Thirty one years on from the release of his first album, in 1975, Renaud released his fourteenth album Rouge Sang.
The classic style of half singing and half talking in French songs is something that has never tickled me, but Renaud produces albums that are consistently full of great tunes and interesting lyrics.
Arrêter la clope is sung from a smoker to his wife.
Above all, I don’t want to die
Especially not from something so damn stupid
To leave you alone and have you tell me
That after thirty years of profound mourning
You might look at another guy
“La clope” is the argot slang for fag so the song is about quitting smoking. I quit myself in Jan 2009 but fell off the wagon a few weeks ago when I found myself smoking cigars in front of the Swiss Alps.
If you fancy quitting yourself, you might find the lyrics are quite inspirational.
I love translating Renaud’s songs, (see here, here and here), as my knowledge of French slang gets a boost each time – if I had the time I’d sit down and translate every song he’s ever recorded for this very reason.
The Amazon widget lets you preview the studio version, while the iTunes button links to a live version.
Verbs
| Taxer | Borrow (familiar) |
This slang word for stealing has now become closer to "borrow". | |
Les douze fumeurs que je vais taxe m'offrent douze cibiches et même du feu | |
The twelve smokers I'm gonna pinch from offer me twelve ciggies and even a light | |
| Galérer | To sweat blood; to struggle hard |
Quand j'vois des mômes de 12-13 ans qui fument déjà comme des pompiers, j'les imagine dans 25 ans à galérer pour arrêter | |
When I see kids of 12-13 years who already smoke like firemen,
I imagine them in 25 years struggling hard to stop | |
| Remettre | To start again |
J'veux bien m'retrouver sur l'autre rive du moment que tu meurs avec moi, j'ai une idée pour que ça arrive, tu veux pas t'remettre au tabac ? | |
I want to find myself well on the other side from the moment you die with me, I have an idea to make that happen, don't you fancy taking up smoking again? | |
Vocabulary
| Une came | Drug (slang) |
C'est pas si fastoche d'arrêter cette putain de came en vente libre | |
It's not so easy to quit this f***ing over-the-counter drug | |
| Une cibiche | Ciggie, smoke (slang) |
Les douze fumeurs que je vais taxe m'offrent douze cibiches et même du feu | |
The twelve smokers I'm gonna pinch from offer me twelve ciggies and even a light | |
| La tronche | Head, face (slang) |
Soixante cigarettes dans la tronche chaque jour et ce depuis 40 ans | |
Sixty cigarettes in my gob each day and for 40 years | |
| Des mômes | Kids |
Quand j'vois des mômes de 12-13 ans qui fument déjà comme des pompiers, j'les imagine dans 25 ans à galérer pour arrêter | |
When I see kids of 12-13 years who already smoke like firemen,
I imagine them in 25 years struggling hard to stop | |
| Les bronches | The bronchial tubes |
A côté de la couleur d'mes bronches un bérêt basque paraîtrait blanc | |
Next to the color of my lungs a basque beret would look white | |
| Un pote | Mate / Buddy |
Arrêter la clope avant qu'elle n'arrête ma vie | |
Stop the fags before they stop my life | |
| Le diable | The devil |
J'trouve héroïque et admirable ceux qui ont jamais eu besoin d'cette merde, qui ont rejeté cette fumée du diable,
qui chlingue comme une vieille gerbe | |
I find it heroic and admirable those who have never needed this shit, who rejected this devil's smoke which stinks like an old boot | |
| Une rive | River bank |
J'veux bien m'retrouver sur l'autre rive du moment que tu meurs avec moi, j'ai une idée pour que ça arrive, tu veux pas t'remettre au tabac ? | |
I want to find myself well on the other side from the moment you die with me, I have an idea to make that happen, don't you fancy taking up smoking again? | |
| Deuil | Bereavement |
Not to leave you alone and tell me that after 30 years of profound mourning you could look at another guy | |
Pas t'laisser seule et puis me dire qu'après 30 ans d'un deuil profond | |
Not to leave you alone and tell me that after 30 years of profound mourning tu pourrais r'garder un autre mec | |
