Those that know me know that I recently turned thirty. Those that know me slightly better know that I even more recently turned thirty-six.
Although I’m well aware that I am fighting a losing battle, I do spend a lot of time in the gym and the only reason I am able to do so is that I have great music to listen to while I am pounding away on the treadmill.
My French Gym playlist currently contains around thirty tracks. From this selection here are the top ten songs that are so good that they can often cause me to ramp up the speed on that evil rubber mat that moves under my feet.
I compiled the list before checking which ones would be available for an Amazon widget. Turns out they all were except Pensées malsaines which is fair enough – La Ruda already have a song in the top ten.
Eddie Voit Rouge by La Ruda
From the album Grand soir
La Ruda get two songs in the top ten for being my favourite French band. This song was previously translated here.
La vie n’est pas drôle si on ne supporte plus le rock’n'roll et qu’on vous chante le boogie woogie depuis les bancs de l’école
Life’s not funny if you can’t stand rock’n'roll and you’ve had people sing boogie woogie at you ever since you were at school
L’homme pressé by Noir Désir
From the album En route pour la joie
Not a huge fan of Noir Désir but this song is fantastic. Previously translated here.
Huit milliards potentiels de crétins asservis a part certains de mes amis
Eight billion potential enslaved cretins, apart from some of my friends
Jusqu’au bout by Frédéric Lerner
From the album Ça passe ou ça casse
A pop song but nonetheless very effective on the treadmill. Good old “I’m on a mission” lyrics as well for inspiration. Translated back in March 2009
Je me battrai jusqu’au bout, je ne lâcherai rien
I will fight to the end, I will never let go
Ça sent l’été by Mademoiselle K.
From the album Ça me vexe
A song for everyone trying to run off all the ice cream. Previously translated here.
Maintenant je rumine rumine tout ça, le ventre plein d’glaces et d’chocolats
Now I brood, brood over all that, a belly full of ice cream and chocolates
Ne pars pas sans nous by Immaculate Machine
From the album Les uns mais pas les autres
This just squeezed onto this top ten because I’m really enjoying this band at the moment. I’ve not yet translated this song on the site – the original version of the song, by the same band, was in English and is called Don’t Leave Without Us.
Ne nous jettes pas, ne me laisses pas par terre
Don’t sell us out, don’t leave me lying on the floor
Hawaïenne by Les Trois Accords
From Gros Mammouth Album
Very, very silly. Wonderful. I may translate this soon but not before I’ve translated Bing, Bing which begins “I smashed my car into a guard rail, I realise that’s a bit violent”.
J’aurais voulu que tu sois hawaïenne pour que tu grimpes en haut des cocotiers
I wanted you to be Hawaiian so you could climb coconut trees
La Rivière en Ava by Tal Descrèves
From the album Et Si Ce Jour…
A song from a pretty damn good album by La Femme Rock & Roll.
J’ai écrit toutes les histoires vu dans une boule de cristal
I wrote all the stories, looked into a crystal ball
Être un comme by Vulgaires Machins
From the album Compter les corps
A very recent addition to my iPod and there are plenty more gym-friendly songs on the album.
On dirait une parade de mode des milliers de moutons s’enlisent dans un code
Looks like a fashion show with thousands of sheep caught in the system
Sixty Eight by BB Brunes
From the album Blonde comme moi
Not normally my thing but BB Brunes make this style of music work for me.
C’est tellement mieux les yeux fermés, mais quand te mettras-tu à jouer ?
It’s so much better with closed eyes, but when are you going to play?
Pensées Malsaines by La Ruda
From the album 24 images/seconde
The longest serving member of my gym playlist. Translated back in June 2009.
Se développent en moi des idées illusoires qui matin se dérobent, sont floues dans ma raison
Illusory ideas grow inside me which slip away in the morning, blurred in my mind
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merci beaucoup
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