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".
I bot un d'mi
Renaud Lyrics
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I m'dit comm' cha Marcel ti qui as jamais sorti
Ed' main j'vais à Paris si té veux v'nir viens avec mi
Pinsez qu'j'étos contint mi qui n'sus jamais sorti
Plus loin que min patelin enfin j'allos vir Paris
In visit'ra tous chés musées parait qu'ch'est bieau à vir
O' sommes arrivés sus l'coup d'dix heures ed' d'mi
E1' premier truc à faire i'm dit ch'est d'aller boire un d'mi
Car pour un ch'timi c'qui compte ch'est un d'mi
Quand un' ch'timi i'est d'sortie
Quoi qu'i bot à vou avis
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
Quand un ch'timi i'est in nache
Pour s'ardonner du courache
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
Et pis l'Jour équ' cha va mal
Pour s'armonter sin moral
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
Einne pression un jus d'houblon
Quand cha mousse ch'est toudis bon
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
Dins l'premier café o' sommes rintrés
Un homme in noir et blane i s'amène sus nous
Et i nous dit comme cha: "Pour ces m'sieurs dames
qu'est-ce que ce sera?"
Eh bin min tchiot loute te vas nous mette tros d'mi
I'm ravise d'un drôle d'oeil i n'avot rien compris
Trente six eoups j'ai dû y dire que c'qu'in voulot
ch'est tros d'mis
Car pour un ch'timi c'qui eompte ch'est un d'mi
The lyrics to Renaud's song "I Bot un D'mi" describe the experience of two siblings from a small town in northern France (referred to as "ch'timi") visiting Paris for the first time. The singer's brother convinces him to come along, and they arrive in Paris in the late evening. The first thing the brother suggests is to have a drink, specifically, "un d'mi," which is a type of beer typically consumed in Northern France. The lyrics then go on to emphasize the importance of "un d'mi" in the ch'timi culture, as it is consumed in a variety of situations, such as going out with friends, recovering from a hangover or boosting one's morale when feeling down.
The song emphasises the cultural significance of drinking "un d'mi" in Northern France, highlighting its association with camaraderie, socialising, and a need for comfort in difficult times. The repetition of the phrase "i bot un d'mi" throughout the song emphasises the bonding experience that comes with consuming the drink in different situations.
The encounter with the waiter in the café also illustrates the cultural differences between the two regions of France, highlighting the difficulty in communication between Northern and Southern France.
Line by Line Meaning
L'aut' jour min bieau frère i s'amène à m' maison
The other day, my brother-in-law came to my house
I m'dit comm' cha Marcel ti qui as jamais sorti
He said to me, 'Marcel, you who have never been out'
Ed' main j'vais à Paris si té veux v'nir viens avec mi
Tomorrow, I'm going to Paris; if you want, come with me.
Pinsez qu'j'étos contint mi qui n'sus jamais sorti
Imagine how happy I was, who had never been far from my hometown, to go to Paris.
Plus loin que min patelin enfin j'allos vir Paris
Finally, I was going to see Paris, further than my hometown.
In visit'ra tous chés musées parait qu'ch'est bieau à vir
We'll visit all the museums, I heard they're beautiful to see.
L'lend'main nous v'là partis min bieau frère em'soeur pis mi
The next day, my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I left.
O' sommes arrivés sus l'coup d'dix heures ed' d'mi
We arrived around ten thirty in the morning.
E1' premier truc à faire i'm dit ch'est d'aller boire un d'mi
The first thing he said we should do is go have a beer.
Car pour un ch'timi c'qui compte ch'est un d'mi
Because for a person from the north, a beer is what matters.
Quand un' ch'timi i'est d'sortie
When someone from the north goes out
Quoi qu'i bot à vou avis
No matter what they order, do you know?
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
They order a beer, a beer.
Quand un ch'timi i'est in nache
When a person from the north is feeling down
Pour s'ardonner du courache
To forget their worries
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
They order a beer, a beer.
Et pis l'Jour équ' cha va mal
And on the days when things aren't going well
Pour s'armonter sin moral
To lift their spirits
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
They order a beer, a beer.
Einne pression un jus d'houblon
A draft beer, a hop juice.
Quand cha mousse ch'est toudis bon
When it's foamy, it's always good.
I bot un d'mi i bot un d'mi
They order a beer, a beer.
Dins l'premier café o' sommes rintrés
In the first café we went to
Un homme in noir et blane i s'amène sus nous
A man in black and white came up to us
Et i nous dit comme cha: 'Pour ces m'sieurs dames
And he said to us: 'What can I get for you?'
qu'est-ce que ce sera?'
'What'll it be?'
Eh bin min tchiot loute te vas nous mette tros d'mi
Well, my dear little one, you're going to give us three beers.
I'm ravise d'un drôle d'oeil i n'avot rien compris
He looked at me strangely, he didn't understand.
Trente six eoups j'ai dû y dire que c'qu'in voulot ch'est tros d'mis
I had to tell him thirty-six times that we wanted three beers.
Car pour un ch'timi c'qui eompte ch'est un d'mi
Because for a person from the north, a beer is what matters.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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