Poor People of Paris (La Goualante du Pauvre Jean)   Marguerite Monnot, English Lyrics: Jack Lawrence (1954), Edith Piaf
All had hits in 1956: Les Baxter (#1), Lawrence Welk (#17), Russ Morgan (#19)
French Lyrics
Just got back from Paris, France;
All they do is sing and dance;
All they've got there is romance.
What a tragedy.
Ev'ry boulevard has lovers;
Ev'ry lover's in a trance,
The poor people of Paree.

I feel sorry for the French;
Ev'ry guy has got a wench
Ev'ry couple's got a bench, kissing shamelessly.
Night and day they're making music
While they're making love in French,
The poor people of Paree.

Milk or water from the sink
Make a true Parisian shrink.
Wine is all he'll ever drink,
And it worries me.
For with wine as cheap as water,
Oh it makes one stop and think,
The poor people of Paree.

Sister met a boy named Pierre,
Had the craziest affair,
And the day they parted there, He cried bitterly.
Pierre was there to bid her farewell,
But he brought his new girl, Claire,
The poor people of Paree.

So don't go to Paris, France,
Not unless you like to dance,
No unless you want romance,
Like thos poor inhabitants of Paree.

This song was written by Marguerite Monnot and was an instrumental success by Les Baxter.  Jack Lawrence, whoe many hits include "If I Didn't Care," "Beyond the Sea" and "All or Nothing at All," penned these lyrics.  But perhaps Lawrence was thinking of the French word "gens" instead of "Jean" when he heard the original title, for he turned one poverty-stricken Frenchman into all of Paris's poor.


La goualante du pauvre Jean  - Edith Piaf

Paroles: René Rouzaud
Musique: Marguerite Monnot
© 1954 Les auteurs

Esgourdes rien qu`un instant
La goualante du pauvre Jean
Que les femmes n`aimaient pas
Mais n`oubliez pas
Dans la vie y a qu`une morale
Qu`on soit riche ou sans un sou
Sans amour on n`est rien du tout

Il vivait au jour le jour
Dans la soie et le velours
Il pionçait dans de beaux draps
Mais n`oubliez pas
Dans la vie on est peau de balle
Quand notre cœur est au clou
Sans amour on n`est rien du tout

Il bectait chez les barons
Il guinchait dans les salons
Et lichait tous les tafias
Mais n`oubliez pas
Rien ne vaut une belle fille
Qui partage votre ragoût
Sans amour on n`est rien du tout

Pour gagner des picaillons
Il fut un méchant larron
On le saluait bien bas
Mais n`oubliez pas
Un jour on fait la pirouette
Et derrière les verrous
Sans amour on n`est rien du tout

Esgourdes bien jeunes gens
Profitez de vos vingt ans
On ne les a qu`une fois
Et n`oubliez pas
Plutôt qu`une cordelette
Mieux vaut une femme à son cou
Sans amour on n`est rien du tout

Et voilà mes braves gens
La goualante du pauvre Jean
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