Buddies All Aboard (Les copains d’abord)

She was no H.M.S. Bounty
Given to strife and mutiny
Let it be known across the board
Clear across the board
She was a watertight wonder
A-bobbin’ on the blue yonder
Her name was “Buddies all aboard”
Buddies all aboard.

She had no captain by that name
All mates were skippers all the same
No God or master did they call
Master did they call
They were a dedicated crew
That numbered no more than a few
They were buddies and that was all
Buddies one and all.

They were not what you’d call fancy
The spawn of high society
Neither your average S.O.B.
Average S.O.B.
They were no luxury cargo
Gone a-cruisin’ to Key Largo
But simply buddies F.O.B.
Buddies F.O.B.

There came no choirboy hither
Not one in the bunch had either
Verse or chapter of Bible read
Holy Bible read
Their one and only Testament
Was written in the firmament
And guided them full steam ahead
Love full steam ahead.

If danger loomed up before them
Friendship took over at the helm
It steered them away from the reef
Away from the reef
But if ever disaster struck
And a fellow ran out of luck
Everyone else shouldered his grief
We shouldered his grief.

When the time had come to set sail
The whole gang showed up without fail
If a companion missed the call
He had died, that’s all
But never in a million rains
The water closed on his remains
One hundred years might go passing
He’d still be missing.

I have been on many a boat
But only one has stayed afloat
Has never veered off to starboard
Veered off to starboard
She was a watertight wonder
A-bobbin’ on the blue yonder
Her name was “Buddies all aboard”
Buddies all aboard.

© Didier Delahaye, 2003

Non, ce n´était pas le radeau
De la Méduse, ce bateau
Qu´on se le dise au fond des ports
Dise au fond des ports
Il naviguait en pèr´ peinard
Sur la grand-mare des canards
Et s´app´lait les Copains d´abord
Les Copains d´abord.

Ses fluctuat nec mergitur
C´était pas d´la littérature
N´en déplaise aux jeteurs de sort
Aux jeteurs de sort
Son capitaine et ses mat´lots
N´étaient pas des enfants d´salauds
Mais des amis franco de port
Des copains d´abord.

C´étaient pas des amis de luxe
Des petits Castor et Pollux
Des gens de Sodome et Gomorrhe
Sodome et Gomorrhe
C´étaient pas des amis choisis
Par Montaigne et La Boetie
Sur le ventre ils se tapaient fort
Les copains d´abord.

C´étaient pas des anges non plus
L´Évangile, ils l´avaient pas lu
Mais ils s´aimaient tout´s voil´s dehors
Tout´s voil´s dehors
Jean, Pierre, Paul et compagnie
C´était leur seule litanie
Leur Credo, leur Confiteor
Aux copains d´abord.

Au moindre coup de Trafalgar
C´est l´amitié qui prenait l´quart
C´est elle qui leur montrait le nord
Leur montrait le nord
Et quand ils étaient en détresse
Qu´leurs bras lançaient des S.O.S.
On aurait dit les sémaphores
Les copains d´abord.

Au rendez-vous des bons copains
Y avait pas souvent de lapins
Quand l´un d´entre eux manquait a bord
C´est qu´il était mort
Oui, mais jamais, au grand jamais
Son trou dans l´eau n´se refermait
Cent ans après, coquin de sort
Il manquait encore.

Des bateaux j´en ai pris beaucoup
Mais le seul qu´ait tenu le coup
Qui n´ai jamais viré de bord
Mais viré de bord
Naviguait en père peinard
Sur la grand-mare des canards
Et s´app´lait les Copains d´abord
Les Copains d´abord.

Georges Brassens, 1964