| La thune | Cash (slang) |
| Un enfoiré | Bastard / F***head |
Et j'vous dit pas la thune non plus qu'j'ai laissée à ces enfoirés, ces dealers au coin de la rue avec leurs carottes pour m'faire marcher | |
And I've not even mentioned the cash that I've given those bastards, those dealers on the corner with their carrots for me to follow | |
| Carottes | Carrot |
Thanks to Ludovic's comments for this additional clarification:
Due to laws on tobacco and taxes (in France, the State is the only legal purveyor of tobacco), cigarettes can only be sold at tobacco shops having that legal agreement. These tobacco stores display a longish conical red sign hung over their entrance. The sign looks more or less like a carrot. | |
Ces dealers au coin de la rue avec leurs carottes pour m'faire marcher | |
Those dealers on the corner with their carrots for me to follow | |
Phrases / Idioms
| En vente libre | Over-the-counter (non prescription) |
C'est pas si fastoche d'arrêter cette putain de came en vente libre | |
It's not so easy to quit this f***ing over-the-counter drug | |
| Filer une pièce | To hand over cash |
Thanks to Ludovic's comments for this clarification on the translation of this lyric...
1- Filer = Fleeing OR giving. Pièce= room OR coin! With “Filer une pièce”, he means handing small money over, in french slang. Schwartzenberg was once France surgeon general in 1988 and dismissed after 4 days. He was a highly skilled cancer specialist. Renaud means the Govt is asking people to give some money supporting Schwartzenberg’s foundation against cancer. | |
Etat criminel, trafiquant, qui s'enrichi sur mon cancer et qui me supplie dans le même temps de filer ma pièce à Schwartzenberg | |
Criminal state, drug trafficker, getting rich on my cancer and which begs me at the same time to give my two bob to Schwartzenberg | |
Arrêter La Clope ! - Renaud | Stop the fags! (translation of Arrêter La Clope ! by Renaud) |
| C'est pas si fastoche d'arrêter | It's not so easy to quit | |
| Cette putain de came en vente libre | This f***ing over-the-counter drug | |
| Y faut une sacrée volonté | You need the will of God | |
| Une détermination terrible | A fearsome determination | |
| Chaque fois qu'j'arrête, c'est pas sérieux | Each time I quit, it's not serious | |
| Les douze fumeurs que je vais taxer | The twelve smokers I'm gonna pinch from | |
| M'offrent douze cibiches et même du feu | Offer me twelve ciggies and even a light | |
| Ils ont vraiment aucune volonté | They've got no willpower at all | |
| Soixante cigarettes dans la tronche | Sixty cigarettes in my gob | |
| Chaque jour et ce depuis 40 ans | Each day and for 40 years | |
| A côté de la couleur d'mes bronches | Next to the color of my lungs | |
| Un bérêt basque paraîtrait blanc | A basque beret would look white | |
| Et j'vous dit pas la thune non plus | And I've not even mentioned the cash | |
| Qu'j'ai laissée à ces enfoirés | That I've given those bastards | |
| Ces dealers au coin de la rue | Those dealers on the corner | |
| Avec leurs carottes pour m'faire marcher | With their carrots for me to follow | |
| Arrêter la clope | Stop the fags | |
| Avant qu'elle n'arrête ma vie | Before they stop my life | |
| Trop belle avec toi et mes potes | Too beautiful with you and my mates | |
| Trop jolie | Too lovely | |
| Quand j'vois des mômes de 12-13 ans | When I see kids of 12-13 years | |
| Qui fument déjà comme des pompiers | Who already smoke like firemen | |
| J'les imagine dans 25 ans | I imagine them in 25 years | |
| A galérer pour arrêter | Struggling hard to stop | |
| J'trouve héroïque et admirable | I find it heroic and admirable | |
| Ceux qui ont jamais eu besoin d'cette merde | Those who have never needed this shit | |
| Qui ont rejeté cette fumée du diable | Who've rejected this devil's smoke | |
| Qui chlingue comme une vieille gerbe | Which stinks like an old boot | |
| Etat criminel, trafiquant | Criminal state, drug trafficker | |
| Qui s'enrichi sur mon cancer | Getting rich on my cancer | |
