Le Pigalle Club, Piccadilly
On Friday I had no idea that Ben L’Oncle Soul was due to appear alongside Puggy in London last night. I only found out thanks to a competition on French Radio London.
I was beyond excited to be going to see this guy live.
I’ve been a huge fan since seeing him back in May, on TV5 Monde when I was massively impressed by his style, music and performance.
Not only was he every bit as good as I thought he would be, putting on a superb show with his band and his support vocalists/dancers, The Soul Wash Boys, I also discovered a truly great band in Puggy and a fantastic music venue, Le Pigalle Club, in the heart of Piccadilly.
We were treated to English versions of many of the French tracks from his self-titled first album released earlier this year, including this one, Petite Soeur, although I should mention that this is not the version sung last night – as mentioned many times before, the translations here are not designed to be sung, they’re there to help understand the original.
| Gêner | To disturb, to bother |
J'ai pas le souvenir, de t'avoir vu zen, non, tu les fait s'enfuir sans deviner ce qui les gênent | |
I have no recollection of seeing you chilled, no! You make them run away without ever guessing what's bothering them | |
| Un cauchemar | Nightmare |
| Des connards | Assholes, Bastards |
Ça reste entre nous, vivre avec toi est un cauchemar, ils t'ont laissée, ouais c'est tous des connards, ouais | |
This stays between us, living with you is a nightmare, they left you, yeah, they're all assholes, yeah | |
| Cupidon | Cupid |
Même Cupidon a lâché l'affaire, tu as comme un don pour les pousser à l'adultère | |
Even Cupid has dropped the case, you have a gift for driving them to adultery, yeah | |
| Un mouchoir | Handkerchief |
Ça reste entre nous, te supporter est une victoire, ils t'ont laissée, tiens prends donc un mouchoir | |
This stays between us, putting up with you is an achievement, they left you, so, go on, take a handkerchief | |
| Faire de la peine (à quelq'un) | To hurt (somebody) |
Comment te le dire, ça me fait d'la peine, je vais pas te mentir, malgré l'ampleur du phénomène | |
How to tell you, it hurts me, I will not lie to you, despite the magnitude of the phenomenon | |
| S'y mettre | Knuckle down, try hard |
| Ne pas tourner rond | To seem fishy/not quite right |
Non non ça n'tourne pas rond, tes amours ont un air, d'incarcération, quand tu t'y mets pour être clair | |
No, no, something's not right, your love has an air of incarceration, when you get right down to it | |
Petite Soeur - Ben L'oncle Soul | Little Sister (translation of Petite Soeur by Ben L'oncle Soul) |
| Comment te le dire, ça me fait d'la peine | How to tell you, it hurts me | |
| Je vais pas te mentir, malgré l'ampleur du phénomène | I will not lie to you, despite the magnitude of the phenomenon | |
| J'ai pas le souvenir, de t'avoir vu zen, non | I don't recall ever seeing you chilled, no! | |
| Tu les fait s'enfuir sans deviner ce qui les gênent | You scare them off without figuring out what's bothering them | |
| This stays between us, vivre avec toi est un cauchemar | This stays between us, living with you is a nightmare | |
| Ils t'ont laissée, ouais c'est tous des connards, ouais | They left you, yeah, they're all assholes, yeah | |
| J'aimerais t'aider, j'aimerais te croire | I'd like to help you, I'd like to believe you | |
| J'te connais par coeur, en long, en large, en travers, petite soeur | I know you by heart, lengthwise, width-wise, backwards, little sister | |
| J'te connais par coeur, j'te connais par coeur, | I know you by heart, I know you by heart | |
| Petite soeur | Little sister ... | |
| Même Cupidon a lâché l'affaire | Even Cupid has dropped the case | |
| Tu as comme un don pour les pousser à l'adultère | You have a gift for driving them to adultery, yeah | |
| Non non ça n'tourne pas rond, tes amours ont un air | No, no, something's not right, your love has an air | |
| D'incarcération, quand tu t'y mets pour être clair | Of incarceration, when you get right down to it | |
| Ça reste entre nous, te supporter est une victoire | This stays between us, putting up with you is an achievement | |
| Ils t'ont laissée, tiens prends donc un mouchoir | They left you, so, go on, take a handkerchief | |
| J'aimerais t'aider, j'aimerais te croire | I'd like to help you, I'd like to believe you |
