Lyrics to Le Deserteur
Tim.Shirley
Hi,
I've been searching for years for the full lyrics to the song "Le
Deserteur" which Peter Yarrow sang on the LP Peter Paul and Mary in
Concert. Although I saw one concert on all the PP&M Australian tours, I
don't remember him ever performing the song live in Australia.
The usual lyric sources on the net give the first verses (which Peter
translates in detail on the record but not the rest. Even the PP&M web
page only gives these verses.
I remember many years ago seeing a large PP&M songbook which had the
complete music to this and many other songs. I wish I had bought it at
the time!
Thanks in anticipation
Tim
James Prescott
> I've been searching for years for the full lyrics to the song "Le
> Deserteur" which Peter Yarrow sang on the LP Peter Paul and Mary in
> Concert. Although I saw one concert on all the PP&M Australian tours, I
> don't remember him ever performing the song live in Australia.
Following are lyrics I picked up in France in 1983 (folk process),
along with a poetical translation into English done by myself.
The French has no accents, since this was first typed in on a
computer that didn't do accents, and I haven't got around to
adding them yet. Apologies.
I'm not really sure of the authorship attributions, since I've
seen contradictory claims (my source in France said that it was
written before WWII, which doesn't match what others have said).
I understand that the French words differ in places from those
sung by PPM.
Le Deserteur
Boris Vian & ?? Harold Berg ??
English words: copyright James Prescott 1983
Your Majesty the King, I'm writing you a letter,
Though you might hear me better, if you could hear me sing.
There just came through my door, my army papers warning,
We leave on Monday morning, we march away to war.
Well, I don't fit your plan, I must refuse the shilling,
For I'm no longer willing, to kill my fellow man.
Your Majesty, I say, with due consideration,
It's my determination, I will desert today.
Monsieur le President, je vous fais une lettre,
Que vous lirez, peut-etre, si vous avez le temps.
Je viens de recevoir, mes papiers militaires,
Pour partir a la guerre, avant Mercredi soir.
Monsieur le President, je ne veux pas la faire,
Je ne suis pas sur terre, pour tuer les pauvres gens.
C'est pas pour vous facher, mais il faut que je vous dise,
Ma decision est prise, je m'en vais deserter.
I've seen my father die, I've seen my sisters grieving,
My older brothers leaving, my younger brothers cry.
My mother knew such wrongs, she lies beneath her tombstone,
She cares no more for tombstones, she cares no more for songs.
While I was in the hole, they stole away my good wife,
They stole away my good life, they stole away my soul.
So now I'll slam my door, on all those years of sorrow,
And starting from tomorrow, I'll sleep at home no more.
Depuis que je suis ne, j'ai vu mourir mon pere,
J'ai vu partir mes freres, et des enfants pleurer.
Ma mere a tant souffert, qu'elle est dedans sa tombe,
Elle se moque des tombes, et se moque des vers.
Quand j'etais prisonnier, on m'a vole ma femme,
On m'a vole mon ame, et tout mon cher passe.
Demain de bon matin, je fermerai ma porte,
Au nez des annees mortes, j'irai sur les chemins.
I'm off to beg my way, to tramp the roads and islands,
From Cornwall to the Highlands, and this is what I'll say:
Refuse to go to war, refuse to cross the borders,
Refuse to obey orders, desert and fight no more.
If blood must flow this spring, why don't you give a sample?
You'd be a fine example, Your Majesty the King.
If you would hunt me down, tell Tom and Dick and Harry,
No weapon will I carry, and they may gun me down.
Je mendirai ma vie, sur les routes de France,
De Bretagne en Provence, et je crierai aux gens:
Refusez d'obeir, refusez de la faire,
N'allez pas a la guerre, refusez de partir.
S'il faut donner son sang, allez donner le votre,
Vous etes bon apotre, Monsieur le President.
Si vous me poursuivez, prevenez vos gendarmes,
Que je n'aurai pas d'armes, et qu'ils pourront tirer,
Et qu'ils pourront tirer.
All my best,
James Prescott <ja...@nucleus.com> OR <pres...@acm.org> (PGP user)
Irwin Silber
The song, Le Deserteur, was published in Sing Out! (Vol. 13, No. 2)
April-May 1963. It includes words inm French, a English translation and
the melody with guitar chords. From the introduction: "This moving song
was composed at the height of the long war between France and the
Algerian nationalist freedom fighters. It was recorded by one of
France's most popular singers, Mouloudji, who, by a not so strange
coincid3nce, is himself Algerian. The government promptly banned the
song and cnfiscated all recordings."
Irwin Silber