"POTEMKINE" de Jean Ferrat
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You should listen to this song if : You like the evocation of resistance...
About this song : The Potemkin was a battleship of the Russian Navy's fleet. The ship was made famous by the rebellion of the crew against their oppressive officers in June 1905. It later came to be viewed as an initial step towards the Russian revolution of 1917, and was the basis of
Sergei Eisenstein's silent film
The Battleship Potemkin (1925). The uprising was triggered when Giliarovsky,
the second in command of the battleship, allegedly threatened to punish
crew members for their refusal to eat meat found to contain maggots. For more information, please follow this link to
Potemkin uprising article (English) or
la mutinerie du cuirassé Potemkine (French).
About the author : Jean Ferrat was a French singer-songwriter and poet. He specialized in singing poetry, particularly that of Louis Aragon. Politically engaged, he remained all his life close to the communist party. His political convictions are perceptible in many of his songs. His most famous ones are : Ma môme, La montagne, Nuit et brouillard, c'est beau la vie, Ma France... To know more about Jean Ferrat :
Ferrat in English,
Ferrat en français.
If the content of the video above has been blocked in your country by the copyright owners, you can try this version (without subtitles, but with parts of Eisenstein's movie) :
Les paroles, et leur traduction approximative :
M'en voudrez-vous beaucoup si je vous dis un monde Will you hold it against me if I
talk about a world
Qui chante au fond de moi au bruit de l'océan that
sings deep inside me with the rumbling of the ocean
M'en voudrez-vous beaucoup si la révolte gronde Will
you hold it against me if resistance is growing
Dans ce nom que je dis au vent des quatre vents with
this name I’m saying in the wind
Ma mémoire chante en sourdine My memory sings muted
Potemkine Potemkine
Ils étaient des marins durs à la discipline They
were tough sailors
Ils étaient des marins, ils étaient des guerriers They were sailors, they were warriors,
Et le cœur d'un marin au grand vent se burine and
the heart of a sailor becomes hardened in the wind
Ils étaient des marins sur un grand cuirassé They
were sailors on a mighty battleship
Sur les flots je t'imagine On the waves I imagine
Potemkine Potemkine
M'en voudrez-vous beaucoup si je vous dis un monde Will you hold it against me If I talk about a world
Où celui qui a faim va être fusillé where
the hungry ones are going to be executed
Le crime se prépare et la mer est profonde The
crime is being prepared and the see is deep
Que face aux révoltés montent les fusiliers that
in front of the rebels come up the fusiliers
C'est mon frère qu'on assassine It’s my brother being murdered
Potemkine Potemkine
Mon frère, mon ami, mon fils, mon camarade My
brother, my friend, my son, my mate
Tu ne tireras pas sur qui souffre et se plaint Thou
shalt not shoot on those who suffer and
complain
Mon frère, mon ami, je te fais notre alcade My
brother, my friend, I make you our judge
Marin ne tire pas sur un autre marin Sailor
don’t shoot on another sailor
Ils tournèrent leurs carabines They turned away their rifles
Potemkine Potemkine
M'en voudrez-vous beaucoup si je vous dis un monde Will you hold it against me if I talk about a world
Où l'on punit ainsi qui veut donner la mort where
are punished like this those who want to give death
M'en voudrez-vous beaucoup si je vous dis un monde Will you hold it against me if I talk about a world
Où l'on n'est pas toujours du côté du plus fort where
one doesn’t always take side with the strongest
Ce soir j'aime la marine Tonight, I love
the Navy
Potemkine Potemkine
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What would I buy for my best friend ?
(click on the album image corresponding to your country,
it will connect you to the right page on Amazon)
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Your country
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Ferrat
"best" album
on Amazon
(including
"Ptemkine")
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"Potemkine"
(single mp3 download) |
Potemkine mp3 | not available,
just the album above
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Potemkine mp3 |
Potemkine mp3 
| | not available, just the album above
| not available, just the album above
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Exceptionally, for some countries (mainly the USA), I don't suggest the "CD format" album, but its equivalent as "mp3 download" album, because :
- the original CD, when available, is sold by resellers at a
very high price ;
- the mp3 album is really a good bargain for its price.
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