Some French Music Help

[expoITHscohen]

Well in French class we are watching a music video of two people. The song is called "Face A La Mer" and it is by Calogero et (and) Passi. It seems a little strange and wierd. Anyone in france want to tell me a little about the song? Also is there a drug called "Potatos" in french?

-Steven Cohen

[CanadianDC10]

Also is there a drug called "Potatos" in french?

Can't tell you much about the song, except that its theme seems to be hope (but maybe you had that figured out already). As for the potatoes, if you're referring to the part where he says "T'as pas connu ça toi, l'envie d'empocher les patates", then I'm pretty sure that what he's talking about is money. Maybe someone from France will be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

[uy707]

About the potatoes, this is related much more to personal setbacks of all kind. A potatoe better translates by a fist in someone's face.
Face à la mer = forward to the sea. I don't know the lyrics, but this might convey an idea of escape as beyond the sea stretches the never reached horizon line.
Alain

[expoITHscohen]

Thanks for all the help. Here are the lyrics if this helps you as well:

Taken from: http://www.allparoles.com/paroles/ca...20la%20mer.htm

Passi:
On ne choisit ni son origine,
ni sa couleur de peau
comme on rêve d'une vie de château
Quand on vit le ghetto
naître l'étau autour du cou comme Cosette pour Hugo
naître en treillis dans le conflit
et prier le très haut.

Fils du C.O.N.G.O
cette haine j'ai au M.I.C.R.O j'ai l' poids des mots.
sortir d'en bas,
rêver de déchirer ce tableau fait d'armes, de larmes,
fait de sang et de sanglots.

Calogero:
Face à la mer
J'aurais dû grandir
Face contre terre
J'aurais pu mourir
Je me relève
Je prends mon dernier rêve.

Passi:
Tous les deux de la même dalle.
Et tous les deux déçus.

Calogero:
Je prends mon dernier rêve

Passi:
C'est la sécheresse sur une terre où l'on n' cesse de semer tristesse
dans les yeux qui n' peuvent pleurer j'ai beaucoup de rêves lointains.
j' me suis tant rebellé, j'ai bu beaucoup de baratin et ça m'a trop saoulé.
Dans la vie y a des tapes au fond et des tapes à côté, des t'as pas un euro
ou la tape à l'arrachée, y a l'Etat, les RMmistes, les " t'as qu'à taffer. "
Si t'es en bas faut cravacher.
Si t'es en bas faut cravacher, t'as qu'à pas lâcher.
T'as pas connu ça toi, l'envie d'empocher les patates,
être à gauche droite face à la mer loin des galères.
T'as pas connu ça, l'envie de d' t'en sortir distribuer des patates des
gauches droites avec un air patibulaire

Calogero:
Face à la mer
J'aurais dû grandir
Face contre terre
J'aurais pu mourir
Je me relève
Je prends mon dernier rêve.

Passi:
Tous deux de la même dalle
Et tous deux déçus

Calogero:
Je prends mon dernier rêve
Face à la mer
C'est toi qui résistes
Face contre terre
Ton nom sur la liste
de tout ton être
Cité à comparaître

Passi:
c'est l'histoire de cette plume qui s'étouffe dans le goudron, cette matière
grise dont le pays n'a pas fait acquisition, on se relève, on repart à fond,
on vise le Panthéon, j'en place une à ceux qui en ont, je l'ai comme mes
potes l'ont. On veut toucher le ciel étoilé sans baisser l' pantalon. Trop
peu bonnes fées et trop de Cendrillon. Calo-Passi 2004 action.

Je prends mon dernier rêve.
Je me relève
Je prends mon dernier rêve.

Passi:
Tous deux de la même dalle
Et tous deux déçus

Calogero:
Je prends mon dernier rêve.

Passi:
Tous deux de la même dalle
Et tous deux déçus

Calogero:
Je prends mon dernier rêve.

