France

France:

There are several wonderful instruments and folk songs typically associated with French traditional folk music. Listen to the accordion and the folk songs "Alouette" and "Frere Jacques" today.

Accordion

(See the instrument notebooking page below.)

"Alouette"

According to Wikipedia, "'Alouette'" is a popular French-speaking Canadian children's song, commonly thought to be about plucking the feathers from a lark, in retribution for being woken up by its song. Although it is in French, it is well-known among speakers of other languages; in this respect it is similar to "Frère Jacques". Many US Marines and other Allied soldiers learned the song while serving in France during World War I and took it home with them, passing it on to their children and grandchildren."

Lyrics:

(The nature of a folk song is that there are many variations for lyrics and even sometimes the tune.)

See printable lyrics here.

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Aloutette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tete
Je te plumerai la tete
Et la tete
Et la tete
Alouett’
Alouett’
Oh,

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai le bec
Je te plumerai le bec
Et le bec
Et le bec
Et la tete
Et la tete
Alouett’
Alouett’
Oh,

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai le nez
Je te plumerai le nez
Et le nez
Et le nez
Et le bec
Et le bec
Et la tete
Et la tete
Alouett’
Alouett’
Oh,

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai le cou
Je te plumerai le cou
Et le cou
Et le cou
Et le nez
Et le nez
Et le bec
Et le bec
Et la tete
Et la tete
Alouette’
Alouette’
Oh,

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai le dos
Je te plumerai le dos
Et le dos
Et le dos
Et le cou
Et le cou
Et le nez
Et le nez
Et le bec
Et le bec
Et la tete
Et la tete
Alouett’
Alouett’
Oh,

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette je te plumerai

English Translation:

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your head

(I'll pluck your head)

And your head

(And your head)

Lark

(Lark)

O-o-o-oh

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your beak

(I'll pluck your beak)

And your head

(And your head)

And your beak

(And your beak)

Lark

(Lark)

O-o-o-oh

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your back

(I'll pluck your back)

And your head

(And your head)

And your beak

(And your beak)

And your back

(And your back)

Lark

(Lark)

O-o-o-oh

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your feet

(I'll pluck your feet)

And your head

(And your head)

And your beak

(And your beak)

And your back

(And your back)

And your feet

(And your feet)

Lark

(Lark)

O-o-o-oh

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your wings

(I'll pluck your wings)

And your head

(And your head)

And your beak

(And your beak)

And your back

(And your back)

And your feet

(And your feet)

And your wings

(And your wings)

Lark

(Lark)

O-o-o-oh

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

Lark, nice lark

Lark, I'll pluck you

(From this site.)

Sheet Music can be printed here.Or here.Or here.

"Frère Jacques"

The song "Frère Jacques" is a very old French folk song. In English it is translated “Brother John.” "Frère Jacques" is often sung as a round, where a second singer starts at the beginning as the first singer finishes the first phrase.

The story in the song tells about a French monk living in a monastery who oversleeps the matins prayer time because it's at midnight or very early in the morning. He is encouraged to wake up in order to ring the church bells to call others to prayer.

When the song is translated into English, it actually loses the original French meaning of the song. Brother John doesn't ring the bells because he is still fast asleep.

The lyrics of "Frère Jacques" were first published in 1780. The melody is much older and shares a similar tune to another French song dating from 1650 called "Chanson de Lambert," as well as to a traditional Hungarian folk tune.