Does anyone remember this song from the 60's? What are the words and what is the English translation?



Cupcake4120

hahaha it's a song we were talking about in our french lesson it is a subject of my exam...i will translate it for you

Jacques Dutronc
ET MOI, ET MOI, ET MOI
And I and I and I

Sept cent millions de chinois
Seven hundred millions of Chineses
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec ma vie, mon petit chez-moi
With my life, my little house
Mon mal de tête, mon psi
With my headache,my mind
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life

Quatre vingt millions d'indonésiens
Eighty millions of Indonesians
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec ma voiture et mon chien
With my car and my dog
Son Canigou quand il aboit
His dog food when he is barking
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life

Trois ou quatre cent millions de noirs
Three or four hundred millions of Afro-Americans
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Qui vais au brunissoir
who is going to the solarium
Au sauna pour perdre du poids
to the sauna to lose weight
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


Trois cent millions de soviétiques
Three hundred millions of Soviets
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec mes manies et mes tics
with my obsessions and my tics
Dans mon p'tit lit en plumes d'oie
in my little bed of goose plumes
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


Cinquante millions de gens imparfaits
Fifty millions of imperfect people
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Qui regardent Catherine Langeais
who are watching Catherine Langeais
À la télévision chez moi
on television at me (=his house)
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


Neuf cent millions de crève la faim
Nine hundred millions who peg out from hunger
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec mon régime végétarien
with my vegetarian diet
Et tout le whisky que je m'envoi
and all the whisky which I am boozing
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life

Cinq cent millions de sud américains
Five hundred millions of south americans
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Je suis tout nu dans mon bain
I am all nude in my batroom
Avec une fille qui me nettoie
with a girl who is drying me
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


Cinquante millions de vietnamiens
Fifty millions of vietnameses
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Le dimanche à la chasse au lapin
on sundays I am on the prowl for rabbits
Avec mon fusil, je suis le roi
with my rifle, I am the king
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


Cinq cent millards de petits martiens
Five hundred milliards of little Martians
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Comme un con de parisien
like a parisian fool
J'attends mon chèque de fin de mois
I am waiting for my check at the end of month
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life


J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I am thinking about it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life,that's life

Thanks for taking the time. The lyrics aren't as lighthearted as I thought they were, but very poignant actually for such a simple melody. Thanks for the lyrics and transation.

Don't mention it hmm i think the story(song) is about the man who is always happy in his life and he knows that there are poor people like the people from the vietnamese war but he always is saying that he thinks about it and then he forgets it...how many people in those days are doing...they don't care a lot about people in war or poor people who are hungry and don't have food... what a pity that there is always grief in this world

I got that, yes indeed. The only thing is that the word "noirs" doesn't necessarily mean American blacks. And yes, there is always grief in the world, which is very sad. I remember this song so vividly from so many years ago....

hmm yes i know the thing with the 'noirs' but i didn't know how to describe it better so that it doesn't sound racist omg i fear now my exams

Aha! Political correctness imposes censorship on the most innocent people in the most innocent moments. The lyrics are old-fashioned and reflective of the 60's, not racist. I'm older than you, I suspect, so I have the authority to let you off the hook. Consider yourself off the hook.

I just didn't want to translate the word 'noirs' with an offensive word here on the forum because i didn't know if it's allowed...but my job was in the first instance just to translate the song i did my best

And you did a terrific job. Thank you so much.

you're welcome anytime

I was searching for those lyrics when i found ur translation, which is accurate.
Still, i could spot some slight hics, hope this will help.



And I and I and I


Seven hundred million Chinese
and I and I and I
With my life, my little home
My headache, my liver pain
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Eighty million Indonesians
and I and I and I
With my car and my dog
His dog food when he is barking
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Three or four hundred million Black people
and I and I and I
who goes to the solarium
to the sauna to lose weight
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Three hundred million Soviets
and I and I and I
with my habits and my tics
in my little goose feather bed
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Fifty million imperfect people
and I and I and I
watching Catherine Langeais
on television at home
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Nine hundred million bums
and I and I and I
with my vegetarian diet
and all the whisky I am boozing
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Five hundred million South Americans
and I and I and I
I am all nude in my bath
with a girl who is cleaning me
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Fifty million Vietnamese
and I and I and I
on sundays on the rabbit hunt
with my rifle, I am the king
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


Five hundred billion little Martians
and I and I and I
like a Parisian fool
I wait for my paycheck at the end of the month
I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life


I think of it and then I forget it
That's life, that's life





For more details:


ET MOI, ET MOI, ET MOI
And I and I and I

Sept cent millions de Chinois
Seven hundred million Chinese
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec ma vie, mon petit chez-moi (chez-moi = at mine, at my place (this doesn't give no precision about the type of home, house, flat or else))
With my life, my little home
Mon mal de tête, mon point au foie (dunno where u got "psi" from, probably there are different versions, main french lyric sites seem to agree on "point au foie" though. Still, "psi" makes sense here, but does not rhyme, we would write it psy, also, meaning psychiatrist)
My headache, my liver pain
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life

Quatre vingt millions d'Indonésiens
Eighty million Indonesians
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec ma voiture et mon chien
With my car and my dog
Son Canigou quand il aboie
His dog food when he is barking
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life

Trois ou quatre cent millions de Noirs
Three or four hundred million Black people
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Qui vais au brunissoir
who goes to the solarium
Au sauna pour perdre du poids
to the sauna to lose weight
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


Trois cent millions de Soviétiques
Three hundred million Soviets
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec mes manies et mes tics (manie is between habit and mania, like smoking...)
with my habits and my tics
Dans mon p'tit lit en plumes d'oie
in my little goose feather bed
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


Cinquante millions de gens imparfaits
Fifty million imperfect people (there are 50 million Frogs at this time... (for those who still had a doubt about who is he talking about))
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Qui regarde Catherine Langeais (no "nt" after regarde, it's him and not the 50 million who are watching in this sentence, they probably watch too though...)
watching Catherine Langeais
À la télévision chez moi
on television at (my) home
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


Neuf cent millions de crève-la-faim (it's a composed word, but it's one word meaning vagrant, tramp, bum)
Nine hundred million bums
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Avec mon régime végétarien
with my vegetarian diet
Et tout le whisky que je m'envoie (je m'envoie = i send myself (literally) = i use a lot)
and all the whisky I am boozing (boozing is a bit different but the best translation of the word with its negative connotation in such case)
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life

Cinq cent millions de sud américains
Five hundred million South Americans
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Je suis tout nu dans mon bain
I am all nude in my bath
Avec une fille qui me nettoie
with a girl who is cleaning me
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


Cinquante millions de vietnamiens
Fifty million Vietnamese
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Le dimanche à la chasse au lapin
on sundays on the rabbit hunt
Avec mon fusil, je suis le roi
with my rifle, I am the king
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


Cinq cent milliards de petits martiens
Five hundred billion little Martians
Et moi, et moi, et moi
and I and I and I
Comme un con de Parisien (Names made out of places where some people live, or even human groups starts with a capital in French, dunno about the English though)
like a Parisian fool
J'attends mon chèque de fin de mois
I wait for my paycheck at the end of the month
J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life


J'y pense et puis j'oublie
I think of it and then I forget it
C'est la vie, c'est la vie
That's life, that's life