Les JO continuent au Brésil. (The Olympics continue in Brazil.) So let’s had back to sunny Rio, cette semaine (this week) in the company of another famous French singer.

Claude François, known affectionately as Cloclo, was a very popular artist in the French speaking world (and beyond) from the late 50’s through his tragic death in 1978 at the age of just 39 years old. During his all-to-brief life, he sold over 70 million albums. A number of his hits (like the one below)* were French remakes of successful English and American pop songs. And in a bit of a « reversal » he was even responsible for one of Frank Sinatra’s greatest successs . . . having written a song called “Comme d’habitude” (As usual), the French version of what would become “My Way”.

Before we get to the music :

If you want a litte actual sport with your Olympics, Google provides a really nice and easy way to keep up with all the goings on . . . including for the French Olympic Team.

And if you read my post last week, you may recall a footnote about why the Olympics includes so much French. Just a few days after that post, I was surprised to see this. Though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course the country that has a highly-respected institution (l’Académie française) dedicated to preserving the French language would also have a group dedicated to maintaining its use at the Olympics.

Oh oh oh oh….	Oh oh oh oh . . .
Quand tu souris	When you smile
Je m’envole au paradis	I fly off to paradise
Je vais à  Rio de Janeiro	I go to Rio de Janeiro
Je prends ta main	I take your hand
Et nos cœurs font plus de bruit	And our hearts make more noise**
Que toutes les cymbales	Than all the cymbals
Du carnaval	Of Carnival
Tu m’entraines dans la foule	You pull me after you into the crowd
D’une fête qui déroule ses ailes	Of a fete spreading its wings
Ses dentelles	Its lace
Et je suis riche de rêves	And I am rich in dreams
Comme le sont les gens pauvres	Like the poor people
De là -bas	There are (from there)***
Quand tu souris	When you smile
Je m’envole au paradis	I fly away to paradise
Je vais à  Rio de Janeiro	I go to Rio de Janeiro
Et l’on s’ jette dans l’eau	And we throw ourselves into the water
Dans l’eau bleue de l’océan	In the blue water of the ocean
Que peuvent s’offrir sans argent	That even those without money can afford
Ceux qui n’ont que des fleurs	They who have only flowers
Dans le cœur	In their hearts
Quand tu souris	When you smile
Je crie depuis Paris	I shout all the way from Paris
Je vais à  Rio de Janeiro	I’m going to Rio
Je prends ta main	I take your hand
Et nos cœurs font plus de bruit	And our hearts make more noise
Que toutes les cymbales	Than all the cymbals
Du carnaval	Of Carnival
On s’envole et on s’invente	We fly away and invent for ourselves
Dix millions de gens qui chantent	Ten million people who sing
Dans nos têtes, oh quelle fête	In our heads, oh what a celebration
On se lance dans la danse	We jump into the dance****
Qui balance entre la vie et l’amour	That swings between life and love
Oh oh oh oh….	Oh oh oh oh….
On s’envole et l’on s’invente	We fly away and create
Dix millions de gens qui chantent	Ten million people singing
Dans nos têtes, oh quelle fête	In our heads, oh what a celebration
On se lance dans la danse	We jump into the dance
Qui balance entre la vie et l’amour	That swings between life and love
Quand tu souris	When you smile
Je m’envole au paradis	I fly away to paradise
Je vais à  Rio de Janeiro	I go to Rio
Je prends ta main	I take your hand
Et nos cœurs font plus de bruit	And our hearts make more noise
Que toutes les timbales	Than all the kettle drums
Du carnaval	Of Carnival
Oui, quand tu souris	Yes, when you smile
Je m’envole au paradis	I fly away to paradise
Je vais à  Rio	I go to Rio
Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro
Je prends ta main	I take your hand
Et nos cœurs font plus de bruit	And our hearts make more noise
Que toutes les timbales	Than all the kettle drums
Du carnaval	Of Carnival
Oh oh oh oh….	Oh oh oh oh….

 

* “I go to Rio” was written and performed by the Australian singer Peter Allen in 1976. Claude’s French version was released two years later.

** The word ‘plus’ in French can trip more than one new speaker up. You see, ‘plus’ is one of those great words that can have different meanings depending on context and on how you pronounce it. It can mean both « more » and « less » or « no more ». And since in spoken French, the leading ‘ne’ of ‘ne … plus’ is often dropped, it can be even more complicated.

*** Remember, this song is from the 70’s. . . some of the lyrics treat the poor people of Brazil perhaps with less care and respect than they would be today . . . serving more as “quaint local color” than as real people with real challenges.

**** se lancer dans quelquechose means ‘to begin’, or ‘to join in’.