A 2013 gipsy-jazz song from the French group Trois Cafés Gourmand.
The group was formed in Corrèze, a Central-West department east of the Dordogne.
This is a tribute to the regional department of Corrèze. And more generally, an ode to the French countryside.
The song talks about deep attachment to their regional homelands with nostalgia of their childhood, in particular as they are uprooted to the larger cities. The group talks about the heritage they left for their children after they relocated. Whilst reminiscing about their own childhood and youth spent in the region, their late grandmothers and grandfathers.
Some of the lyrics are about bittersweet feelings about uprooting.
“Oublier ce matin (Forget this morning)
que tu es parisien (That you are a Parisian)
Que t’as de l’eau dans le vin (That you softened your stance)
Que tu es parti loin” (That you went far away)
Mettre de l’eau dans le vin (to put water in your wine) is a French idiom for softening one’s stance or lowering expectations.
“Ce n’était pas ma faute (It’s not my fault)
On joue des fausses notes (We play out of tune)
On se trompe de chemin (We take the wrong path)
Et on a du chagrin” (We feel the sorrow)
“On se joue tout un drame (We dramatise)
On a des vagues à l’âme (We are feeling blue)
Tu as du mal au cœur (You have a heartache)
Tu as peur du bonheur” (You are afraid of happiness)
Des vagues à l’âme translates literally to have waves in your soul. It is a French idiom for feeling blue
Some parts mention local traditions and culture:
“Acheter des tableaux (To buy paintings)
Et des vaches en photo” (and photographs of cows)
The region has a long tradition of raising cattle. The local cattle are believed to produce one of France’s finest veal meats.
“On veut du Clody Musette (We want some Clody Musette)
À en perdre la tête” (To lose our minds)
Clody Musette is a famous accordion player from the region
“Vue sur les Monédières” (view on the Monédières)
This is a small mountain range in the Massif Central.
“Faire un dernier chabròl” (To have a last chabrol)
A chabrol is a South Western French rustic tradition to “rinse the soup dish” with some red wine and to drink directly from the turrine.
The song was little know of the public outside this particular region until 2018.
Seen as a tribute to the countryside and a precursor of the Gilets Jaunes movement, the song became popular throughout the country.
Critics have noted the paradox of the song: between the joyful music, the lyrics can be tragic and represent a deep loss of hope.
Numerous alternative movements for social justice or regional independence have written parodies of the song for their own cause. This includes the Gilets Jaunes, as well as Breton and Corsican separatists.
Comment puis-je oublier
Ce coin de paradis?
Ce petit bout de terre
Où vit encore mon père
Comment pourrais-je faire
Pour me séparer d’elle?
Oublier qu’on est frères
Belle Corrèze charnelle
Oublier ce matin que tu es parisien
Que t’as de l’eau dans le vin
Que tu es parti loin
Ce n’était pas ma faute
On joue des fausses notes
On se trompe de chemin
Et on a du chagrin
On se joue tout un drame
On a des vagues à l’âme
Tu as du mal au cœur
Tu as peur du bonheur
Acheter des tableaux
Et des vaches en photo
C’est tout ce que t’as trouvé
Pour te la rappeler
Vous me trouvez un peu con
N’aimez pas ma chanson
Vous me croyez bizarre
Un peu patriotard
Le fruit de ma réflexion
Ne touchera personne
Si vos pas ne résonnent
Jamais dans ma région
C’est pire qu’une religion
Au-delà d’une confession
Je l’aime à en mourir
Pour le meilleur et pour le pire
Et si je monte au ciel
Il y aura peut-être Joël
Guillaume et Jeremy
Et mon cousin Piedri
Yoan sera en voyage
Dans un autre pays
Allez fais tes bagages
Viens rejoindre tes amis
On veut du Clody Musette
À en perdre la tête
On veut un dernier Chabrol
Un petit coup de gnôle
Les yeux de nos grands-mères
La voix de nos grands-pères
L’odeur de cette terre
Vue sur les Monédières
