I don’t know why I decided to quit drinking. I must’ve been drunk at the time.—Jacques Dutronc
Jacques Dutronc rocks.
He’s this French singer from the 60′s and 70′s who shrugged off his teen idol image to sing cherry pop songs.
A case in point, my second favorite Dutronc song. From the juiced-box: Jacques Dutronc – Il est 5 heures, Paris s’éveille
Here’s my (admittedly lame—i’m kinda buzzed right now) translation of the lyrics, followed by the original lyrics for those of you who are fluent French speakers and sober:
I’m the dauphin of Place DauphineThe Place Blanche is sight unseenThe milk trucks are full of roomStreet sweepers are full of brooms
It’s 5 A.M.Paris awakesParis awakes
The transvestites are going to shaveThe strip-teasers will now behavePartiers will get run overAnd the lovers just run down
It’s 5 A.M.Paris awakesParis awakes
The coffee is in its cupsThe cafés are starting upOn the Boulevard MontparnasseThe station is a carcass
It’s 5 A.M.Paris awakesParis awakes
Suburbanites are at the stationThe butchers, cutting and patientTourists try to find their carsWhile the bakers make bastards (*)
It’s 5 A.M.Paris awakesParis awakes
The Eiffel Tower has cold feetThe Arc de Tripmophe agrees to greetThe Oblisque, erect and hard‘Tween the night and ‘tween the dawn
It’s 5 A.M.Paris awakesParis awakes
Newspapers are impressedBut the workers are depressedPeople have foggy headsIt’s time that I go to bed
It’s 5 A.M.Paris is wakingIt’s 5 A.M.And I’m not sleepy
Je suis l’dauphin d’la place DauphineEt la place Blanche a mauvaise mineLes camions sont pleins de laitLes balayeurs sont pleins d’balaisIl est cinq heuresParis s’éveilleParis s’éveilleLes travestis vont se raserLes stripteaseuses sont rhabilléesLes traversins sont écrasésLes amoureux sont fatiguésIl est cinq heuresParis s’éveilleParis s’éveilleLe café est dans les tassesLes cafés nettoient leurs glacesEt sur le boulevard MontparnasseLa gare n’est plus qu’une carcasseIl est cinq heuresParis s’éveilleParis s’éveilleLa tour Eiffel a froid aux piedsL’Arc de Triomphe est raniméEt l’Obélisque est bien dresséEntre la nuit et la journéeIl est cinq heuresParis s’éveilleParis s’éveilleLes banlieusards sont dans les garesA la Villette on tranche le lardParis by night, regagne les carsLes boulangers font des bâtardsIl est cinq heuresParis s’éveilleParis s’éveilleLes journaux sont imprimésLes ouvriers sont déprimésLes gens se lèvent, ils sont brimésC’est l’heure où je vais me coucherIl est cinq heuresParis se lèveIl est cinq heuresJe n’ai pas sommeil
Here’s a collage of him in his boy-toy heyday:
In addition to being a rebel with a clause, he partied ‘hardy’. Speaking of, here’s a shot of him with his companion, 60′s idol Françoise Hardy (and their son, Thomas):
Notice what he’s drinking? Yep, Perrier. Because he quit drinking and is now sober. That’s where the quote that spurned this post comes from. My point? Like Tom Waits and Robert Downey Jr, being on the wagon doesn’t mean you have to stop being killer cool.
BTW, here’s my favorite Dutronc song—Fais pas çi, fais pas ça. No, i can’t be bothered to translate it: did you not read about how buzzed i am?
