Pinochio
Manu Chao Lyrics


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Pépère Lachaise, madame Satan
Lsang va couler dans lcaniveau
Pépère Lachaise, madame Cageot
Femme de Roger, qui avait 13 chiens Un
chien est mort, lautre sest pendu Ya plus damour
dans les foyers Lsang va couler dans lcaniveau
Lhiver est la qui montre les crocs Tas beau
tappeler Oscar Tramor Te vla tout seul comme un
rat mort Tas beau tapppeler le grand Dédé Te vla
pas plus fière quun chat crevé. Le soleil dor loin
de gare du Nord Le soleil dort petit néon
Tas beau tappeler Oscar Tramor
Te vla tout seul comme un rat mort
Tas beau tappeler le grand Dédé
Te vla pas plus fière quun chat crevé.
Venez donc voire sous ma cape noire
Le grand couteau que ma donné
La fille qui voulait mon malheur
Elle me la planté dans le cur





the end

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Manu Chao's song "Pinochio" are a commentary on the bleakness and despair of modern urban life. The song is set in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, which is known for being the final resting place of many famous figures, including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. The cemetery is also a symbol of the ephemeral nature of life and the inevitability of death. The chorus repeats the line "Lsang va couler dans lcaniveau" ("blood will flow in the gutter"), which suggests that violence and decay are pervasive in this environment.


The verses tell various stories of individuals who are struggling to survive in this harsh urban landscape. Madame Satan and Madame Cageot are both women who are referred to in fleeting ways, as if they are figures of mystery and intrigue. The reference to Roger and his 13 dogs is similarly cryptic, but suggests a kind of bizarre domesticity that has gone awry. The image of the dead dogs and the hanging one is particularly haunting, and underscores the idea that there is no love left in these households.


The final verse takes a more personal turn, as the song's narrator seems to be addressing himself directly. He is alone and forgotten, invoking the names of Oscar Tramor and the grand Dédé as if they are talismans that might protect him from the ravages of the city. But these names have no power, and he is left feeling as insignificant as a dead rat or a cat that has been run over. The closing lines, which refer to a knife being plunged into the singer's heart, suggest that the only escape from this life is death itself.


Line by Line Meaning

Pépère Lachaise, madame Satan
Refers to Père Lachaise cemetery and possibly the dark sides of Paris, using a nickname for the cemetery and referencing an infamous cabaret called 'Madame Satan'


Lsang va couler dans lcaniveau
Blood will flow in the gutters


Pépère Lachaise, madame Cageot
Refers to Père Lachaise cemetery and a woman called 'Madame Cageot'


Femme de Roger, qui avait 13 chiens
Woman married to Roger, who had 13 dogs


Un chien est mort, lautre sest pendu
One dog died, the other hung itself


Ya plus damour dans les foyers
There is no more love in homes


Lsang va couler dans lcaniveau
Blood will flow in the gutters


Lhiver est la qui montre les crocs
Winter is here, showing its teeth


Tas beau tappeler Oscar Tramor
You can call yourself Oscar Tramor


Te vla tout seul comme un rat mort
You are all alone like a dead rat


Tas beau tapppeler le grand Dédé
You can call yourself the great Dédé


Te vla pas plus fière quun chat crevé.
You are not any prouder than a dead cat.


Le soleil dor loin de gare du Nord
The sun is sleeping far from the Gare du Nord.


Le soleil dort petit néon
The sun is sleeping in a small neon lamp.


Tas beau tappeler Oscar Tramor
You can call yourself Oscar Tramor


Te vla tout seul comme un rat mort
You are all alone like a dead rat


Tas beau tappeler le grand Dédé
You can call yourself the great Dédé


Te vla pas plus fière quun chat crevé.
You are not any prouder than a dead cat.


Venez donc voire sous ma cape noire
Come see what's under my black cape


Le grand couteau que ma donné
The large knife that I've been given


La fille qui voulait mon malheur
The girl who wished me misfortune


Elle me la planté dans le cur
She stuck it in my heart.




Writer(s): Fiorenzo Carpi Copyright: S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale

Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@antonioriccio3257

Fantastica

@_Lauma_

Какие же они все гениальные!!! ❤❤❤

@faustoguidi3

Pinocchio!
Una meravigliosa fiaba italiana 🙂

@catrudeboy8111

No maa.... Cuanta energía se ha de haber vivido en ese concierto 🇲🇱😎🇲🇱😎

Radio Bemba, radio Bemba !!

Lastima que lo vetaron aquí en México 😭😭😭

@BrennaD4

Lo he visto en Dublin... esta canción ha causado una reverberación en todo el barrio después del concierto. Era mágico ❤❤❤❤ #kilmainham

@TopFunny.community

люблю тебя Ману уже 20 лет

@stefiR70

we we eeee. Grande Manu Chao😅😅🇮🇹👋👋👋👋

@gimenammuuaa9586

Quien escucha manu chao no envejece

@golfsauw

Exactly 👌

@niccologuercia

CHE CASINO SPETTACOLARE!
MANU IL PIÙ GRANDE ARTISTA DI TUTTI I TEMPI!

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