Posted under Music
Mes Aïeux (French for “My Ancestors”) is the Québécois group famous for its double platinum album En Famille with the hit song “Dégénération” (English subtitles). Though I can’t understand a word, “Toune En On” has a great sound – another French treasure largely unknown by the English-speaking world.
The music video appears critical of television viewing and perhaps mass society in general. I’m dying to see an English translation.
Vaguely related to this, according to Jean Raspail:
Ronald Reagan and Samuel Huntington have read [Camp of the Saints] (he was part of the imaginary Clash of Civilizations), and especially how famous people in France, left as right, were able to openly criticize, but also, in the secrecy of private correspondence to me expressing their interest. I am forbidden to reveal the contents, except to occur if there is any procedure, but only for the edification of confidential court.
…
We have lived too long in a world where all these people involved in government or in shaping opinion practicing double standards: one public and proclaimed, other staff and concealed, as if they had a double consciousness…
Tom on 01 Jul 2011 at 9:55 pm #
A quick and dirty translation:
results from the last elections
recycled ideas, opinion polls
famous/celebrity/star candidate, set in the pluperfect/past perfect grip by a bogus/phony hand
The waltz of the votes for a yes, for a no
the fear is an illusion and we take the bait
You are able to do nothing about it, injustice proliferates and hope/wishes/aspirations stand around waiting dejectedly
It’s a popular waltz, one goes forward, the other passes behind
dance with me, pretty shepherdess
ask me no questions
forget a little bit about your sheep
let’s do as they do, like the world
Glitter to capture the attention
of the fat cable TV subscribers
a dollar for each call in order to save the pretty Annabelle (probably refers to a reality show-translator.) n fake formation
clones becoming like the diva Dion (Celine Dion?)
Very bad news for the singing kids
It’s taking over everywhere, mass culture force feeds us candy
It’s a bittersweet waltz
A waltz who throws around/shuffles great affairs
Dance with me pretty shepherdess
Don’t ask my name
Leave the sheep behind
Let’s do as they, like the world
Let’s turn around, let’s turn
Big business, expansions and mergers
another annual record, 100 million in profits
New strategy, beautiful philosophy of commerce and “urban development”
Beside giant feet, cuts and reductions
Resources drain drain like the juice of a lemon
We walk upon the hot coals, in a blazing chamber, we “add fuel to the fire”
It’s a burning waltz
You’re a prisoner to this waltz
dance with me, pretty shepherdess
Little by little, you figure out my name
You want to return to your sheep
But you’re like the world
Caught in the whirlwind
The empire invades even as far as your living room
alert the terrorists, new inquisition
birds of iron, military crusades, hellfire in the name of God money
State police to calm tension
If you open your mouth, you’ll be clubbed
All things considered, the freedom to hate is what we do in his name
It’s a deadly waltz
A waltz as old as the Earth
Dance with me pretty shepherdess
after you dance in the arms of the devil
Your sheep save themselves
They, like the world
Shriek because of the sad conclusion
They throw themselves off of the low bridge.
Weaver on 04 Jul 2011 at 9:57 am #
Tom,
thank you!
I hadn’t expected a pop song to be so deep. This is really good.
Thomas Fleming on 07 Jul 2011 at 9:24 pm #
Here is a link to the French lyrics. Thanks a lot for drawing my attention to this song. As a fan of Mes Aieux, I quoted Dégeneration in a speech in Quebec a year and a half ago and a very fine conservative (Luc Gagnon) told me I had not overestimated the group’s impact. I don’t know if you have seen the video of their live performance at a festival, but the spectacle of so many young kids going wild when they condemned abortion was truly inspiring.
http://www.mp3lyrics.org/m/mes-aieux/toune-en-on/
Thomas Fleming on 07 Jul 2011 at 9:52 pm #
PS A few tentative suggestions on the very helpful translation
Fear is an illusion, yes, but more a deception or a decoy
“Alerte aux terroristes” terrorist alert.
Au bout du compte etc. “The bottom line: Liberty is ashamed of what is done in its name.
Perhaps “they threw themselves under the bridge”
Bede on 08 Jul 2011 at 1:13 am #
After listening to this video and others, I ordered the CD.
Tom on 08 Jul 2011 at 6:15 pm #
Can this be Thomas Fleming of Chronicles?
Thank you kindly for the suggested revisions. The Quebec accent and idioms made this a slightly tricky task.
Another point about which I’m unsure is the line “Une valse qui brasse des grosses affaires”. “Affaires” can mean affairs in the general sense as in English, but often refers specifically to commercial business in French. I suspect that it’s a pun which means both in this case, but I’m not sure. Perhaps “big deals” could capture something the essence with a double meaning of something of major importance and hints of monetary transactions.
Thomas Fleming on 11 Jul 2011 at 3:56 pm #
Yes, I fear it is I. I came across this site through a series of accidents and was happy to find this link and your good effort at translation, which greatly speeded up my own. I found, for example, an amusing video of kids jumping off the Gaspe bridge, labelled “Saut en bas du Pont..” Normally en bas de means at the bottom of,for example, a page.
Brasser means, as I recall, to brew, hence a Brasserie is a Brewery or Brew-Pub, but metaphorically it means something like “cook up” or put together as in a deal. I noticed this the other day as I was reading Simenon’s first Maigret novel in order to practice my French in anticipation of our Summer School at which Claude Polin is lecturing. His English is so nearly perfect that I rarely have the nerve to try out my spotty French. We’re going almost immediately afterward up to Quebec City to celebrate our 40th anniversary.
Weaver on 12 Jul 2011 at 5:47 pm #
Dr. Fleming,
I’m honoured you found the video useful.
I want to attempt posting this song in video with English subtitles on YouTube.
Tom on 12 Jul 2011 at 6:45 pm #
I, too, am flattered that Dr. Fleming would compliment my efforts here.
Weaver, if you wouldn’t mind waiting a few days to a week, I can clean up the English version a bit. Some revisions are in order, and perhaps it could be put in a more song-like form.
There are, unfortunately, some subtleties lost in even very good translations. Traduttori, traditori, the expression goes.
Weaver on 13 Jul 2011 at 8:17 am #
I’m in no rush. I joked earlier that such a video might receive more views were I to match the wrong lines, hopefully spurring on another to do the job properly.
I’ve been meaning to get more active on the Internet – a great deal more could be done.