{"id":21795,"date":"2015-03-17T11:34:44","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T10:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=21795"},"modified":"2017-10-23T14:24:46","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T12:24:46","slug":"leve-ton-verre-french-drinking-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/leve-ton-verre-french-drinking-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"L\u00e8ve ton verre: French Drinking Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tonight, many people around the world are partaking in a bit of drinking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The French aren’t an exception. A few weeks ago, John taught you how to toast in French<\/a>. Today we’re going to learn something just as important: la chanson paillarde <\/strong>or la chanson \u00e0 boire <\/strong>(drinking song).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There are quite a few, but we’re going to focus on \u00ab Il est des n\u00f4tres \u00bb <\/strong>(He’s one of us). I’ll post links to a few other popular ones at the bottom, though. Just as it is in English, these songs are sung to encourage drinking \u00a0and are performed in groups at parties, marriages, sports events, and other gatherings. This particular song follows a set of commands.\u00a0 Examinons chaque vers <\/strong>(let’s examine each verse).<\/p>\n

The song starts out with calling out a friend’s name and telling him to raise his glass:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Ami(e) [person’s name], l\u00e8ve ton verre,<\/strong><\/td>\nFriend [name], raise your glass,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Et surtout, ne le renverse pas!<\/strong><\/td>\nBut definitely don’t spill it!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then, the song tells you to touch your glass to certain parts of your body. The body parts mentioned vary depending on the group you’re singing with, but you’ll almost always hear the forehead, the nose, the stomach, and the crotch. The chin is a quite often included, too. Another thing worth noting is that the words used are a mix of Latin and slang — it’s not les parties du corps<\/strong> (the body parts) you learned in class. You might even come across varying usages of the same word. For example, you could be told to place your drink against your ventribus <\/strong>or your ventarium. <\/strong>Different words, but they mean the same thing. Can you guess the body part?<\/p>\n

In the lyrics below, I put the 4 parts I mentioned above, but I’ve also included other parts you might hear. I’ve never heard all of these sung at once, but I suppose that could become similar to a difficult game of Jacques a dit <\/strong>(Simon Says) if you’re already bourr\u00e9(e)<\/strong> (drunk).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Et porte-le du frontibus<\/strong><\/td>\nAnd put it from your forehead<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
au nasibus <\/strong><\/td>\nto your nose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au mentibus)<\/strong><\/td>\n(to your chin)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
au ventribus <\/strong>[or ventarium<\/strong>]<\/td>\nto your stomach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
au sexibus <\/strong>[or pissarium<\/strong>]<\/td>\nto your crotch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au pedibus) <\/strong><\/td>\n(to your foot)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au dosibus)<\/strong><\/td>\n(to your back)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au coudibs)<\/strong><\/td>\n(to your elbow)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au fessibus)<\/strong><\/td>\n(to your butt)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(au goulibus)<\/strong><\/td>\n(to your lips*)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* This “Latin” term doesn’t mean the lips exactly but is probably referring to un goulet <\/strong>(a bottleneck) — assuming you’re drinking a beer directly from the bottle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After this charade, you start drinking. While you’re doing this, everyone sings the lyrics below until you’ve finished your drink. The longer you take, the longer your personal chorus sings. It’s best to go as fast as you can. No need to be rude and make everyone sing and wait. The word they’re singing, glou<\/strong>, is an example of une onomatop\u00e9e <\/strong>(onomatopoeia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Et glou, et glou, et glou <\/strong>etc.<\/td>\nGulp, gulp, gulp, etc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once the mission is accomplished, you’re rewarded with another verse welcoming you to the family, but it’s quickly followed up by an insult. Just like real family. Bienvenue <\/strong>(welcome)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Il (elle) est des n\u00f4tres!<\/strong><\/td>\n(S)he’s one of us!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Il (elle) a bu son verre comme les autres<\/strong><\/td>\n(S)he finished his drink like the others<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C’est un(e) ivrogne <\/strong><\/td>\n(S)he’s a drunkard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c7a se voit rien qu’\u00e0 sa trogne.<\/strong><\/td>\nYou can tell just by looking at his (her) face.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here’s a video of a studio recording of the drinking song. When you’re singing it at gatherings, there isn’t accompanying music, so don’t get used to that.<\/p>\n