Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)

Subject: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST,Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 01:13 AM

Can anyone point me to a copy of the Gendarmes' Duet (Genevieve de Brabant) composed by Jacques Offenbach - 1859?

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 10:40 AM

From the sleeve notes of Kaleidoscope (Hyperion):

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) trans. Jakob Gimpel (1906-1989) (ed. Hamelin) Concert Paraphrase of 'The Song of the Soldiers of the Sea' (The Marines' Hymn)

The music was composed in 1868 by Jacques Offenbach for his opera bouffe Genevieve de Brabant (the three-act version). A comic duet for bass and baritone, to French audiences it is known as 'Couplets des Deux Hommes d'Armes'; to the British it is 'The Gendarmes' Duet' ('We're public guardians, bold, yet wary, And of ourselves we take good care!'…with its chorus 'We run them in, we run them in, we show them we're the bold gendarmes!'); to Americans the tune is, famously, the hymn of the United States Marine Corps. There are various claims to the authorship of the words sung by the Marines ('From the halls of Mon-te-zu-ma, to the shores of Trip-o-li…') which first appeared in print in August 1918.

The score is in Offenbach's Songs from the Great Operettas : Complete Music for Thirty-Eight Songs from Fourteen Operettas.

The sheet music is in Levy:

(1) Genevieve de Brabant. Peter's Correct Edition. To Watch the City's Peace and Safety. Proteger le Repos Des Villes. Couplets des Hommes D'Armes. Duet. Tenor & Bariton. [English and French]. Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: From J. Offenbach's Comic Opera, Genevieve de Brabant. English Words by M. Barnett. Arr. by W. Dressler.
Publication: New York: J.L. Peters, 1869.

(2) Title: Vocal Gems in Genevieve De Brabant. Duet of the Two Men-at-arms (Couplets des Hommes D'Armes).
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Offenbach.
Publication: Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 277 Washington St., 1868.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: Shimbo Darktree
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 11:33 AM

Robin,

Best of luck ... I haven't been able to dig this up yet.
See you at the Kookaburra.

Regards,
Shimbo

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 12:34 PM

"The Marines' Hymn" has been discussed HERE.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE BOLD GENDARMES
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 17 Dec 01 - 07:42 PM

Words from the Glasgow University Songbook/ Chords from memory of tune

THE BOLD GENDARMES

G
  We're public guardians, bold but wary,
                       D         G
  And of ourselves, we take good care,
  
  To risk our precious lives, we're chary,
                           D     G
  When danger looms, we're never there
              C                  G
  But when we meet some helpless woman,
            C               G
  Or little boys that do no harm
  
  Chorus
  G           D
  We run them in, We run them in,
              G
  We run them in, We run them in,
                         D        G
  We show them, we're the bold gendarmes,
              D
  We run them in, We run them in,
              G
  We run them in, We run them in,
                         C     D   G
  We show them, we're the bold gendarmes,

Sometimes our duty's extra mural,
And butterflies we love to chase
We like to gambol in things rural,
Commune with nature, face to face,
But to our beats then back returning,
Refreshed by nature's holy charms, .... Chorus

We're quite disposed to keep it quiet,
Provided that they make it right,
But if they do not see it
And give us our proper due, .... Chorus

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE BOLD GENDARMES (Offenbach)
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 03 Aug 04 - 08:22 PM

Update

The BOLD GENDARMES
Words from the Glasgow University Songbook

[G]We're public guardians, bold but wary,
And of ourselves, we [C] take [Am] good [G]care,
To risk our precious lives, we're chary,
When danger looms, we're [C] ne- [Am]-ver [G] there
But when we [C] meet some helpless [G] woman,
Or little [C] boys that do no [G] harm

Chorus   
[G]We run them [D] in, We run them in,                  
We run them [G] in, We run them in,
We show them, we're [D] the bold [C] gen- [G] -darmes,
We run them [D] in, We run them in,
We run them [G] in, We run them [C] in,
We show them,[G] we're the bold [D] gen- [G] -darmes,


Sometimes our duty's extra mural,
And butterflies we love to chase
We like to gambol in things rural,
Commune with nature, face to face,
But to our beats then back returning,
Refreshed by nature's holy charms, .... Chorus

If gentlemen will make a riot,
And punch each other's heads at night,
We're quite disposed to keep it quiet,
Provided that they make it right,
But if they do not see it
And give us our proper due, .... Chorus


The BOLD GENS D'ARMES
From Genevieve by Jaques Offenbach

We watch while all the city's sleeping
To chase the rogues that prowl at night
Always an eye wide open keeping
This is our duty and delight
Within these shades how calm, tis charming
That's true for you, 'tis quiet here,

Chorus....How gay the life x2,
Of men of arms x2,               
We like good cheer   
How gay the life x2,Of men of arms x2
We laugh, at all alarms,

Our iron coats, we always wear them
Not quite the silk they are in truth
For march and rest we always hear them
Fear no thief or furtive youth
Always we dream our dreams with pleasure,
That's right there nothing like good rest .... Chorus

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST,FLSHBK
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 01:09 AM

How absolutely appropriate that the conversion of this opera song into the Marines' Hymn should take place in 1918, when the Marines were fighting in France. Makes perfect sense to me ~ the best place to find any off-duty Marine was in a bar or other establishment dispensing such pleasures. It would be perfectly understandable for a group of Marines to hear this and steal it for a better use. Very glad they did. OooRah!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST,Jane Ann Liston
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 12:41 PM

Here are the French words (by Crémieux & Trefeu) for 2 verses - songs always sound better in the original language, I think. Sung by Pitou and Grabuge, two not very bright specimens of the 'hommes d'armes', and several years before W.S. Gilbert had a similar pop at the forces of law & order. Offenbach is my favourite composer.

