Belle je m'en vais en Allemagne , a traditionnal song year 1870

[Jean Pierre]

Uncle JP's musical-historical minute

Here is a song that will undoubtedly surprise you "Belle je m'en vais en Allemagne" (Belle, I'm going to Germany)
I knew this song in the 75's, when Pierre Bensusant singer, French guitarist, folk at the origin.
...on his second LP with only mention traditional song
I finally found the origin of this song thanks to the internet.
It is a song of the Burgundian folklore which was collected and arranged by an extraordinary, composer, musician, musicologist, French historian Emmanuel Maurice (1862-1938), a character too unknown (see his biography https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/e/emmanuel_maurice.html  ).

In this song it is about a conscript who goes to war in Germany for 7 years, we can think that it is about the Franco-German war of 1870, because in that time the conscription was ... of 7 years!

In my revival and in homage to Emmanuel Maurice, I put in introduction and in final the Bumblebee of Notre Dame de Paris which was baptized and called "Emmanuel" by Louis XIV.
Fortunately, this 14-ton bell was not destroyed by the recent fire at Notre Dame.
The bumblebee is a bell that is only rung in exceptional civil or religious circumstances (religious celebrations, mobilization ...).
Perhaps our conscript heard it on the square in front of Notre Dame when he joined his conscription...
For the rest the instruments used are guitar (tuned in DADGAD, Dulcimer, Low wistle in D, soundfont of Bagpipe )

here is the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul5KcObWm3E

lyrics and translation
Belle je m'en vais en Allemagne,
Oh ma mignonne y venez-vous?
- Oh que nenni, je n'y vais pas;
Car tout garçon qui part pour la guerre
N'en revient pas.
Quand vous serez sur ces montagnes
Vous n'y penserez plus à moi:
Vous verrez l'un', puis vous verrez l'autre,
Et vous perdrez la souvenancev Du temps passé.
- Bell' je ferai faire une image
A la ressemblance de vous
J' la bais'rai tant, puis l'embrass'rai tant
Pour conserver la souvenance
De notre temps.
- Mais que diront tes camarades
Te voyant baiser du papier?
- Je leur dirai: c'est le portrait,
C'est le portrait de ma mignonne
Du temps passé.
- Tu ne baiseras pas mon image
En Allemagne pendant sept ans.
Auprès de moi, tu resteras;
Car tout garçon qui part pour la guerre
N'en revient pas.
tranlation
baby, I'm going to Germany,
Oh my cutie, are you coming?
- Oh nay, I'm not going;
For any boy who goes to war
Can't believe it.
When you're on those mountains
You won't think about me anymore:
You'll see one', then you'll see the other,
And you will lose the memoryv Of the time past.
- Bell' I will make a picture
In the likeness of you
I kissed her so much, then kissed her so much
To keep remembrance
Of our time.
- But what will your comrades say
Seeing you fucking paper?
- I'll tell them: it's the portrait,
It's the portrait of my cute girl.
Time spent.
- You won't fuck my image
In Germany for seven years.
With me you will stay;
For every boy who goes to war
Can't believe it.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[Greeny]

Another fascinating journey of musical discovery! Thankyou JP. So beautifully done, and so much atmosphere.

[Oldrottenhead]

beautiful.

[TPB]

Watched this on your U tube channel last night thanks for the email
Tim

[Ferryman_1957]

Lovely and also fascinating JP. So many folk songs tell the tale of young men fighting in wars and how it affects them. I really liked the instrumentation you used on this one, and your doubled vocals are very effective.

You might find this interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WoKrRycvQ. John Tams is a folk singer and actor who appeared in a famous TV series in the UK about the Napoleonic Wars. He's singing a song written in 1709 (so during the War of the Spanish Succession) but he updated the lyrics to be appropriate for the Napoleonic Wars and he sang this in the TV series. It's a beautiful lament and he has a stunning voice. This type of song is I think universal for young men who (for whatever reason) take up arms.

I also learned even more from your song - I learned to swear in French  My French is what we call "schoolboy" French, so I never learned any slang or swearing. I always try to make sense of your French lyrics and I was confused that "baiseras" translated as a very rude word in English. I always thought "baiser" was "kiss", I did not realise that it had an alternative slang usage!

[Jean Pierre]

thank you guys, and thank you Higel

indeed I was very interested by the link on John Tams, which I did not know
thank you for your answer because you always make very interesting remarks.

My French is what we call "schoolboy" French

...don't worry, my English is also very academic and I can only communicate with you thanks to the magic of internet ...and deep translator
quote]and I was confused that "baiseras" translated as a very rude word in English. I always thought "baiser" was "kiss", I did not realise that it had an alternative slang usage!
.....actually the verb "to kiss" didn't have at all the slang meaning that we know it now (equivalent of "fuck" in English), at that time kissing only meant "to kiss" in the song "no, you won't kiss my image means "no you won't kiss my image", the verb didn't have at all the slang meaning that we know it now having sex with someone

This type of song is I think universal for young men who (for whatever reason) take up arms.

...et cela me fait penser a une chanson de Eric Bogle, un folsinger australien "green fields of France" que j'ai eu le plaisir de faire avec Tommy ...et que je fait remonter pour vous en "tete de gondole" (Bump?)

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)