When I hear a catchy song from an artist, I like to look them up and see if I like their other songs. Parfois (sometimes) all their other musique isn’t for me, but parfois I find un musicien that keeps on giving me new songs to listen to!

Image by Ludovic ETIENNE on Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The French Soulman, Ben l’Oncle Soul, is an example of un musicien français who seems to only make musique I enjoy.  Like Baptiste W. Hamon, he has a unique mix of American and French styles that makes it easy to listen to while providing a fun way to practice French.

Son nom de scène (his stage name) perfectly fits sa musique and gets you in the mood for le rythme soul (the soul rythmn) that comes with ses chansons (his songs). While his original music is most often en français, Ben l’Oncle Soul also does amazing covers of popular songs en anglais as well, like Walk The Line by Johnny Cash or I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Frank Sinatra.

J’ai sa musique en tête (I have his music in mind) right now, because this week is la marriage de ma petite soeur (my little sister’s wedding) and one of my favorite Ben l’Oncle Soul songs is Petite Sœur (Little Sister). It’s une chanson géniale (a great song) that will make anyone with une petite sœur laugh as they start to sing along.

Take a moment to écouter la chanson (listen to the song) and have fun while you practice French!

Voici la chanson avec les paroles et une traduction en anglais :

Comment te dire
Ça me fait de la peine
Je n’avais pas à te mentir
Malgré l’ampleur du phénomène
J’ai pas le souvenir
De t’avoir vue zen
Tu les fais s’enfuir
Sans deviner ce qui les gêne

How to tell you
It pains me
I have not lied to you
Despite the magnitude of the phenomenon
I don’t remember
Ever seeing you calm
You frighten them off
Without figuring out what’s bothering them

Just between us
Living with you is a nightmare
They left you, yeah, they’re all idiots
I’d like to help you, I’d like to believe you

But I know you by heart
Up, down, side to side, little sister
I know you by heart, I know you by heart little sister

Even Cupid has given up on the matter
You have a gift for driving them to adultery
No, no, something’s fishy here, your lovers have an air
Of incarceration
When you get right down to it, to be clear

Just between us
Putting up with you is its own victory
They left you,
Here, take a tissue
I’d like to help you, I’d like to believe you

But I know you by heart
Up, down, side to side, little sister
I know you by heart, I know you by heart little sister.