In 1965, Le Forestier formed a duo (Cat et Maxime) with his sister Catherine. Playing at cabaret venues on Paris' Left Bank, the pair met and formed a friendship with Georges Moustaki. They were amongst the first artists to cover a number of songs by Moustaki - including Ma Liberté and Ma Solitude. In 1968, Catherine joined Moustaki as a backing singer. Le Forestier began to focus on songwriting and composed Ballade pour un traître which was recorded and released by the French/Italian singer and actor, Serge Reggiani.
Le Forestier continued as part-time singer/songwriter during his military service (beginning 1969) with a parachute regiment (the inspiration for the song Parachutiste). He recorded two songs: "Cœur de Pierre, Face de Lune", and La Petite Fugue.
His military service ending September 1970, Le Forestier refocused on his musical career. He developed a folksy style which was enormously popular in the 1970s and '80s. His first album Mon Frère, released in 1973, contains several pieces that have entered French folklore, including the title song Mon frère, San Francisco, Comme un arbre and Education sentimentale. He toured extensively, both in France and abroad. In 1976, he toured in 14 cities in the USSR. Recently he has gained particular acclaim for his reworkings of the songs of Georges Brassens.
Parachutiste
Maxime Le Forestier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand on t'a mis un béret rouge
Quand on t'a dit: Rentre dedans
Tout ce qui bouge
C'est pas exprès que t'étais fasciste
Parachutiste
Alors, de combat en combat
Tu sais qu'il n'y a ici-bas
Que deux engeances:
Les gens bien et les terroristes
Parachutiste
Puis on t'a donné des galons
Héros de toutes les défaites
Pour toutes les bonnes actions
Que tu as faites
Tu torturais en spécialiste
Parachutiste
Alors sont venus les honneurs
Les décorations, les médailles
Pour chaque balle au fond d'un cœur
Pour chaque entaille
Pour chaque croix noire sur ta liste
Parachutiste
Mais, malheureusement pour toi
Bientôt se finira ta guerre:
Plus de tueries, plus de combats
Que vas-tu faire?
C'est fini le travail d'artiste
Parachutiste
C'est plus qu'un travail de nana
D' commander à ceux qui savent lire
Surtout que t'as appris avec moi
Ce que veut dire
Le motantimilitariste
Parachutiste
T' as rien perdu de ton talent
Tu rates pas une embuscade
Mais comme on ne tire pas vraiment
Tu trouves ça fade
C'est pt'êt pour ça que tu as les yeux tristes
Parachutiste
Mais si tu es vraiment trop gené
D'être payé à ne rien faire
Tu peux toujours te recycler
Chez tes p'tits frères
Je crois qu'on engage dans la Police
Parachutiste
The song Parachutiste by Maxime Le Forestier depicts the life of a young soldier who is sent to war when he was only 18 years old. He is given a red beret, a symbol of his membership in the airborne forces. The soldier is sent to fight in different battles and war zones, honing his fighting skills and becoming more experienced as time passes. His commanders teach him to attack anything that moves, instilling in him beliefs that are contrary to his own principles.
Despite this, the soldier's character transforms with his experience as he understands that the world is made up of two types of people: the good ones and the terrorists. This realization hardens him, and he becomes a specialist in torture, earning him many decorations and awards. But, as the war ends, he finds himself at a loss as he has become used to the violence, and now he has nothing to do. He is, therefore, advised to join the police force, where he can continue to use his unique set of skills.
The song explicitly portrays the life of a soldier, their motivations and beliefs, and how they can be changed or affected by war. The Parachutiste is portrayed as a symbol of the French military, but the message of the song extends beyond the military to anyone who has experienced war or violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu avais juste dix-huit ans
You were only eighteen years old
Quand on t'a mis un béret rouge
When they gave you a red beret
Quand on t'a dit: Rentre dedans
When they told you: Go for it
Tout ce qui bouge
Anything that moves
C'est pas exprès que t'étais fasciste
It wasn't intentional that you were a fascist
Parachutiste
Paratrooper
Alors, de combat en combat
So from battle to battle
S'est formée ton intelligence
Your intelligence was formed
Tu sais qu'il n'y a ici-bas
You know that on this earth
Que deux engeances:
There are only two kinds of people:
Les gens bien et les terroristes
Good people and terrorists
Puis on t'a donné des galons
Then they gave you stripes
Héros de toutes les défaites
Hero of all the defeats
Pour toutes les bonnes actions
For all the good deeds
Que tu as faites
That you have done
Tu torturais en spécialiste
You tortured as a specialist
Alors sont venus les honneurs
Then came the honors
Les décorations, les médailles
Decorations, medals
Pour chaque balle au fond d'un cœur
For every bullet in a heart
Pour chaque entaille
For every cut
Pour chaque croix noire sur ta liste
For every black cross on your list
Mais, malheureusement pour toi
But unfortunately for you
Bientôt se finira ta guerre:
Soon your war will be over:
Plus de tueries, plus de combats
No more killings, no more fights
Que vas-tu faire?
What are you going to do?
C'est fini le travail d'artiste
The artist's work is done
C'est plus qu'un travail de nana
It's more than just a girl's job
D' commander à ceux qui savent lire
To command those who can read
Surtout que t'as appris avec moi
Especially since you learned with me
Ce que veut dire
What the word
Le motantimilitariste
Anti-militarist means
T' as rien perdu de ton talent
You haven't lost your talent
Tu rates pas une embuscade
You don't miss an ambush
Mais comme on ne tire pas vraiment
But since we don't really shoot
Tu trouves ça fade
You find it boring
C'est pt'êt pour ça que tu as les yeux tristes
Maybe that's why you have sad eyes
Mais si tu es vraiment trop gené
But if you're really too embarrassed
D'être payé à ne rien faire
To be paid for doing nothing
Tu peux toujours te recycler
You can always recycle yourself
Chez tes p'tits frères
With your little brothers
Je crois qu'on engage dans la Police
I think they're hiring for the Police
Lyrics © COINCIDENCES, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: BRUNO LE FORESTIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind