Jacques Brel
Jojo lyrics with English translation
- Language
- French
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1977
- Genre
- Ballad, French Pop
- Length
- 3:16
Jojo
Voici donc quelques rires, quelques vins quelques blondes
So here are a few laughs, a few wines, a few blondes
J'ai plaisir à te dire que la nuit sera longue à devenir demain
I'm glad to tell you that the night will take a while to become tomorrow
Jojo
Moi je t'entends rugir quelques chansons marines
I hear you roar a few sea songs
Où des Bretons devinent que Saint-Cast doit dormir
Where Bretons guess that Saint-Cast must be asleep
Tout au fond du brouillard
Deep in the fog
Six pieds sous terre, Jojo, tu chantes encore
Six feet underground, Jojo, you still sing
Six pieds sous terre tu n'es pas mort
Six feet underground, you're not dead
Jojo
Ce soir comme chaque soir nous refaisons nos guerres
Tonight, like every night, we relive our wars
Tu reprends Saint-Nazaire, je refais l'Olympia
You take back Saint-Nazaire, I recreate the Olympia
Au fond du cimetière
At the bottom of the cemetery
Jojo
Nous parlons en silence d'une jeunesse vieille
We speak in silence of an old youth
Nous savons tous les deux que le monde sommeille
We both know that the world is dormant
Par manque d'imprudence
From a lack of recklessness
Six pieds sous terre, Jojo, tu espères encore
Six feet under, Jojo, you still hope
Six pieds sous terre tu n'es pas mort
Six feet under, you're not dead
Jojo
Tu me donnes en riant des nouvelles d'en bas
You laugh and tell me news from below
Je te dis "mort aux cons", bien plus cons que toi
I say 'death to fools', much bigger fools than you
Mais qui sont mieux portants
But who are better off
Jojo
Tu sais le nom des fleurs
You know the names of flowers
Tu vois que mes mains tremblent
You see my hands tremble
Et je te sais qui pleure pour noyer de pudeur
And I know you're crying to drown your shyness
Mes pauvres lieux communs
My poor clichés
Six pieds sous terre, Jojo, tu frères encore
Six feet under, Jojo, you're still a brother
Six pieds sous terre tu n'es pas mort
Six feet under, you're not dead
Jojo
Je te quitte au matin pour de vagues besognes
I leave you in the morning for vague tasks
Parmi quelques ivrognes, des amputés du cœur
Among a few drunks, heart amputees
Qui ont trop ouvert les mains
Who have opened their hands too wide
Jojo
Je ne rentre plus nulle part
I no longer come home anywhere
Je m'habille de nos rêves
I dress myself in our dreams
Orphelin jusqu'aux lèvres mais heureux de savoir
Orphaned to my very lips but happy to know
Que je te viens déjà
That I'm already coming to you
Six pieds sous terre, Jojo, tu n'es pas mort
Six feet underground, Jojo, you are not dead
Six pieds sous terre, Jojo, je t'aime encore
Six feet under, Jojo, I still love you
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- déjà
- alreadyA1
- fleurs
- flowersA1
- frères
- brothersA1
- heureux
- happyA1
- mains
- handsA1
- plus
- moreA1
- quelques
- someA1
- reprends
- resumeA1
- rires
- laughterA1
- savoir
- knowA1
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About this song
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer, songwriter, and actor associated with lyric-driven French-language chanson. He was known for theatrical vocal delivery and character-driven songs, and his work influenced artists such as David Bowie, Scott Walker, and Marc Almond.