Chante une femme

Annotation

Chanson artists, born 25 February 1932 in Paris, France, and died on 4 June 2018, Semur-en-Auxois, France. This album contained the track "Chante une femme" (Disques Vogue # LDM 30215) - a cover of the Jean Arnulf song, released on the 1968 album "Déjà l'automne". James Ollivier also covered the song on the album Récital public (1973), under the title "Vietnam". As mentioned above, it looks at the negative impact of the war from different perspectives, such as an America family, "my only son, sings a woman in America... boy's death in Vietnam", and then onto the Vietnamese, "awakens the Vietnamese child... I hear planes, we must take our luggage". The song also criticised politicians for playing war games, "Mr. President... and the Vietnam map, as a man who is playing checkers".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — European Songs

Chanson artists, born 25 February 1932 in Paris, France, and died on 4 June 2018, Semur-en-Auxois, France. This album contained the track "Chante une femme" (Disques Vogue # LDM 30215) - a cover of the Jean Arnulf song discussed above, released on the 1968 album "Déjà l'automne". James Ollivier also covered the song on the album Récital public (1973), under the title "Vietnam", discussed below.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Sleep my love, my only son" / Sings a woman in America / Sings in America a woman / To her boy who died in Vietnam / A woman sings to her little one: / "Sleep my love, sleep my darling / I will go to the place where you sleep / And rock you there until I die / I'll bring you presents / Your old train and your Meccano set / And the silver-paper star / Sleep my love, sleep my child" / Sings a woman in America / On the other side of the / Pacific / A mother in the early morning / Wakes the Vietnamese child: / "Get up, my son, get up, boy / I hear the planes coming back / We must pick up our bags again / We're going on a little trip / Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand / We're going to run far, far away / You, you carry your grey bird / Me, the blankets and the rice" / In his diplomatic armchair / In Washington, in America / "I have to get my money back" / Declares Mister President / And on the map of Vietnam / Like a man playing draughts / He plans the bombing raids / And the march of the regiments / He puts his finger on a spot / "Run! Don't let go of my hand!" / He has put his finger here / "Sleep, my boy, sleep, my little one" / "Sleep my love, my only son" / Sings a woman in America / Sings in America a woman / To her boy who died in Vietnam __________ French: Dors mon amour, mon fils unique" / Chante une femme en Amérique / Chante en Amérique une femme / À son garçon mort au Vietnam / Chante une femme à son petit: / "Dors mon amour, dors mon chéri / J'irai à…

About the artist

French singer, born 25 February 1932 in Paris; died 4 June 2018. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Anti-War

In collections

European Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]