Les copains d'abord Lyrics in English Georges Brassens
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Les copains d'abord by Georges Brassens from French to English.
These English lyric translations are not yet verified.
Non, ce n'était pas le radeau
No, it wasn't the raft
De la Méduse, ce bateau
From the Medusa, this boat
Qu'on se le dise au fond des ports
Let it be said at the bottom of the ports
Dise au fond des ports
Say at the bottom of the ports
Il naviguait en père peinard
He sailed like a cushy father
Sur la grand-mare des canards
On the duck pond
Et s'appelait les Copains d'abord
And was called Friends first
Les Copains d'abord
Friends first
Ses fluctuat nec mergitur
Its fluctuat nec mergitur
C'était pas d'la littérature
It wasn't literature
N'en déplaise aux jeteurs de sort
No offense to the spellcasters
Aux jeteurs de sort
To the spellcasters
Son capitaine et ses matelots
His captain and his sailors
N'étaient pas des enfants d'salauds
Were not children of bastards
Mais des amis franco de port
But friends free of charge
Des copains d'abord
Friends first
C'était pas des amis de luxe
They were not luxury friends
Des petits Castor et Pollux
Little Castors and Pollux
Des gens de Sodome et Gomorrhe
People from Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodome et Gomorrhe
Sodom and Gomorrah
C'était pas des amis choisis
They weren't chosen friends
Par Montaigne et La Boétie
By Montaigne and La Boétie
Sur le ventre, ils se tapaient fort
On the belly, they hit each other hard
Les copains d'abord
Friends first
C'était pas des anges non plus
They weren't angels either
L'Évangile, ils l'avaient pas lu
The Gospel, they hadn't read it
Mais ils s'aimaient toutes voiles dehors
But they loved each other with full sail
Toutes voiles dehors
All sails out
Jean, Pierre, Paul et compagnie
Jean, Pierre, Paul and company
C'était leur seule litanie
It was their only litany
Leur Credo, leur Confiteor
Their Credo, their Confiteor
Aux copains d'abord
Friends first
Au moindre coup de Trafalgar
At the slightest blow from Trafalgar
C'est l'amitié qui prenait l'quart
It's the friendship that took the quarter
C'est elle qui leur montrait le nord
It was she who showed them the north
Leur montrait le nord
Showed them the north
Et quand ils étaient en détresse
And when they were in distress
Qu'leurs bras lançaient des S.O.S
That their arms were throwing S.O.S
On aurait dit des sémaphores
They looked like semaphores
Les copains d'abord
Friends first
Au rendez-vous des bons copains
Meeting good friends
Y avait pas souvent de lapins
There weren't often rabbits
Quand l'un d'entre eux manquait à bord
When one of them was missing on board
C'est qu'il était mort
It was that he was dead
Oui, mais jamais, au grand jamais
Yes, but never, ever
Son trou dans l'eau n'se refermait
Her hole in the water never closed
Cent ans après, coquin de sort
A hundred years later, rascal of fate
Il manquait encore
He was still missing
Des bateaux j'en ai pris beaucoup
Boats I took a lot
Mais le seul qu'ait tenu le coup
But the only one that held out
Qui n'ait jamais viré de bord
Who has never veered
Mais viré de bord
But turned around
Naviguait en père peinard
Sailed like a cushy father
Sur la grand-mare des canards
On the duck pond
Et s'appelait les Copains d'abord
And was called Friends first
Les Copains d'abord
Friends first
Des bateaux j'en ai pris beaucoup
Boats I took a lot
Mais le seul qu'ait tenu le coup
But the only one that held out
Qui n'ait jamais viré de bord
Who has never veered
Mais viré de bord
But turned around
Naviguait en père peinard
Sailed like a cushy father
Sur la grand-mare des canards
On the duck pond
Et s'appelait les Copains d'abord
And was called Friends first
Les Copains d'abord
Friends first
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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