Black Demin Trousers and Motorcycle Boots (l'Homme à la Moto)

[Jean Pierre]

a piece in collaboration with my friend Jean Paul,   50's fest submission
we have to file a little video next week

the first seconds with French accordion musette are a  to Edith Piaf's version


"Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Recorded by The Cheers, it went to # 6 on the Billboard Best singing chart in the fall of 1955, becoming Leiber and Stoller's first top ten pop hit. . In 1956, French singer Edith Piaf recorded a French translation of the song entitled "The Man on the Motorcycle," which became one of his biggest selling singles.
We can say that Edith Piaf was the first singer of RnR in France

The text, adapted in French by Jean Dréjac, consists of two verses and three refrains (with a variant for the last one). This is the story of a terrible biker who, after abandoning his girlfriend, finds death by striking a locomotive.

"It's the film L'Equipée sauvage with Brando that inspired me, as well as all those young people in leather jackets that appeared in the suburbs," confides Jean Dréjac in 1961. The original lyrics are almost the same as those in French:

He wore black denim trousers and motorcycle boots
And a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back
He had a hopped-up 'cicle that took off like a gun
That fool was the terror of Highway 101

Il portait des culottes des bottes de moto
Un blouson de cuir noir avec un aigle sur le dos
Sa moto qui partait comme un boulet de canon
Semait la terreur dans toute la région

[cuthbert]

I don't speak French, but I dig the rock and that motorcycle revving done on slide sounds terrific. Nice work, guys.

[Jean Pierre]

for Cuthbert and others guys  french and english lyrics very similar...

 

French lyrics
Il portait des culottes, des bottes de moto
Un blouson de cuir noir avec un aigle sur le dos
Sa moto qui partait comme un boulet de canon
Semait la terreur dans toute la région

Jamais il ne se coiffait, jamais il ne se lavait
Les ongles plein de cambouis mais sur le biceps il avait
Un tatouage avec un coeur bleu sur la peau blême
Et juste à l'intérieur, on lisait : Maman je t'aime

Il avait une petite amie du nom de Marie-Lou
On la prenait en pitié, une enfant de son âge
Car tout le monde savait bien qu'il aimait entre tout
Sa chienne de moto bien davantage

Il portait des culottes, des bottes de moto
Un blouson de cuir noir avec un aigle sur le dos
Sa moto qui partait comme un boulet de canon
Semait la terreur dans toute la région

Marie-Lou la pauvre fille l'implora, le supplia
Dit : " Ne pars pas ce soir, je vais pleurer si tu t'en vas ..."
Mais les mots furent perdus, ses larmes pareillement
Dans le bruit de la machine et du tuyau d'échappement

Il bondit comme un diable avec des flammes dans les yeux
Au passage à niveau, ce fut comme un éclair de feu
Contre une locomotive qui filait vers le midi
Et quand on débarrassa les débris

On trouva sa culotte, ses bottes de moto
Son blouson de cuir noir avec un aigle sur le dos
Mais plus rien de la moto et plus rien de ce démon
Qui semait la terreur dans toute la région ...


English lyrics

Vaughn Monroe – Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots Lyrics
He wore black denim trousers and motorcycle boots
And a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back
He had a hopped-up 'cicle that took off like a gun
That fool was the terror of Highway 101

Well, he never washed his face and he never combed his hair
He had axle grease imbedded underneath his fingernails
On the muscle of his arm was a red tattoo
A picture of a heart saying "Mother, I love you"

He had a pretty girlfriend by the name of Mary Lou
But he treated her just like he treated all the rest
And everybody pitied her and everybody knew
He loved that doggone motorcycle best

He wore black denim trousers and motorcycle boots
And a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back
He had a hopped-up 'cicle that took off like a gun
That fool was the terror of Highway 101

Mary Lou, poor girl, she pleaded and she begged him not to leave
She said "I've got a feeling if you ride tonight I'll grieve"
But her tears were she'd in vain and her every word was lost
In the rumble of an engine and the smoke from his exhaust

: Then he took off like the Devil and there was fire in his eyes! He
Said "I'll go a thousand miles before the sun can rise." But he hit a screamin' diesel
That was California-bound" And when they cleared the wreckage, all
They found

Was his black denim trousers and motorcycle boots
And a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back
But they couldn't find the 'cicle that took off like a gun
And they never found the terror of High way 1 oh 1

[Groundy]

Sadly I too don't speak French so thanks for the translation JP.
Great collab, well done to you both.


Alex.

[Mike_S]

This rocks! Well done guys... I love the intro and I also love the different guitar sounds, very nicely done (nice bits of lead guitar too!!)

Mike