Manslaughter (L’assassinat)

Not only in the big city
Are there crimes aplenty
In our village also we can
Assassinate a man
In our village also we can
Assassinate a man.

His hair was grey and almost gone
Yet innocence clung on
His heart could not resist a fling
With a pretty young thing
His heart could not resist a fling
With a pretty young thing.

But sweet taste of sugar and spice
Alas comes with a price
For the thrills of a youthful pout
His money soon ran out
For the thrills of a youthful pout
His money soon ran out.

When she asked that he filled her hat
Sadly he replied that
He was as poor as a church mouse
She buttoned up her blouse
He was as poor as a church mouse
She buttoned up her blouse.

She went to fetch her true lover
Who was greedy as her
They turned on the old man and did
A truely evil deed
They turned on the old man and did
A truely evil deed.

Together they set out to grim-
-ly assassinate him
When he gave his final whisper
She gave him the finger
When he gave his final whisper
She gave him the finger.

They searched every nook and cranny
And found not one penny
But mortgages against the house
But countless I.O.U.’s
But mortgages against the house
But countless I.O.U.’s.

Overtaken with great remorse
She knelt down by his corpse
And with her first sincere caress
She begged his forgiveness
And with her first sincere caress
She begged his forgiveness.

When the police came on the scene
They found her still crying
One honest show of emotion
Saved her from damnation
One honest show of emotion
Saved her from damnation.

The day the gallows sealed her fate
She went through heaven’s gate
Some bigots have had from this point
Their noses out of joint
Some bigots have had from this point
Their noses out of joint.

Not only in the big city
Are there crimes aplenty
In our village also we can
Assassinate a man
In our village also we can
Assassinate a man.

© Didier Delahaye, 2002

C´est pas seulement à Paris
Que le crime fleurit
Nous, au village, aussi, l´on a
De beaux assassinats
Nous, au village, aussi, l´on a
De beaux assassinats.

Il avait la tête chenue
Et le cœur ingénu
Il eut un retour de printemps
Pour une de vingt ans
Il eut un retour de printemps
Pour une de vingt ans.

Mais la chair fraîch´, la tendre chair
Mon vieux, ça coûte cher
Au bout de cinq à six baisers
Son or fut épuisé
Au bout de cinq à six baisers
Son or fut épuisé.

Quand sa menotte elle a tendue
Triste, il a répondu
Qu´il était pauvre comme Job
Elle a remis sa rob´
Qu´il était pauvre comme Job
Elle a remis sa rob´.

Elle alla quérir son coquin
Qu´avait l´appât du gain
Sont revenus chez le grigou
Faire un bien mauvais coup
Sont revenus chez le grigou
Faire un bien mauvais coup.

Et pendant qu´il le lui tenait
Elle l´assassinait
On dit que, quand il expira
La langue ell´ lui montra
On dit que, quand il expira
La langue ell´ lui montra.

Mirent tout sens dessus dessous
Trouvèrent pas un sou
Mais des lettres de créanciers
Mais des saisies d´huissiers
Mais des lettres de créanciers
Mais des saisies d´huissiers.

Alors, prise d´un vrai remords
Elle eut chagrin du mort
Et, sur lui, tombant à genoux,
Ell´ dit : ” Pardonne-nous ! “
Et, sur lui, tombant à genoux,
Ell´ dit : ” Pardonne-nous ! “.

Quand les gendarm´s sont arrivés
En pleurs ils l´ont trouvée
C´est une larme au fond des yeux
Qui lui valut les cieux
C´est une larme au fond des yeux
Qui lui valut les cieux.

Et le matin qu´on la pendit
Ell´ fut en paradis
Certains dévots, depuis ce temps
Sont un peu mécontents
Certains dévots, depuis ce temps
Sont un peu mécontents.

C´est pas seulement à Paris
Que le crime fleurit
Nous, au village, aussi, l´on a
De beaux assassinats
Nous, au village, aussi, l´on a
De beaux assassinats.

Georges Brassens, 1962