As a fan of Doo-Wop, I often delight to hear how this music had been followed in other countries. So, I think of a country and in YouTube I search “[country] doo wop”. One such search recently led me to this non-Doo-Wop video in French from 1971 apparently, and these singers, mostly children, seem to be engaged in some kind of social protest song. It’s stirring, but I have no idea what they’re talking about. Anybody know enough French to fill me in?
FRENCH TEXT:
C’est l’histoire d’une trêve
Que j’avais demandée
C’est l’histoire d’un soleil
Que l’avais espéré
C’est l’histoire d’un amour
Que je croyais vivant
C’est l’histoire d’un beau jour
Que moi petit enfant
Je voulais être heureux
Pour toutes la planète
Je voulais, j’espérais
Que la paix règne en maître
En ce soir de Noël
Mais tout a continué
Mais tout a continué
Mais tout a continué
ENGLISH TEXT:
This is the story of a truce
That I had asked for
It’s the story of a sun
What had hoped
It’s the story of a love
That I believed alive
It’s the story of a beautiful day
What a little child
I wanted to be happy
For all the planet
I wanted, I was hoping
That peace reigns supreme
On Christmas Eve
But everything went on
But everything went on
But everything went on
The lyrics are given below the video. Just copy them, Google “Translate French to English,” and then paste them in.
Even with my admittedly limited knowledge of French, I can see it’s not 100% perfect, but it does (mostly) convey the thought.
Based on context… I wonder if it’s about the Christmas bombings Nixon ordered over Vietnam.
The song seems to be agonizing about a war going on at Christmas time. The singer is saying she remembers when she was a child, and how she once believed in peace on earth and good will toward men… but now she sees war and suffering going on at Christmas and is despairing.
IIRC, that was in 1972. I was a senior in high school at the time.
Just from your description, I knew which song you were refering to :D.
It’s quite famous in the French-speaking world actually and although it was before my time, you could still hear it on the radio fairly regularly well into the 80s.
The translation above is quite close. I can translate the whole thing if you want.