Sung by Juliette Greco
Dieu que la vie est cruelle
God life is cruel
Au musicien des ruelles
As a street musician
Son copain son compagnon*
His friend, his companion
C'est l'accordéon
Is an accordion
Qui c'est-y qui l'aide à vivre
Who is there that helps to live
A s'asseoir quand il s'enivre
Sit down while he gets drunk
C'est-y vous, c'est moi, mais non
Is it you and me, No
C'est l'accordéon
It's the accordion
Accordez accordez accordez donc
Give, Give, Give therefore
L'aumône à l'accordé l'accordéon
Alms given to the accordion
Ils sont comm'cul et chemise
They are thick as thieves
Et quand on les verbalise*
And when they are cited
Il accompagne au violon*
He goes to the slammer with
Son accordéon
His accordion
Il passe une nuit tranquile
He spent a quiet night
Puis au matin il refile
Then in the morning he escapes again (Thanks Ben and Christophe)
Un peu d'air dans les poumons
A little air in the lungs
De l'accordéon
Of the accordion
Accordez accordez accordez donc
Give, Give, Give therefore
L'aumône à l'accordé l'accordéon
Alms given to the accordion
Quand parfois il lui massacre
Sometimes when he's killing
Ses petits boutons de nacre
The small pearl buttons
Il en fauche à son veston
He cuts his jacket
Pour l'accordéon
For the accordion
Lui, emprunte ses bretelles
He borrows his suspenders
Pour secourir la ficelle
To rescue the straps
Qui retient ses pantalons
That retain his pants
En accordéon*
with a concertina pleat
Accordez accordez accordez donc
Give, Give, Give therefore
L'aumône à l'accordé l'accordéon
Alms given to the accordion
Mais un jour par lassitude
But one day a laziness
Il laiss'ra la solitude
He will leave the lonely
Se pointer à l'horizon
Spot on the horizon
De Accordéon
Of the accordion
Il en tirera cinquante
He'll get fifty
Centimes à la brocante
cents at the flea market
Et on f'ra plus attention
And we'll pay more attention
A l'accordéon
to the accordion
*Thanks to Débordante
"Son copain son compagnon" --> "his friend, his companion"
ReplyDelete"Et quand on les verbalise / Il accompagne au violon / Son accordéon" --> "When they get a fine / He goes to jail (scammer, can) with / His accordion"
Verbaliser = dresser un procès verbal (to give or to be given a fine)
Violon = in slang, prison
"Ses pantalons en accordéon" --> his pants that have a concertina fold ("plier quelque chose en accordéon" - here the word "plié" is eluded)
Beautiful song, very chanson. A classic!