Sacré Charlemagne [English translation]

Who is it who had the crazy idea

to invent school?

Who had this idea

to invent school out of the blue?

It's this naughty Charlemagne.

Naughty Charlemagne

left us free to live

only on thursdays1 and sundays

He left us free to live

only on thursadys and sundays

It's this naughty Charlemagne

Naughty Charlemagne

This son of Pépin le Bref

is causing us a lot of trouble,

and we hold a hundred grudges

against, against, against him.

Who is it who had the crazy idea

to invent school?

Who had this idea

to invent school out of the blue?

It's this naughty Charlemagne.

Naughty Charlemagne

Past participle2

4 and 4 make 8

French and

Math lessons.

That's so much work, work.

Naughty naughty naughty naughty

naughty Charlemagne

He should rather have stroked

his flourishing beard3 for a while longer

He should rather have stroked

his flourishing beard for a while longer

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Naughty Charlemagne

Instead of bothering us

with geography

Instead of bothering us

with geography

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Naughty Charlemagne

He would have better busied himself

with battles and hunting;

we would not be forced then

to go to school every day

You have to learn maths

and do lots of dictations

You have to learn maths

and do lots of dictations

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Naughty Charlemagne

Past participle

Past participle

4 and 4 make 8

4 and 4 make 8

French lesson

French lesson

Math lesson

Math lesson

That's so much work, work.

Naughty naughty naughty naughty

naughty Charlemagne

For if not for him, in our life

there would be only thursdays

For if not for him, in our life

there would be only thursdays

For if not for him, in our life

there would be only thursdays

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

Oh oh naughty Charlemagne

1. was a no-school day in the 60' in France2. the rules according to which French past participle varies are especially troublesome to learn3. Charlemagne was sometimes called "the emperor with a flourishing beard"

• Artist:France Gall