# French Song From the 70's: What Are They Saying? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509 "2017-05-13T04:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/1 "2017-05-13T04:10:23Z")
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? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V9Po8lSIKww/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeAoACiAKKAgwIABABGHIgVigoMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCRJ0wrgHHYFSOqZlW0qb5dolRCJQ "Les Poppys - Non Non Rien N'a Changé - 1971") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Po8lSIKww) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/2 "2017-05-13T05:18:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > 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? > > [https://youtu.be/V9Po8lSIKww](https://youtu.be/V9Po8lSIKww) **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. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/3 "2017-05-13T05:27:54Z")
Even with my admittedly limited knowledge of French, I can see it’s not 100% perfect, but it does (mostly) convey the thought. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/4 "2017-05-13T06:04:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/5 "2017-05-13T21:29:15Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Based on context… I wonder if it’s about the Christmas bombings Nixon ordered over Vietnam. IIRC, that was in 1972. I was a senior in high school at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-song-from-the-70s-what-are-they-saying/786509/6 "2017-05-15T12:26:47Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > 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? > > [https://youtu.be/V9Po8lSIKww](https://youtu.be/V9Po8lSIKww) 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.