Lyrics of René bouteille - La Tordue

René bouteille (original)

À l’heure où les étoiles tombent
Il creuse la sienne
Plus pâle qu’une ombre
Qui boit de la verveine
Il chante il chante
Mais c’est l’air de la mer
Qui bientôt le tourmente
Et lui vole sa prière
Il chante il chante
Mais c’est l’air de la mer
Qui bientôt le tourmente
Et lui vole sa prière
Depuis qu’il a vu l’jour
Il a trimardé sur terre
Mais il a pas eu plus d’amour
Qu’un sac de pommes de terre
Il chante il chante
Mais c’est de l’eau amère
Qui lui coule ardente
Brûlure à ses paupières
Il chante il chante
Mais c’est de l’eau amère
Qui lui coule ardente
Brûlure à ses paupières
Ses vieux l’ont pas r’connu
Alors il est allé s’fair' voir
Par le monde et ses rues
Il a mangé son pain noir
— On peut pas tout avoir…
Ouais mais quand on a rien eu
Et nul n’a répondu
Quand il voulait savoir
Et son coeur s’est fendu
D’essuyer tant d’déboires
Il est tombé des nues
Il s’est même fait trottoir
Puis porté disparu
Par des gens trop bavards
— Chacun vaut son voisin…
Sauf quand c’est un vaurien
Battant pavé et breloque
Il a le scorbut à l'âme
Et son coeur soliloque
Sans but le pauvre diable
Il a la têt' tordue
Essoré d’une oreille
C’est pas d’avoir trop bu
C’est d'être né bouteille
Il chante il chante
Il voulait boire la mer
Qui sur ses joues serpente
Les soirs de trop d’misère
Il chante il chante
Il voulait boire la mer
Qui sur ses joues serpente
Les soirs de trop d’misère
La mer la mer
C’est elle qui le hante
Dans son coeur une arrière
Saison d'écume qui chante
Dans l’miroir aux étoiles
DAns l’océan sa planque
D’alouette en cavale
Il a jeté son ancre
Il chante il chante
Mais c’est bientôt la mer
Qui vient couvrir sa plainte
Au creux d’sa dernière bière
Il chante il chante
Son chant de vagabond
C’est maintenant la mer
Qui roule sa chanson
Qui roule sa chanson

(translation)

When the stars are falling
He digs his own
paler than a shadow
Who drinks verbena
He sings he sings
But it's the air of the sea
Which soon torments him
And steals his prayer
He sings he sings
But it's the air of the sea
Which soon torments him
And steals his prayer
Since he was born
He trekked on earth
But he got no more love
Than a bag of potatoes
He sings he sings
But it's bitter water
which flows ardently to him
Burning to his eyelids
He sings he sings
But it's bitter water
which flows ardently to him
Burning to his eyelids
His old people didn't recognize him
So he went to fuck off
By the world and its streets
He ate his black bread
- We can not have it all…
Yeah but when we got nothing
And no one answered
When he wanted to know
And his heart broke
To suffer so many setbacks
He fell from the clouds
He even got sidewalk
Then reported missing
By people who are too talkative
"Each is equal to his neighbour..."
Except when he's a scoundrel
Pavé and Charm Leaf
He's got scurvy in his soul
And his heart soliloquizes
Aimless the poor devil
He's got a twisted head
Wrung from one ear
It's not to have drunk too much
It's to be born in a bottle
He sings he sings
He wanted to drink the sea
Which on her cheeks winds
The evenings of too much misery
He sings he sings
He wanted to drink the sea
Which on her cheeks winds
The evenings of too much misery
The sea the sea
She's the one haunting him
In her heart a rear
Singing foam season
In the mirror to the stars
In the ocean his hideout
Lark on the run
He dropped his anchor
He sings he sings
But it's soon the sea
Who comes to cover his complaint
In the hollow of his last beer
He sings he sings
His wanderer's song
It's now the sea
Who rolls his song
Who rolls his song