Tom Tom Club

Tom Tom Club - L'elephant lyrics

[transcription by Stephane Osstyn

corrections, notes and English translation by Tina Weymouth]

L'éléphant et l'hippopotame

(Se) Sont déguisés en hommes.

(Ils) Ont marché au beau village,

Marché, marché, marché, marché.

Sur le chemin, (ils) ont rencontré

Des enfants des hommes,

Et des femmes qui courraient

Courraient, courraient, courraient, courraient.

Tout en courrant, les femmes pleuraient

Pleuraient des grosses larmes

Grosses gouttes, grosses larmes

Tombaient, tombaient, tombaient, tombaient.

L'éléphant et l'hippopotame

Voulaient savoir ce qu'elles avaient

Voulaient savoir la raison qu'elles

Pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient.

Un enfant, tout terrifié,

S'est arrêté pour leur parler.

Sa bouche ouvrait, mais il est resté

Muet, muet, muet, muet.

*Enlevez vos costumes bêtes,

Leur chantaient les oiseaux.

**Gobe-mouches pipits, chouettes et hiboux

Chantaient, chantaient, chantaient, chantaient:

C'est la guerre, la guerre des hommes.

Ils se sont disputés.

Tout autour, ils veulent tuer,

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

**************************************************

*Bêtes is plural for bête, which means beast, animal,

or dumb creature. It also means silly, stupid, dumb,

or idiotic. Since the animals are dressed as men,

this is a play on words.

**In ornithology, gobe-mouches pipits are fly-catching

tit-larks, or pipits, a species of bird. In botany,

un gobe-mouches is defined as a fly-trap. Gobe-mouches

also translates into simpleton, fool, gull, dupe, sap

or, in slang, as sucker. This is another play on words.

**************************************************

THE ELEPHANT (translation into English)

The elephant and the hippopotamus

Disguised themselves as men.

They walked to the beautiful village,

Walked, walked, walked, walked

On the path, they met

The children of men

And women, who were running,

Running, running, running, running

As they ran, the women were crying,

Crying fat tears.

Large drops, big fat tears, were

Falling, falling, falling, falling

The elephant and the hippopotamus

Wanted to know what was the matter,

Wanted to know the reason they were

Crying, crying, crying, crying.

A terrified child

Stopped to speak with them.

His mouth opened, but he remained

Mute, mute, mute, mute.

*"Take off your foolish/beastly costumes,"

Sang to them the birds.

**Pipits, screech owls, and owls were

Singing, singing, singing, singing:

"It is war, the war of men.

They have quarreled among themselves.

All around, they want to kill,

Kill, kill, kill, kill"

Kill, kill, kill, kill

Kill, kill, kill, kill

Kill, kill, kill, kill

Kill, kill, kill, kill

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

Share your thoughts

Comments