By Betty
Belle and Sebastian’s “Le Pastie de la Bourgeosie” has the title as the chorus…the actual French is a bit iffy (it’s supposed to be “L’apathy de la Bourgeosie”).
The Television Personalities also have “La Grande Illusion,” but, again, the only French line in the song is the title.
I Got the Message and Where Do the Boys Go? by Men Without Hats, and they probably have a few others.
Chuck Berry, You Never Can Tell
Song for Europe - Roxy Music
“Jamais…jamais, jamais, jamais. jamais…”
Tears my heart out every time :).
The Weakerthans - Our Retired Explorer
slight hijack
Sting’s Perfect Love… Gone Wrong is written to a dog.
Great song, by the way.
This is also the only one I could think of that has lyrics in Francais.
Bonnie and Clyde-- Serge Gainsbourg
I forgot: C’est la Vie, by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Problem is, “c’est la vie” is the only French phrase in the song, and even as a huge ELP fan I have to say it’s not a particularly good song.
Black Diamond Bay by Bob Dylan has a few lines in French:
“… and the dealer says, ‘attendez vous, s’il vous plait…’”
“a stranger tells her, ‘my darling, je vous aime beaucoup’”
I apologize for any spelling mistakes, it’s been 30 years since high school French.
Je Ne M’en Souviens Pas by Better Than Ezra
Tsk, Tsk…Bite yer tongue. Come talk to me after you listen to Nantuket Sleighride. After you are completely blown away quality, depth, beauty and gut crunching riffs of that track, then you can listen to: Theme For An Imaginary Western, Never In My Life, For Yasgur’s Farm, Sittin’ On A Rainbow, et al.
By that point, both Golden Earring & Mountain’s own Mississippi Queen, will pale by comparison.
Jambalaya - Hank Williams, Sr.
How about Laissez-moi Tranquille by Warren Zevon ? The whole song’s in French.
Picking up on the Blondie submission, “Pretty Baby” also has some lines in French
“Pretty baby, un petite ingenue”
French? Oh, right, “pirogue.”
If we’re counting individual words, like “bayou” in the aformentioned Jambalaya, there’s Blue Bayou by Roy Orbison and Born on the Bayou by CCR.
Actually, you make it sound like it’s the kind of music right up my alley. I may have to check it out. I’m just unfamiliar with the rest of their work.
I’m curious as to the purpose of this project. It’s kind of an interesting concept for a CD. Care to enlighten me?
“Paradise (Not For Me)” - Madonna