L' Elephant

[MrScorpio]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS4XlNW9JRE

By Tom Tom Club
© 1981
(transcription by Stephane Osstyn
corrections, notes and English translation by Tina Weymouth)

L'éléphant et l'hippopotame
(The elephant and the hippopotamus)


(Se) Sont déguisés en hommes.
(Disguised themselves as men.)


(Ils) Ont marché au beau village,
(They walked to the beautiful village,)


Marché, marché, marché, marché.
(Walked, walked, walked, walked)


Sur le chemin, (ils) ont rencontré
(On the path, they met)


Des enfants des hommes,
(The children of men)


Et des femmes qui courraient
(And women, who were running,)


Courraient, courraient, courraient, courraient.
(Running, running, running, running)


Tout en courrant, les femmes pleuraient
(As they ran, the women were crying,)


Pleuraient des grosses larmes
(Crying fat tears.)


Grosses gouttes, grosses larmes
(Large drops, big fat tears, were)


Tombaient, tombaient, tombaient, tombaient.
(Falling, falling, falling, falling)


L'éléphant et l'hippopotame
(The elephant and the hippopotamus)


Voulaient savoir ce qu'elles avaient
(Wanted to know what was the matter,)


Voulaient savoir la raison qu'elles
(Wanted to know the reason they were)


Pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient.
(Crying, crying, crying, crying.)


Un enfant, tout terrifié,
(A terrified child)


S'est arrêté pour leur parler.
(Stopped to speak with them.)


Sa bouche ouvrait, mais il est resté
(His mouth opened, but he remained)


Muet, muet, muet, muet.
(Mute, mute, mute, mute.)


*Enlevez vos costumes bêtes,
(*"Take off your foolish/beastly costumes,")


Leur chantaient les oiseaux.
(Sang to them the birds.)


**Gobe-mouches pipits, chouettes et hiboux
(**Pipits, screech owls, and owls were)


Chantaient, chantaient, chantaient, chantaient:
(Singing, singing, singing, singing: )


C'est la guerre, la guerre des hommes.
("It is war, the war of men.)


Ils se sont disputés.
(They have quarreled among themselves.)


Tout autour, ils veulent tuer,
(All around, they want to kill,)


Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
(Kill, kill, kill, kill)

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
(Kill, kill, kill, kill)


Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
(Kill, kill, kill, kill)


Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
(Kill, kill, kill, kill)


Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
(Kill, kill, kill, kill)