Extremely versatile and respected French singer-songwriter. His music is a … Read Full Bio ↴Extremely versatile and respected French singer-songwriter. His music is a crossover of folk, rock, blues and punk. Active since the 70s, Renaud has written some very controversial songs during his musical career, the most famous one (to British readers at least) praising all women as being better than men except Margaret Thatcher, saying that if he comes back as a dog in his next life, he will use her as a lampost... He is famously recovering from alcoholism with some degree of success.

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".

Ourson prisonnier
Renaud Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un ourson en liberté
c'est mignon
un ourson dans la forêt
c'est trognon
dans les champs dans les vallons
sortant du creux des buissons
respirant à pleins poumons
l'air de la terr' qui sent bon

c'est mignon

Mais quand il est enfermé
même un papillon léger
qui lui vole sous le nez
est plus heureux que l'ourson

prisonnier
prisonnier

Un ourson en liberté
c'est mignon
un ourson au bout du pré
c'est trognon
finissant de grignoter
les noix qu'il vient de casser
ou le museau barbouillé
de fraises des bois écrasées
c'est mignon

Mais quand il est enfermé
une petite souris pressée
qui lui court entre les pieds
est plus heureuse que l'ourson
prisonnier
prisonnier

La la la...

un papillon tout léger
une petite souris pressée
peuv'nt traverser le fossé
oui mais pas le pauvre ourson

prisonnier
prisonnier

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Renaud's song "Ourson prisonnier" present two contrasting situations. The first one describes a bear cub freely roaming in nature, enjoying the fresh air and the pleasant sights and smells of the forest and the fields. In this context, the bear seems cute, endearing, and harmless, as it munches on nuts or wild strawberries with sticky muzzle. The second situation instead depicts the same bear cub imprisoned in some kind of captivity or confinement, where it cannot exercise its natural instincts, move about freely or explore new environments. In this context, even insignificant creatures like butterflies or mice become happier and luckier than the bear, since they can move around without boundaries or limitations. The song refers to the bear "ourson" as a male cub, using the diminutive form commonly employed to indicate small or young animals.

Line by Line Meaning

Un ourson en liberté c'est mignon
A bear cub in the wild is cute and lovable.

un ourson dans la forêt c'est trognon dans les champs dans les vallons sortant du creux des buissons respirant à pleins poumons l'air de la terr' qui sent bon c'est mignon
The bear cub is adorable when roaming free in various places such as the forest, fields and valleys. Taking deep breaths of the fresh air, it feels good and refreshing.

Mais quand il est enfermé même un papillon léger qui lui vole sous le nez est plus heureux que l'ourson prisonnier prisonnier
However, when it is locked up and confined, even a small butterfly that flutters near it seems happier than the bear cub in captivity.

Un ourson au bout du pré c'est trognon finissant de grignoter les noix qu'il vient de casser ou le museau barbouillé de fraises des bois écrasées c'est mignon
A bear cub grazing peacefully at the end of a meadow, munching on nuts or with a nose smeared with crushed wild strawberries is still adorable.

Mais quand il est enfermé une petite souris pressée qui lui court entre les pieds est plus heureuse que l'ourson prisonnier prisonnier
However, in captivity, a quick running mouse that scurries underneath makes it happy even more than the bear cub itself.

La la la...

un papillon tout léger une petite souris pressée peuv'nt traverser le fossé oui mais pas le pauvre ourson prisonnier prisonnier
A light and delicate butterfly or a small and speedy mouse can cross the ditch that divides, while the poor bear cub can't escape from being imprisoned.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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