Marinette (J'avais l'air d'un c..) by Georges Brassens

This is a light-hearted comic song that people find fun to sing. It is the tale of a hapless youth in love with a beautiful girl, who is out of his class in every way. In comic succession, each approach he uses to win her proves a disaster. The song went into the pop charts in 1975, when Denis Pépin, a pop star of the time, recorded it. His video is at the end of this post.

Georges Brassens - Marinette (
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Marinette

Quand j'ai couru chanter ma p'tite chanson pour Marinette La belle, la traîtresse était allée à l'Opéra... Avec ma p'tit' chanson, j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec ma p'tit' chanson, j'avais l'air d'un con. Quand j'ai couru porter mon pot d' moutarde à Marinette La belle, la traîtresse avait déjà fini d' dîner... Avec mon petit pot, j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec mon petit pot, j'avais l'air d'un con. Quand j'offris pour étrennes un' bicyclette à Marinette La belle, la traîtresse avait acheté une auto... Avec mon p'tit vélo, j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec mon p'tit vélo, j'avais l'air d'un con. Quand j'ai couru tout chose(2) au rendez-vous de Marinette La bell' disait : "J' t'adore" à un sal' typ' qui l'embrassait... Avec mon bouquet d' fleurs, j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec mon bouquet d' fleurs, j'avais l'air d'un con. Quand j'ai couru brûler la p'tit' cervelle à Marinette La belle était déjà morte d'un rhume mal placé... Avec mon revolver, j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec mon revolver, j'avais l'air d'un con. Quand j'ai couru, lugubre, à l'enterr'ment de Marinette La belle, la traîtresse était déjà ressuscitée...(3) Avec ma p'tit couronn', j'avais l'air d'un con ma mère, Avec ma p'tit couronn', j'avais l'air d'un con. Georges Brassens 1955 - Chanson pour l'Auvergnat

When I ran round to sing my little song to Marinetta My love, the traitress had gone to the Opera With just my little song, I looked a right fool,(1) dear mother With just my little song, I looked a right fool. When I ran round with my pot of mustard for Marinetta My love, the traitress had already had her meal. With just my little pot, I looked a right fool, dear mother With just my little pot, I looked a right fool. When I chose a bicy’cle as my gift to Marinetta My love, the traitress had bought herself a car With just my little bike, I looked a right fool, dear mother With just my little bike, I looked a right fool. When I ran much bothered for a date with Marinetta She was say’ng: “I love you” to a vile bloke who held her tight. With my bouquet of flow’rs, I looked a right fool, dear mother With my bouquet of flow’rs, I looked a right fool. When I ran to blast out the tiny brain of Marinetta She was already dead from a cold badly placed... With my drawn revolver, I looked a right fool, dear mother With my drawn revolver, I looked a right fool. When I rushed, filled with gloom, to the funeral of Marinetta My love, the traitress was already come back to life With my little wreath clasped, I looked a right fool, dear mother With my little wreath clasped, I looked a right fool.

TRANSLATION NOTES

1) Looked like a fool – Brassens uses the word for the female genitalia, which is commonly used in French for “idiot” - even by respectable people at times. The direct English equivalent has the same meaning, but to me it is more offensive. I had previously chosen the word “twat” in English, having the same meaning, but perhaps less offensive. Uncomfortable with this word in what I see as a family song, I have now made this change.

2) Tout chose – “Être tout chose” is a colloquial expression for to be ill at ease

3) Déjà ressuscitée... In a number of other poems, Brassens talks of the idea of a person living on after death e.g. Trompe-la-Mort – Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète etc.
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The following is the recording of the song made in 1975 by Denis Pépin. He was a successful pop star at the end of the 1970s but had a short career. He died in January 2010 aged 61.



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