Origins: Song about a gigolo in French

Subject: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,AKBlues
Date: 15 Apr 15 - 10:42 PM

Hi, I'm new to Mudcats. I've had a recording for about ten years of a folk song in French about a "gigolo." I'd guess the original is more than fifty years old, maybe substantially older. My French isn't good enough to understand all the lyrics, which are garbled. It may have Cajun or Zydeco roots, but the accent makes me think it might be French Canadian.

I've never been able to figure out the name of the song or artist. It has nothing to do with American Gigolo, Just a Gigolo or any of the other search engine hits. Siri doesn't recognize it. I didn't find anything searching Mudcats. It's a great song and I wish I could find out who the artist is so I can look for more of his music. Maybe one of you can help.

Here are the lyrics I could figure out:

"j'ai de _______ d'argent je faisais la grosse vie avec une gange de femmes tout autour de mon lit"

("I have _______ of money I lived big with a gang of women all around my bed")

Several more lines...

"...je trouvais ca plaisant"

("...I found that pleasant")

Several more lines and instrumental section...

"...c'est tout, c'est finis, la vie gigolo, j'ai connu certain avec tout mes defauts" [?])

("that's all, it's finished, my gigolo life, I found out for sure with all my faults" [?])

The recording is 3 minutes 24 seconds and the song is a few seconds shorter.

If anyone can help, I'd be grateful.

Thank you,

AKBlues

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 15 - 10:57 PM

Welcome to Mudcat, good luck with the song lyrics, and please consider formally joining our group! [e-mail] can set you up.

SRS

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,Mrr, who speaks French
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 08:47 AM

Can you put the actual recording anywhere? I might be able to understand more of the lyrics, which might help the search.

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,Geste
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 04:26 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDkLSjsiqlM

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 05:30 PM

It rings no bell to me as a France French song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 05:40 PM

There's a French version of that song, but it doesn't have the words quoted in the OP.

C'est_mon_gigolo

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,#
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 07:02 PM

AKBlues, anything there ring a bell?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,#
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 07:11 PM

Or here?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,#
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 07:18 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkIxPCXrcH4

I think this may be the recording the OP refers to.

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 07:28 PM

The YouTube above is not French, it's German.
The OP said "It has nothing to do with American Gigolo, Just a Gigolo or any of the other search engine hits."

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,#
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 07:52 PM

The OP said the song was 3:24 and that's all I could find at 3:24. And I'm aware it's not French.

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,AKBlues
Date: 16 Apr 15 - 10:30 PM

Thank you everyone for your replies. Here is a link to the unknown song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU3nf9DzhjE&feature=youtu.be

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Thompson
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 01:24 AM

The accent in song about a gigolo's lifestyle sounds Canadian to me - am I wrong?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 01:32 AM

I lived in Montreal for several years and I agree, the accent sounds French Canadian.

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 08:38 AM

Here is what I came up with (a lot of it is missing!)

L'autre nuit j'ai rêvé qu' j'étais gigolo
Quand je m'exhaussais…
                grand bigot
J'étais loadé d'argent,
j' faisais la grosse vie
Avec une gang de femmes
tout le tour de mon lit
Y en avait une à droite
….mes cigarettes
Y en avait 'n' autre à gauche
…. ma biere frette
Y avait la bell' grand' Noir'
Qui m' faisait du vent,
Moi j' me laissais faire
Puis j' trouvais ça plaisant.

Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec tout mes défauts

Tu m'avais pas r'connu
J'avais un' grosse tête de…
Un gros sac de peau
Et puis un p'tit ventru
….
Avec des….


Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec toutes mes défauts

Au… du matin
Quand c' que je m'ai réveillé
La premièr' chos' qu' j'ai vue
En r'gardant dans l' miroir
…
….
…
J'étais r'venu sur terre

Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec toutes mes défauts

….       un matin

Je croyais
Mettez-vous à ma place
Quoi c'est qu' vous feriez
…………..

Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec toutes mes défauts

Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
C'était l' paradis
J' vous dis qu' cétait beau

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,clearcydia
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 10:27 AM

"Just a Gigolo"/"I Ain't Got Nobody" by medley Find the lyrics on google and convert to french via google translate. Since it is lyrics and not the song you need. Hope that helped

Posted by Iphone app

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,AKBlues
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 10:38 AM

Monique, thanks for your transcription of the lyrics! Any ideas about the origin?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 17 Apr 15 - 06:13 PM

It's obviously Canadian -it's why I can't understand much more than what I transcribed- but it's all I can say.

The 3rd and 4th lines are
Quand Dieu m'exhaussait
Il m'avait fait grand bigot (this "bigot" puzzles me)

It seems that the 1st line of the chorus is
"Ben sûr qu' j'ai fini..."

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 01:07 PM

I asked someone from Québec and here it is:

L'autre nuit j'ai rêvé qu' j'étais gigolo
L' bon Dieu m'avait exhaussé
M'avait fait gros pis beau

J'étais loadé d'argent,
j' faisais la grosse vie
Avec une gang de femmes
tout le tour de mon lit

Y en avait une à droite
Pour faire mes cigarettes
J'en avait une à drette (droite)
Pour tcheind' (tenir) ma bière frette

Y avait la bell' grand' Noir'
Qui m' faisait du vent,
Moi j' me laissais faire
Puis j' trouvais ça plaisant.

Ben à c't' heure c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec tout' mes défauts

Tu m'aurais pas r'connu
J'avais un' grosse tête de ch(e)veux
Un gros sec d'épaule
Et puis un p'tit ventre creux
Un solide gaillard mesurant au d'ssus d' six pieds
Avec des des p'tites fesses tight
Pis un d'mi pouce de moins d' nez

Ben sûr c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec toutes mes défauts

Au p'tites heures du matin
Quand c' que je m'ai réveillé
La premièr' chos' qu' j'ai vue
En r'gardant dans l' miroir
Des bourrelets pis une tête nue
C'est pas d' quoi qui est beau à vouère
C'est là que j' m'aperçus
Qu' j'étais r'venu sur terre

Ben à c't'heure c'est fini
La vie d' gigolo,
J' suis r'venu sur terre
Avec toutes mes défauts

E' j' raconte à ma femme
Pour c' qui s'était passé
Au lieu d' s'enrager
J' croyais qu'allait s' pâmer
Mettez-vous à ma place
Quoi c'est qu' vous feriez
J' m'ai promis droite là
D'jamais ben encor' d' parler (de jamais en reparler)

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,AKBlues
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 11:22 PM

Thank you for the lyrics, Monique! They are clever. Did your contact from Quebec tell you the name of the song or the performer?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: Monique
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 06:05 AM

No, he said he'd never heard of it before. Btw, he emailed me last night saying that the last line of the first verse was "M'avait fait grand pis beau" -men usually don't wish to be fat, do they?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about a gigolo in French
From: GUEST,Mike
Date: 14 Jan 16 - 06:57 PM

Its a song from a guy in st ignace , nb canada,
Robert johnson i think,