| Et qui me supplie dans le même temps | And which begs me at the same time | |
| D'filer ma pièce à Schwartzenberg | To give my two bob to Schwartzenberg | |
| Super-trusts Américains | American super-trusts | |
| Qui rendent la planète toxico | Which intoxicate the world | |
| Pis qui t'expliquent que c'est pas bien | Then explain that it's no good | |
| Qu'faut pas fumer dans les bistrots | That you mustn't smoke in pubs | |
| Refrain | Chorus | |
| Et pis, surtout, j'veux pas mourir | And worse, above all, I don't want to die | |
| Et surtout pas d'un truc si con | Especially not from something so damn stupid | |
| Pas t'laisser seule et puis me dire | To leave you alone and have you tell me | |
| Qu'après trente ans d'un deuil profond | That after thirty years of profound mourning | |
| Tu pourrais r'garder un autre mec | You could look at another guy | |
| P't'être même un fumeur de cigares | Maybe even a cigar smoker | |
| Et pourquoi pas t'maquer avec | And why not hook up with him | |
| L'éternité d'viendrait cauchemar | Eternity would become a nightmare | |
| A chacun sa motivation | Everyone has their motivation | |
| Moi c'est juste par jalousie | For me it's just jealousy | |
| Que j'veux me libérer d'ce poison | If I could just be free of this poison | |
| Qui est un putain de plaisir aussi | Which is also a f***ing pleasure | |
| J'veux bien m'retrouver sur l'autre rive | I really want to find myself on the other side | |
| Du moment que tu meurs avec moi | From the moment you die with me | |
| J'ai une idée pour que ça arrive | I have an idea to make that happen | |
| Tu veux pas t'remettre au tabac ? | Don't you fancy taking up smoking again? | |
| Arrêter la clope | Stop the fags | |
| Avant qu'elle me prive de toi | Before they deprive me of you | |
| J'pourrais presque me passer d'mes potes, mais pas de toi | I could almost do without my friends, but not without you | |
| J'pourrais presque me passer d'mes clopes, mais pas de toi | I could almost do without my fags, but not without you |
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks; great site.
there is some brilliant french music (rap, rock, chanson) that deserves to be heard more widely.
and translating lyrics is a fun way to supplement language learning with the added bonus that you get even more out of listening to the music
Hi,
Great blog, I stumbled on your translation while surfing purposelessly… I am french native language and quite fluent with english.
May I point out one mistake and something that IMO has to be explained beyond straightforward translation :
1- Filer : Numerous meanings for this verb. The one you selected isn’t correct with regards to Renaud’s song context. Filer = Fleeing OR giving. Pièce= room OR coin!
With “Filer une pièce”, he means handing small money over, in french slang. Is there any idiomatic that would be close to “handing a penny over” and would be faithful to the real meaning while slang enough?.
Schwartzenberg was once France surgeon general in 1988 and dismissed after 4 days (running record until now), he was always recognized as a highly skilled cancer specialist tho.
Now you see the puzzle makes sense : Renaud means the Govt is asking people to give some money supporting Schwartzenberg’s foundation against cancer.
2- “Carottes”. You have to live in France to understand this one. Due to laws on tobacco and taxes (in France, the State is the only legal purveyor of tobacco), cigarettes can only be sold at tobacco shops having that legal agreement. These tobacco stores display a longish conical red sign hung over their entrance. The sign looks more or less like a carrot, hence the “Carotte” in french : although the translation is correct it is hardly understandable for who isn’t familiar with french daily life. I hope it shed some additional light on.
Cheers
L.
Hi Ludovic,
Thank you very much for those clarifications. I did struggle with the line regarding Schwartzenberg and was unable to divine the true meaning, but now, as you say, the puzzle comes together!
-Chris
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