He spent a long part of his childhood in the café which his parents owned, where he learned work jargon and slang. At the age of 14 he signed up to the conservatoire de musique de Toulouse and to a dramatic arts institute. In the mean time, he set up his first band of 4 musicians in his own name, with whom he played at events throughout the region. In 1957, he was snapped up by Eddie Barclay who signed him on. It was in the studio of Barclay where he met his future wife, Simone Mazaltarim.
In 1958 Perret carried on touring round Parisian cabaret bars and crossed France and Africa as a part of the American group, The Platters. In Novemeber that year, a pleurisy forced him to take two years off in a sanatorium.
A master of the subtleties of the French language and French slang (he even rewrote some of Jean de La Fontaine's fables), his songs are often cheeky (for example Le zizi (The willy)) , asking questions in a seemingly naive child's tone, but has written more serious political songs, such as La bête est revenue, La petite kurde, Vert de Colère ou Lily.
Le poulet
Pierre Perret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si l'oiseau a piètre figure
C'est qu'il a bouffé des cailloux ce poulet
Ou qu'on le nourrissait d'injures
Si de membres il est dépourvu
C'est qu'il vient de faire la guerre
S'il les a tous par imprévu
C'est qu'il a déserté naguère
Si vous savourez un poulet grassouillet
Déserteur mais mort de vieillesse
Ne mordez le blanc s'il en reste
Qu'après avoir eu pour sa hardiesse
La pensée due à ce héros
Qui depuis sa plus tendre enfance
Faisait pipi sur le drapeau
Pendant la minute de silence
Ça vous réjouit le palais un poulet
Pour savoir si la bête est tendre
Vous lui triturez fortement les poignets
Si jamais il se fait entendre
C'est que le pauvret n'est pas mort
Dès lors vous regrettez le crime
Et honteux rongé de remords
Replantez ses plumes et qu'il vive
The lyrics of Pierre Perret's song "Le poulet" deal with the consumption of chicken and the different circumstances that can affect the qualities of the bird. The song challenges the listener to think about the origins of the food they enjoy, and to consider some of the often-ignored realities of the meat industry. The first verse states that chicken is a delight for the palate, but that the appearance of the bird may be compromised by factors like eating stones or being subjected to verbal abuse. The second verse suggests that a plump and tasty chicken may actually be a war deserter, and that consumers should pay their respects to such a hero before taking a bite. The final verse highlights the cruelty of testing the tenderness of a chicken's meat by squeezing its wrists, and suggests that killing an animal for food should be done with respect and consideration for its life.
One of the most interesting aspects of this song is the way it exposes the discrepancy between the deliciousness of chicken and the sometimes-harsh realities of its production. By drawing attention to the origins of the meat we eat, Perret encourages listeners to be more mindful of their food choices and to consider the ethical implications of their consumption habits. Another fascinating aspect of the song is its use of humor to convey a serious message. Perret's witty lyrics and catchy melody make his point memorable and enjoyable to listen to, even as he tackles weighty subjects like war, animal abuse, and mortality. Finally, the song is notable for the way it draws attention to the common practice of animal testing in the meat industry. By highlighting the inhumanity of squeezing a bird's wrists to test its tenderness, Perret encourages listeners to question the ways in which animals are used and exploited for human consumption.
Line by Line Meaning
Ça vous réjouit le palais un poulet
You enjoy a chicken that tickles your palate.
Si l'oiseau a piètre figure
If the bird looks bad,
C'est qu'il a bouffé des cailloux ce poulet
it's because it ate stones,
Ou qu'on le nourrissait d'injures
or was fed insults.
Si de membres il est dépourvu
If it doesn't have limbs,
C'est qu'il vient de faire la guerre
it's because it just fought a war.
S'il les a tous par imprévu
If it still has all its limbs,
C'est qu'il a déserté naguère
it's because it deserted long ago.
Si vous savourez un poulet grassouillet
If you taste a plump chicken,
Déserteur mais mort de vieillesse
deserted but died of old age,
Ne mordez le blanc s'il en reste
Don't bite the white flesh if there's any left,
Qu'après avoir eu pour sa hardiesse
until you've given due thought to the bravery
La pensée due à ce héros
this hero deserves,
Qui depuis sa plus tendre enfance
who, from his earliest childhood,
Faisait pipi sur le drapeau
peed on the flag,
Pendant la minute de silence
during the minute of silence.
Ça vous réjouit le palais un poulet
You enjoy a chicken that tickles your palate.
Pour savoir si la bête est tendre
To see if the meat is tender,
Vous lui triturez fortement les poignets
You press its wrists firmly,
Si jamais il se fait entendre
If it makes a sound,
C'est que le pauvret n'est pas mort
it means the poor thing isn't dead,
Dès lors vous regrettez le crime
Then you regret the deed,
Et honteux rongé de remords
and, ashamed and eaten up by remorse,
Replantez ses plumes et qu'il vive
you replant its feathers and let it live.
Lyrics © SEMI
Written by: Pierre PERRET, REMY CORAZZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joshadows
Un banger cette musique
KOKO BBS
Je déguste un bon poulet pierrot