Last week’s Bastille Day celebrations ended in tragedy. Any day is the wrong day for such a terrible act, but on that day – a celebration of the French ideals of liberté, égalité, et fraternité (liberty, equality, and brotherhood) – it felt especially awful. July 14 may be changed forever by the events in Nice, but for me it has always been a day of such joy that I want to honor that happier spirit this week.

In addition to des défilés (parades) and peut-etre des feux d’artifices (maybe some fireworks), a fixture of just about any French town’s Bastille Day celebration is the bal populaire (local public dance). A favorite of old and young alike, these bals often feature classic French music and singers including one of my favorites, Edith Piaf.* Her song “Mon manège a moi” never fails to put me in a festive mood. I hope it does the same for you . . . even if this year it’s a little late for you to enjoy at your own bal populaire.

Enjoy the original . . . or a more updated version by another one of my favorite chanteurs (singers), Etienne Daho.

Tu me fais tourner la tête / You make my head spin
Mon manège à moi c’est toi / My very own carrousel (or merry-go-round) is you
Je suis toujours à la fête / I am always at the fair
Quand tu m’prends dans tes bras / When you take me in your arms
Je ferais le tour du monde / I could travel around the world
Ca ne tourn’rait pas plus qu’ça / And it couldn’t spin any more than that
La terre n’est pas assez ronde / The Earth simply isn’t round enough
Pour m’étourdir autant qu’toi / To dazzle me as much as you

Comme on est bien tous les deux / Aren’t we a pair
Quand on est ensembl’ nous deux / When we’re together, we two
Quelle vie on a tous les deux / What a life we have
Quand on s’aime comme nous deux / When we love like we two do
On pourrait changer d’planète / We could move to another planet
Tant qu’j’ai mon cœur près du tien / As long as I have my heart close to yours
J’entends les flonflons de la fête / I hear the happy noises of the fair (carnival)
Et la terre n’y est pour rien / And the Earth has nothing to do with it

Ah oui, parlons-en de la terre / Yes let’s talk about the Earth
Pour qui elle se prend, la terre ? / Just who does she think she is, the Earth?
Ma parol’ ‘y a qu’elle sur terre / My word, there’s only her on the Earth
Y’a qu’elle pour faire tant de mystères / Only her to make such a fuss

Mais pour nous il y a / But for us there are
Pas de problems / No problems
Car c’est pour la vie qu’on s’aime / Because we love each other for life
Et s’il y avait pas d’vie même / And were there no life even
On s’aimerait quand même / We love each other anyway

Car… / Because . . .

Tu me fais tourner la tête / You make my head spin
Mon manège à moi c’est toi / My very own carrousel (or merry-go-round) is you
Je suis toujours à la fête / I am always at the fair
Quand tu m’prends dans tes bras / When you take me in your arms
Je ferais le tour du monde / I could travel around the world
Ca ne tourn’rait pas plus qu’ça / And it couldn’t spin any more than that
La terre n’est pas assez ronde / The Earth simply isn’t round enough
Pour m’étourdir autant qu’toi / To dazzle me as much as you

Je ferais le tour du monde / I could travel around the world
Ca ne tourn’rait pas plus qu’ça / And it couldn’t spin any more than that
J’ai beau chercher à la ronde, / I search all around
Mon manège moi / My merry-go-round
C’est toi ! / Is you!

* For a great overview of the life of Edith Piaf, check out the wonderful2007 film La Vie en Rose starting the lovely French actress Marion Cotillard.