Les Secrets de la Mer Rouge, cover

[Jean Pierre]

here is a song by a French singer that I doubt any of you know
He applies to the letter the adage "to live happily, let's live hidden".

This song is about Henry De Monfreid, a 19th century French adventurer, arms and opium smuggler, pearl fisherman and writer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg7SoQaXTRo

Here are the lyrics and their translation

If you turn over in your grave
You hear the coins falling
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
Where you used to fish for mother of pearl
We find old fags, Dunlop tires
There are some who hitchhike the Red Sea
At the bottom of the volcanoes, no more lava
At the bottom of the boats, no more slaves
Where you used to fish for pink pearls
From evening to morning, there are the jets that land
In the middle of the flowerbeds that we water
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
At the bottom of the water, there's nothing left to move
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
Where are the secrets of the Red Sea?
Where are the secrets of the Red Sea?
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
Where you were fishing for rare pearls
Some rednecks set up their windsurfing board
To make a little click under the stars
I myself, one day, I wanted
To check everything, I saw everything
I read it all, I went through it all
I recognized nothing
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
Where you were fishing for pearls of mother-of-pearl
Just at the same place, there is a palace
They serve you your whiskey on ice
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
At the bottom of the water, there's nothing left to move
My poor Henri, my old Alfred
My poor Henri, my Fred
Where are the secrets of the Red Sea?
Where are the secrets of the Red Sea?
We find old fags
Dunlop tires
If you turn over in your grave
You hear death falling

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

[StephenM]

beside the fact that once again your singing is amazing on this JP I love the guitar lead at around 1:30.  Super.  This song slinks along so nicely.  It's refreshing like a little spring bubbling out of the ground one stumbles upon in the mountains when they are thirsty.  I just got an idea for a festival.  Write a song where the lyrics are made up from comments on the site. 

[Jean Pierre]

It's refreshing like a little spring bubbling out of the ground one stumbles upon in the mountains when they are thirsty.

Thank you Stephen, what a nice metaphor, you are a poet my friend!

[StephenM]

thanks for posting the lyrics... this is an interesting song....very interesting.