Protéger les répos des villes,
Courir sus aux mauvais garçons,
Ne parler qu'à des imbéciles,
En voir de toutes les façons,
Un peu de calme après vous charme,
C'est assez calme ici, sergent.
Ah! qu'il est beau
Ah! qu'il est beau
D'être homme d'arme
D'être homme d'arme
Mais que c'est un sort exigeant!
Ah! qu'il est beau
Ah! qu'il est beau
D'être homme d'arme
D'être homme d'arme
Mais que c'est un sort exigeant!

Ne pas jamais ôter ses cottes,
C'est bien pénible en vérité,
Dormir après de longues trottes,
Rêver c'est la félicité,
Sentir la violette de Parme,
Vous me comblez, ô mon sergent.
Ah! qu'il est beau (etc)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: Monique
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 01:43 PM

English translation of the above lyrics in this blog post

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 05:44 PM

Thank you for the link to the blog post which I read with interest. I'm not sure, though, that Marissa is right about the meaning of the last 2 lines:

'Sentir la violette de Parme,
Vous me comblez, ô mon sergent.'

It has been suggested to me that Parma violet, once ingested, retains its aroma all the way through the gut and out again. Therefore it is possible that Sgt Grabuge is affected by wind and Pitou is commenting upon this!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 07:48 AM

We're public guardians, bold but wary,
And of ourselves, we take good care,
To risk our precious lives, we're chary,
When danger looms, we're never there
But when we meet some helpless woman,
Or little boys that do no harm

Chorus:
We run them in, We run them in,
We run them in, We run them in,
We show them, we're the bold gendarmes,
We run them in, We run them in,
We run them in, We run them in,
We show them, we're the bold gendarmes!

Sometimes our duty's extra mural,
And butterflies we love to chase
We like to gambol in things rural,
Commune with nature, face to face,
But to our beats then back returning,
Refreshed by nature's holy charms,
(Chorus)

If gentlemen will make a riot
And punch each other's heads at night
We're quite disposed to keep it quiet,
Provided that they make it right,
But if they do not see it
And give us our proper terms,
(Chorus)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 08:26 AM

Tom,

Thanks for posting that same set of words again!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jan 13 - 09:01 AM

I think you'll find the second to last line of the last verse should have the words 'choose to' inserted between 'not' and 'see' so that it scans as "But if they do not choose to see it" which is the way I remember and have sung it in the past.

Peter

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 18 - 04:11 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 03:17 PM

Here is another thread
2003-2012
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=62273 

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST,Ben_issacs
Date: 13 Nov 18 - 06:48 AM

Folks.
Third verse. second last line.
I think that this should read thus:'But if they do not see it our way'
'our way' is necessary to maintain the rythm, 'But if they do not see it'breaks the rythm.
Regards,
Bill,
Melbourne.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 13 Nov 18 - 09:02 AM

idk... it means 'our' is sung in two lines which feels a bit awkward?

! A couple of us did it in Bollington for Christmas a couple of years ago and about 20% of it was probably not as written !

Ben, did you see the YouTube links in the other thread?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 18 - 01:14 AM

Folks,
Back to that second last line, yes, another, and possibly better version is: 'And if they seem to see it our way'.
This maintains the rythm.
It's interesting to note that this English version is in no way similar to the English translation of the French lyrics, which can be found elsewhere.
As an aside, in the film 'Viva Maria' (60's, 70's?), starring Bridget Bardot and Jeanne Moreau, set in Spanish America (Mexico?) prior to the First World War, the two are part of a travelling group of players who get caught up in the usual revolution.
In one of the scenes, set in the local theatre, Bardot and Moreau come onto the stage dressed as French Gendarmes, complete with moustaches and do the Duet.
Can't remember what language they sang in, or even if they finished the song, but for me that was the best 'Gendarme's Duet', that I've ever heard.
Regards,
Bill,
Melbourne.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: Monique
Date: 14 Nov 18 - 02:58 AM

The movie "Viva Maria" is from 1965 and they sing in French. You can hear it sung here, the lyrics being in the second to last post.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Gendarmes' Duet (Offenbach)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 18 - 05:32 AM

"But if they do not see it" is perfectly correct: "But" is sung as two syllables (Bu-ut) before the main downbeat on "if". "See is similarly sung over two notes "see-ee" with the first one on the downbeat