Yves Montand — Battling Joe song lyrics and translation
The page contains the lyrics and English translation of the song "Battling Joe" by Yves Montand.
Lyrics
Dans un village noir de charbon
Dans les ch’minées et les corons
Tout p' tit il battait ses copains
Il était fier de ses deux poings
Presqu' autant qu' son père le mineur
Qui disait: «Ça f' ra un boxeur «Le jour de son premier combat
Fallait un nom, l' en avait pas
Comme la mode était à l' anglais
Il s' appela «Battling Joe "
Battling Joe
C' était un peu démesuré
Pour un gosse aux épaules étroites
Mais qui avait une méchante droite
Battling Joe
Il gagna son premier combat
Et le soir même avec papa
Il prenait le train pour Paris
Où un boxeur ça vaut son prix
Battling Joe
Il croyait bien en f’sant c' truc-là
Être plus libre mais voilà
Qui dit boxeur dit manager
Le sien avait une poigne de fer
C' était un gars très régulier
Qui pour justifier la moitié
Des bourses de tous ses combats
Lui fit mener une vie d' forçat
«On n' est pas là pour rigoler «Qu' il disait à Battling Joe
Battling Joe
Devint un boxeur redouté
Battling faisait des gross' recettes
Battling devint une gross' vedette
Battling Joe
Les dames disaient tout près du ring
«Il est délicieux ce Battling «Et elles admiraient son moral
Sans penser qu' les coups ça fait mal
Battling Joe
Battling devint un grand champion
Jusqu' au triste soir où un gnon
Lui embrouilla soudain les yeux
L' manager dit: «C'est pas sérieux !
Tu d' viens feignant, fait ton métier
Boxe rime pas avec pitié…»
La foule eut p' t' êtr' tort ce soir-là
De siffler la fin du combat
Malgré les lampes et leurs éclairs
Battling Joe… hé Joe… ne voyait plus clair
Battling Joe
C' est un nom mait' nant oublié
Une triste silhouette qui penche
Appuyée sur une canne blanche
Battling Joe
A tout perdu en un seul soir
Ses yeux son titre et son espoir
Mais il sait comme consolation
Son manager a d' autres champions
Battling Joe
Lyrics translation
In a coal-black village
In the CH'minées and the corons
All titty he beat his buddies
He was proud of his two fists
Almost as much as his father the minor
Who said, "it's a boxer" on the day of his first fight
Needed a name, didn't have any
As fashion was in English
It's called "Battling Joe "
Fighting Joe
It was a little excessive
For a kid with narrow shoulders
But who had a wicked right
Fighting Joe
He won his first fight
And the same evening with dad
He was taking the train to Paris
Where a boxer is worth his price
Fighting Joe
He believed in doing that thing.
Be more free but that's it
Who says boxer says manager
His had an iron fist
He was a very regular guy
Who to justify half
Scholarships of all his fights
Made him lead a life of forced
"We're not here to laugh" he said to Battling Joe
Fighting Joe
Became a feared boxer
Battling was making big ' recipes
Battling became a gross ' star
Fighting Joe
The ladies said near the ring
"It's delicious this battle" and they admired his morale
Without thinking that blows hurt
Fighting Joe
Battling became a great champion
Until the sad evening when a gnon
Suddenly confused his eyes
The manager says: "it's not serious !
You come pretending, do your job
Boxing rhymes not with pity…»
The crowd might have been wrong that night.
Whistle the end of the fight
Despite the lamps and their flashes
Fighting Joe ... Hey Joe ... couldn't see more clearly
Fighting Joe
It's a forgotten name
A sad figure that leans
Leaning on a white cane
Fighting Joe
Lost everything in one night
His eyes his title and hope
But he knows as consolation
His manager has other champions
Fighting Joe