Passi:
On ne choisit ni son origine, ni sa couleur de peau
comme on rêve d'une vie de château
Quand on vit le ghetto
naître l'étau autour du cou comme Cosette pour Hugo
naître en treillis dans le conflit et prier le très haut.
Fils du C.O.N.G.O cette haine j'ai au M.I.C.R.O j'ai l'poids des mots.
sortir d'en bas, rêver de déchirer ce tableau fait d'armes, de larmes,
fait de sang et de sanglots.
Face à la mer
On veut tous grandir
Calo-Passi trop jeunes pour mourir

[expoITHscohen]

If someone french (Quebec too) could translate that using american slang that would be great!!

[BA747-436]

Wheres our resident Frenchy when you need him?

[uy707]

Wheres our resident Frenchy when you need him?

Always around and not the first time to translate something !!! However, I don't know a lot in American slang. So I will use regular words.

Passi
When one undergoes life in the inner city, born with chains around the neck the same as (Victor) Hugo's Cosette, born in battledress, neither origin/background nor the color skin can be chosen the same as dreamt life in a castle.

Fils de Congo (son of Congo)
This hatred I get with the mike, I get the weight of words, getting out from the bottom, dreaming of tearing apart this picture of weapons, tears, blood and sobs.

Calogero
I should have grown up facing the sea
I could have died face eating the ground
I am standing up
I take my last dream with me

Passi
Both (of us) from the same concrete slab
Both (of us) disappointed

Calogero
I take my last dream with me

Too be continued.

Alain

[expoITHscohen]

Thanks a lot.

[Legend_Airlines]

We rarely listen to music in our french class, and when we do it's like Edith Piaf or some whack stuff...haha!

Luckily I have my own sources

http://www.maprock.net/audio.html

[avro_arrow_25206]

We rarely listen to music in our french class

Except for the songs that go:
"je vais, tu vas, il va, elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, elles vont..." over and over again

ahh, those were the days...

[Legend_Airlines]

Except for the songs that go:
"je vais, tu vas, il va, elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, elles vont..." over and over again

ahh, those were the days...

oh no that's beginning to sink in

[uy707]

Edith Piaf was a great singer, her grave and raucous voice were very well assorted with the lyrics.

Next Installement is for Passi's big paragraph, as for the text afterwards this is the same stuff as the initial paragraph I previously delivered. Her we go...

It's drough on (one) Earth where sadness is always seeded on eyes that can't weap, I have lots of bygone dreams.
I often rioted (went on revolt/rebellion). I swallowed so many lies I got too much drunk. In lifetime they are slaps from the bottom, slaps from the sides, can you spare one Euro, bag snatchings, there's State, the minimum welfare beneficiaries and the "just work"
(why this randering of strange mix of words in English, because in French most sound the same ....)
Should you are in the bottom (of the social hierachy) you must keep kicking (the horse, keep going is also good)
Should you are in the bottom, you must keep kicking and not give-up.
You did not experience the sheer want of racking up millions
To stand on the left and on the right by the seaside, away from the oar-powered vessels.
the latters were crewed by regulars and prisonners/slaves who were usually chained to the oar trunk and required to follow the rythm of drums ...
hence this metaphor !
You did not experience the want of getting out of there and distribute fist strikes (this time he mean fists on one's face) , left/right (while showing a portly but nasty face)

To be continued with Passi again, but don't get me wrong they are not among my favorite performers

Alain

[Genessee]

Except for the songs that go:
"je vais, tu vas, il va, elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, elles vont..." over and over again

*has a grade 7 flash back* nooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[expoITHscohen]

thanks a lot Uy707!!! Also do you know if there is a french Itunes? My teacher doesn't like illegal stuff

[uy707]

You're welcome. About Itunes, what's this, pardon my ignorance ... My idea, should you think of a legal body, there's the SACEM an acronym which could be translated as the Society of Music Performers-Lyrisists and Editors to which songs are filed and registered with.
Alain