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Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier

19 Jan 02 - 02:45 PM (#631179)
Subject: Lyr Add: LE CANTONNIER
From: Mrrzy

LE CANTONNIER

From Shep Ginandes Sings Folk Songs (Elektra 133), where it is described as "beloved by students in France and Canada"

Remembered by Mrrzy

Sur la route de Louviers (bis)
Il y avait un cantonnier (bis)
Et qui cassait (bis)
Des tas d'cailloux (bis)
Et qui cassait des tas d'cailloux
Pour mettre sur le passage des roues, rrrroues
Refrain:
Ayez pitié, je vous en priiie
De la charmante Rosaliie
Prenez garde à ce trou qui est devant vous
Là qui est devant vous
N'allez pas chez le marchand de vin qui fait coin, coin, coin
A la tienne, Etienne
A la tienne, mon vieux
Sans ces garces de femme nous serions tous des frères
A la tienne, Etienne
A la tienne, mon vieux
Sans ces garces de femme nous serions tous heureux.
Une belle dame vint à passer (bis)
Dans un beau carosse doré (bis)
Et qui disait (bis)
"Mon cantonnier" (bis)
Et qui disait "Mon cantonnier
Vous faites un foutu métier, tié tié tié!"
Refrain
Le cantonnier lui répond (bis)
C'est pour nourrir mes garçons (bis)
Car si j'ouillons (bis)
Carosse comme ous (bis)
Car si j'oullions carosse comme vous
Je n'casserions point d'cailloux, you you you!"
Refrain

Rough translation:

On the road to Louviers was a guy filling potholes, who was breaking up tons of little rocks to put under the carriage wheels.
CHO: Oh, have pity please on charming Rosalie, watch out for that hold in front of you, right in front of you, don't go to the wine seller on the corner corner corner (note: in French that's pronounced Quack quack quack). Here's to you, Steven, here's to you old pal, if it weren't for those floozies we'd all be brothers; here's to you Steven, here's to you old pal, if it weren't for the floozies we'd all be happy.
A beautiful lady came by in a big golden coach, and she said Pothole filler, you have a fucked up job (CHO). The pothole filler answered: It's to feed my boys, for if I had a coach like yours, I wouldn't be breaking up any little rocks (CHO).

19 Jan 02 - 02:50 PM (#631183)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: Mrrzy

Corrections:
Carosse comme VOUS
Watch out for that HOLE

Other comments: This is the rest of that song that I could only remember the chorus of, finally remembered the whole thing. As it turns out not to be a version of anything else I found on the Internet or on the Forum with A la tienne Etienne, I'm entering the lyrics as a new thread. I'll put blickies when I find those other threads, which are for some reason not appearing when I search for them.

19 Jan 02 - 04:37 PM (#631249)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: Mrrzy

Forgot to mention that when speaking to the hifalutin lady, he uses (or rather, attempts to use, but unsuccessfully) a fancy literary tense, as in Were I to hath hadden a coach like yours...

Also, voici blicky to the thread where another song appeared when I asked about the A la tienne, Etienne chorus...

28 Jul 13 - 02:13 PM (#3542789)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: GUEST,philip G

a la tienne, tienne, a la tienne, mon vieux

Is simply, a man drinking to someone's health :

To yours, yours, to yours, my old (friend)!

(There's no Etienne involved)

28 Jul 13 - 03:28 PM (#3542812)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

"The Roadmender"
A song by Darius Milhaud, c. 1917, is based on "Sur la route de Louviers," 19th C., the song here.
The italicized verse posted by Mrrzy is an addition.

28 Jul 13 - 03:58 PM (#3542822)
Subject: Lyr Add: SUR LA ROUTE DE LOUVIERS
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Lyr. Add: Sur la route de Louviers
(trad.)

Sur la route de Louviers (rout-e)
Sur la route de Louviers
Il y avait un cantonnier
Il y avait un cantonnier
Et que cassait
Et que cassait
Des tas d'cailloux
Des tas d'cailloux
Pour metre sur l'passage des roues

Une belle dame vint à passer (bell-e_
Une belle dame vint à passer
Dans un beau carrosse doré
Dans un beau carrosse doré
Et qui lui dit:
Et qui lui dit:
-Pauv' cantonnier !
-Pauv' cantonnier !
Tu fais un fichu métier

Le cantonnier lui répond:
Le cantonnier lui répond:
-Faut qu'j'nourrissions nos garçons
-Faut qu'j'nourrissions nos garçons
Car si j'roulions
Car si j'roulions
Carrosse comme vous
Carrosse comme vous
Car si j'roulions carrosse comme vous
J'n'casserions pas d'cailloux

Cette réponse se fait r'marquer (cett-e)
Cette réponse se fait r'marquer
Par sa grande simplicité
Par sa grande simplicité
C'est c'qui prouve
C'est c'qui prouve
Que les malheureux
Que les malheureux
'est c'qui prouve que les malheureux
S'ils le sont c'est malgré eux

Lyrics as given at http://people.southwestern.edu/~prevots/songs/?p=130
Arrangement by Aaron Prevots. As sung by Aristide Bruant, 1911.

03 Aug 13 - 03:23 PM (#3545187)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: Mrrzy

Wow, excellent info, love this place!

03 Aug 13 - 03:47 PM (#3545198)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: McGrath of Harlow

Here's an animated Youtube version of the older song.

03 Aug 13 - 07:36 PM (#3545241)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Le Cantonnier
From: Midchuck

Us Woodchucks recorded this on our 1999 CD. Kris did lead vocal - she's the one with the languages.

Shamelessly lifted from the Bikel/Gooding Electra recording, "Young Man and a Maid; Love Songs of Many Lands." (Same album the Kingston Trio obviously took "Coplas" from. We're in august company.}

Peter