tout comptés
Just four coins in total
Et quitte ton quartier
And leave your neighborhood
Tout à côté
Right next to
Des catins décaties
The worn-out prostitutes
Taquinaient un cocker coquin
Teasing a naughty spaniel
Et d′étiques coquettes
And some skinny coquettes
Tout en tricotant
Busy knitting
Caquetaient et discutaient et critiquaient
Chattered, discussed, and criticized
Un comte toqué
A mad count
Qui comptait en tiquant
Counting while ticking
Tout un tas de tickets de quai
A bunch of train tickets
Quand tout à coup
When suddenly
Tic-tac-tic driiiing!
Tick-tock-tick ringing!
Au matin quel réveil
What a morning wake-up call
Mâtin quel réveil-matin
Wow, what a morning
S'écrie le russe blanc de peur
The white Russian exclaims in fear
Pour une sonnerie
Because of a ringtone
C'est une belle sonnerie
It's a beautiful ringtone
Writer(s): Boby Lapointe
Contributed by Taylor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.