The most iconic song to many French people, and possibly the song that put him on the map, was the huge 70's French hit "Laisse Béton" (the story - told with a great deal of humour - of someone who enters a bar and gets mugged for everything he owns, from his leather jacket, to his jeans, his boots, and ends up in an alley without any clothes on).
Renaud 'came back' in 2002 with a huge hit 'Manhattan-Kaboul' (featuring Belgian singer Axelle Red), comparing the lives of a Puerto Rican in NYC to an Afghan girl in Kabul in 2001. This song catapulted his latest album to the top of the charts and earned him various awards in France. His latest album was published in october 2006 and was called "Rouge sang".
Fanny de la Sorgue
Renaud Lyrics
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Ne se baignera plus jamais
La rivière pleure dans son lit
Sa Fanny toute rhabillée
La belle n'ira plus dans l'eau
Depuis cent ans elle se cache
A l'ombre d'un joli tableau
Qu'un amant fit d'elle à la gouache
Qu'on peut voir dans l'angle d'un mur
Le cul de Fanny dévoilé
Promettant la bonne aventure.
Au bord de la Sorgue où Fanny
S'en allait se baigner jadis
Sous les platanes du Midi
Les boules de pétanque glissent
Que je pointe ou bien que je tire
Les miennes finissent dans l'herbe
J'pourrais mieux faire mais faut dire
Je triche un petit peu pour perdre
Pour pouvoir un jour dans ma vie
Honorer divines fesses
Un genou en terre pardi
Ainsi qu'on célèbre une messe
J'irai Fanny jusqu'à ramper.
Quel est le crétin misogyne
Qui décréta punition
Honteuse ridicule indigne
Cette noble communion
Cette intimité que je souhaite
De mes lèvres avec ce cul
Qui récompense la défaite
Qui ne brille que pour les vaincus
M'est avis que ce pauvre naze
Dut passer sa vie à prier
A genoux pour que sa bourgeoise
Lui offre pareil bienfait.
Au pays des Sorgues Fanny
Peut se vanter d'avoir fait mettre
Un genou à terre à celui
Qui pour aucun dieu ou maître
Nulle loi nulle discipline
Qui devant nulle autorité
N'aurait jamais courbé l'échine
Jamais n'aurait capitulé
Je me prosternerai encore
Bien plus et sans honte jamais
Pour un autre bout de ton corps
J'irai Fanny jusqu'à ramper.
The lyrics of Renaud's song "Fanny de la Sorgue" tell the story of a woman named Fanny, who used to swim in the Sorgue River. However, something tragic happened, and she will never swim in the river again. The river itself mourns for Fanny, as she remains dressed and hidden away. Fanny's beauty is now confined to a painting, created by a lover, which hangs in the shade. In the town's bar, one can catch a glimpse of the uncovered rear of Fanny, symbolizing the promise of a good fortune.
The second paragraph shifts the focus to the singer, who stands by the Sorgue River where Fanny used to bathe. They mention the presence of plane trees and the sound of boules de pétanque slipping across the ground. The singer confesses to cheating a little bit in the game, intentionally losing. The reason behind this is to one day be worthy of the divine fulfillment of embracing Fanny, possibly through a symbolic act, like being on one knee, similar to celebrating mass. They express their determination to crawl or go to any lengths to achieve this honor.
In the third paragraph, the singer questions who the foolish misogynist is that decreed punishment and shame upon the intimate communion they desire with Fanny's body. They view this intimacy as a reward for defeat, shining only for the vanquished. They believe that this person, who must have spent their entire life praying on their knees for their bourgeois partner to bestow such a blessing upon them, is a pitiable fool.
The final paragraph speaks of the Sorgue River region, where Fanny can be proud of bringing someone to their knees. This person is someone who would never submit to any god or authority, refusing to bow down or surrender. The singer declares their willingness to prostrate themselves even more, without any shame, for another part of Fanny's body. They reaffirm their determination to crawl or do whatever it takes to please and honor Fanny.
Overall, the lyrics depict the longing and admiration the singer has for Fanny, emphasizing her allure and the lengths they are willing to go to be in her presence. It also criticizes societal norms and the humiliation associated with desires that challenge established power dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans l'eau de la Sorgue Fanny
Fanny in the water of the Sorgue
Ne se baignera plus jamais
will never swim again
La rivière pleure dans son lit
The river cries in its bed
Sa Fanny toute rhabillée
Her Fanny fully dressed
La belle n'ira plus dans l'eau
The beauty will no longer go into the water
Depuis cent ans elle se cache
She has been hiding for a hundred years
A l'ombre d'un joli tableau
In the shadow of a beautiful painting
Qu'un amant fit d'elle à la gouache
That a lover painted of her with gouache
Et c'est au bistrot désormais
And now it's at the bistro
Qu'on peut voir dans l'angle d'un mur
Where you can see in the corner of a wall
Le cul de Fanny dévoilé
Fanny's behind revealed
Promettant la bonne aventure
Promising good fortune
Au bord de la Sorgue où Fanny
At the edge of the Sorgue where Fanny
S'en allait se baigner jadis
Used to go bathing in the past
Sous les platanes du Midi
Under the plane trees of the Midi
Les boules de pétanque glissent
The boules of pétanque slide
Que je pointe ou bien que je tire
Whether I point or shoot
Les miennes finissent dans l'herbe
Mine end up in the grass
J'pourrais mieux faire mais faut dire
I could do better, but I must say
Je triche un petit peu pour perdre
I cheat a little to lose
Pour pouvoir un jour dans ma vie
To be able one day in my life
Honorer divines fesses
To honor divine buttocks
Un genou en terre pardi
One knee on the ground, I swear
Ainsi qu'on célèbre une messe
Just as one celebrates a mass
J'irai Fanny jusqu'à ramper
I will go to Fanny even crawling
Quel est le crétin misogyne
Who is the misogynist idiot
Qui décréta punition
Who decreed punishment
Honteuse ridicule indigne
Shameful, ridiculous, unworthy
Cette noble communion
This noble communion
Cette intimité que je souhaite
This intimacy that I desire
De mes lèvres avec ce cul
Between my lips and this ass
Qui récompense la défaite
That rewards defeat
Qui ne brille que pour les vaincus
That shines only for the vanquished
M'est avis que ce pauvre naze
I think that poor idiot
Dut passer sa vie à prier
Must have spent his life praying
A genoux pour que sa bourgeoise
On his knees so that his bourgeois wife
Lui offre pareil bienfait
Would offer him such a blessing
Au pays des Sorgues Fanny
In the land of Sorgues, Fanny
Peut se vanter d'avoir fait mettre
Can boast of making
Un genou à terre à celui
One knee on the ground to the one
Qui pour aucun dieu ou maître
Who for no god or master
Nulle loi nulle discipline
No law, no discipline
Qui devant nulle autorité
Who before no authority
N'aurait jamais courbé l'échine
Would have never bowed down
Jamais n'aurait capitulé
Never would have capitulated
Je me prosternerai encore
I will still prostrate myself
Bien plus et sans honte jamais
Even more and without shame ever
Pour un autre bout de ton corps
For another part of your body
J'irai Fanny jusqu'à ramper
I will go to Fanny even crawling
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Renaud Sechan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ROELENS Stéphane
très jolie chanson, méconnue.