C’est pire qu’un testament
Au-delà d’une confidence
On est des petits enfants
De ce joli coin de France
Enterrez-nous vivants
Bâillonnés s’il le faut
Mais prenez soin avant
De remplir notre jabot
La relève est pour toi
Notre petit Lucas
On te laisse en héritage la piste
Nous, on dégage
Le temps nous a gâtés
On en a bien profité
On a des souvenirs en tête
Ce soir, faisons la fête
Acceptez ma rengaine
Elle veut juste dire “je t’aime”
Soyez sûr, j’en suis fier
J’ai la Corrèze dans le cathéter
D’être avec vous ce soir
J’ai le cœur qui pétille
Mimi, sers-nous à boire
On a les yeux qui brillent
Trois, deux, un
Papayapapa, papayapapa, (Repeat)
Acceptez ma rengaine
Elle veut juste dire “on vous aime”
Soyez sûr, j’en suis fier
J’ai la Corrèze dans le cathéter
D’être avec vous ce soir
On a le cœur qui pétille
Mimi, sers-nous à boire
On a les yeux qui brillent
On va se quitter comme ça
Lançons une dernière fois ensemble, on veut faire la fête
Pour faire la fête, on va tous se mettre à croupir, s’il vous plaît
Tout le monde, tout le monde
Tout le monde, tout le monde
Tout le monde, tout le monde
Tout le monde, tout le monde, tout le monde
(Ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais, ouais)
Trois, deux, un
Papayapapa, papayapapa, papayapapa
Paya, papayapapa
Papayapapa, papayapapa, papayapapa
Paya, papayapapa
Papayapapa, papayapapa, papayapapa
Paya, papayapapa
Papayapapa, papayapapa, papayapapa
Paya, papayapapa
Acceptez ma rengaine
(Elle veut juste dire “je t’aime”
Soyez sûr, j’en suis fier
J’ai la Corrèze dans le cathéter
D’être avec vous ce soir
J’ai le cœur qui pétille
Mimi, sers-nous à boire
On a les yeux qui brillent)
Du fond du cœur, merci
Merci beaucoup
How can I forget
this corner of paradise,
this little piece of the earth
where my father still live?
How could I
Cut ties from here?
forget that we are brothers
Beautiful and sensual Corrèze
to forget this morning that you are Parisian
that you softened your stance
That you have moved far away.
It wasn’t my fault.
We play out of tune,
We have taken the wrong path
And we have sorrows.
We play a whole scene.
We are feeling blue
You have a heartache
You fear happiness.
Buy paintings
and pictures of cows
That’s the best you have found
to remind yourself of it.
You think I’m an arse
You don’t like my song
You think I’m weird.
A bit chauvinistic.
What I’ve realised after thinking it all through
won’t move a soul
if you never set foot
in my region.
It’s worse than a religion
beyond a confession.
I love it to death
for the best and for the worst.
And if I go to heaven,
There may be Joel,
Guillaume and Jérémie
and my cousin Piedri.
Johan will be on a trip
in another country.
Come on, pack up,
Come and join your friends.
We want Clody Musettes
until our heads spin
We want one last Chabrol,
a shot of moonshine
The eyes of our grandmothers,
the voice of our grandfathers,
the smell of this earth
View on the Monédières
It’s worse than a legacy.
beyond the secrets
We have left for the children
of this beautiful part of France.
Bury us alive,
Silenced if we must
But make sure
that we stuff our faces
The next one is for you
Our little Lucas.
We leave you a legacy
the scene as we clear off
The weather has spoiled us,
We made the most of it
We have memories in our heads
Tonight, let’s make peace.
Take my old song.
She simply means I love you.
Be sure I am proud of it.
I have the Corrèze in a catheter
To be with you tonight.
My heart is sparkling.
Mimi, give us a drink.
Our eyes are sparkling.
3 2 1
Papayapapa, papayapapa, (repeat)
take my old song,
She simply means “we love you”
Be sure of that, I am proud of it
Corrèze in the veins
To be with you tonight.
My heart is sparkling
Mimi give us a drink
Our eyes are sparkling.
we are not going to leave it at this
I’d like you to make more noise
tonight, we want to party
To party, we we all crouch down, please
Everybody (repeat)
Between the French lyrics 
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