StillPaisleyCat, (edited )
@StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website avatar

For those struggling with the meaning of the lyrics for ‘Alouette’, there’s even a more bizarre Québécois nonsense song along similar lines ‘Mon Merle’.

In this case, the blackbird starts by losing a body part, then getting three back in its place. Worse, the singer asks each time ‘Comment vas-tu mon Merle’, literally ‘How’s it going blackbird.’

Here’s a rather delightful, celebrated 1958 animated short featuring the song, sung by ‘The Trio Lyrique of Montreal‘ with an English introduction . (It used an experimental cut-out animation method.)

Dr. Miglemo would be horrified.

https://startrek.website/pictrs/image/c98d2d60-50d9-41be-99f5-6addd6256740.jpeg

jawa21,

That was a very enjoyable watch! The animation is very good even by today’s standards, let alone for 1958! Thanks for sharing this.

jawa21,

I do apologize that this may not translate well. I’ve never had a single course in French, but many people know this song without context.

hallettj,
@hallettj@beehaw.org avatar

Somehow I’m very familiar with the first line, but none of the other lyrics. TIL!

AlligatorBlizzard,

I took a year of French in middle school. My class learned this song, it’s brutal, lol.

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